Systematics of the Neotropical genus Catharylla Zeller (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae s. l., Crambinae)

The Neotropical genus Catharylla Zeller, 1863 (type species: Crambus tenellus Zeller, 1839) is redescribed. Catharylla contiguella Zeller, 1872, C. interrupta Zeller, 1866 and Myelois sericina Zeller, 1881, included by Munroe (1995) in Catharylla, are moved to Argyria Hübner. Catharylla paulella Schaus, 1922 and C. tenellus (Zeller, 1839) are redescribed. Six new species are described by Léger and Landry: C. bijuga, C. chelicerata, C. coronata, C. gigantea, C. mayrabonillae and C. serrabonita. The phylogenetic relationships were investigated using morphological as well as molecular data (COI, wingless, EF-1α genes). The median and subterminal transverse lines of the forewing as well as the short anterior and posterior apophyses of the female genitalia are characteristic of the genus. The monophyly of Catharylla was recovered in all phylogenetic analyses of the molecular and the combined datasets, with three morphological apomorphies highlighted. Phylogenetic analyses of the morphology of the two sexes recovered three separate species groups within Catharylla: the chelicerata, the mayrabonillae, and the tenellus species groups. The possible position of Micrelephas Schaus, 1922 as sister to Catharylla, based on both morphological and molecular data, and the status of tribe Argyriini are discussed. The biogeographical data indicate that the chelicerata species group is restricted to the Guyanas and the Amazonian regions whereas the tenellus group is restricted to the Atlantic Forest in the South-Eastern part of Brazil. The mayrabonillae group is widespread from Costa Rica to South Bolivia with an allopatric distribution of the two species. COI barcode sequences indicate relatively strong divergence within C. bijuga, C. mayrabonillae, C. serrabonita and C. tenellus.publishedVersio

Discovery of another fern-feeding group of moths: the larvae of Hoploscopini (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) from Borneo

We report the discovery of Hoploscopini larvae (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Heliothelinae) on ferns at the southern slopes of Mount Kinabalu (Sabah, Borneo). The COI barcode of the larvae assigns them to the genus Hoploscopa. We provide the first detailed description of the larval stage for this tribe. Among Crambidae, these larvae are most similar to Crambinae larvae but differ in the presence of two L setae on A9, a character state that is present in Acentropinae and Schoenobiinae. We discuss the presence and distribution of L setae on A9 in Crambidae. Our observations of these larvae on this host plant and published host plant data support our hypothesis that larvae of the entire tribe Hoploscopini may be fern-feeders

The phylogenetic systematics of Spilomelinae and Pyraustinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) inferred from DNA and morphology

Spilomelinae and Pyraustinae form a species-rich monophylum of Crambidae (snout moths). Morphological distinction of the two groups has been difficult in the past, and the morphologically heterogenous Spilomelinae has not been broadly accepted as a natural group due to the lack of convincing apomorphies. In order to investigate potential apomorphic characters for Spilomelinae and Pyraustinae and to examine alternative phylogenetic hypotheses, we conduct a phylogenetic analysis using 6 molecular markers and 114 morphological characters of the adults representing 77 genera of Spilomelinae and 18 genera of Pyraustinae. The results of the analysis of the combined data strongly suggest that Spilomelinae and Pyraustinae are each monophyletic and sister to each other. Wurthiinae is confirmed as ingroup of Spilomelinae, and Sufetula Walker, 1859 as a non-spilomeline. Within Spilomelinae, several well supported clades are obtained, for which we propose a first phylogeny-based tribal classification, using nine available and four new names: Hydririni Minet, 1982 stat.rev., Lineodini Amsel, 1956 stat.rev., Udeini trib.n., Wurthiini Roepke, 1916 stat.rev., Agroterini Acloque, 1897 stat.rev., Spilomelini Guenée, 1854 stat.rev. (= Siginae Hampson, 1918), Herpetogrammatini trib.n., Hymeniini Swinhoe, 1900 stat.rev., Asciodini trib.n., Trichaeini trib.n., Steniini Guenée, 1854 stat.rev., Nomophilini Kuznetzov & Stekolnikov, 1979 stat.rev. and Margaroniini Swinhoe & Cotes, 1889 stat.rev. (= Dichocrociinae Swinhoe, 1900; = Hapaliadae Swinhoe, 1890; = Margarodidae Guenée, 1854). The available name Syleptinae Swinhoe, 1900 could not be assigned to any of the recovered clades. Three tribes are recognized in Pyraustinae: Euclastini Popescu-Gorj & Constantinescu, 1977 stat.rev., Portentomorphini Amsel, 1956 stat.rev. and Pyraustini Meyrick, 1890 stat.rev. (= Botydes Blanchard, 1840; = Ennychites Duponchel, 1845). The taxonomic status of Tetridia Warren, 1890, found to be sister to all other investigated Pyraustinae, needs further investigation. The four Spilomelinae tribes that are sister to all other, ‘euspilomeline’ tribes share several plesiomorphies with Pyraustinae. We provide morphological synapomorphies and descriptions for Spilomelinae, Pyraustinae and the subgroups recognised therein. These characters allow the assignment of additional 125 genera to Spilomelinae tribes, and additional 56 genera to Pyraustinae tribes. New and revised combinations are proposed: Nonazochis Amsel, 1956 syn.n. of Conchylodes Guenée, 1854, with Conchylodes graphialis (Schaus, 1912) comb.n.; Conchylodes octonalis (Zeller, 1873) comb.n. (from Lygropia); Hyperectis Meyrick, 1904 syn.n. of Hydriris Meyrick, 1885, with Hydriris dioctias (Meyick, 1904) comb.n., and Hydriris apicalis (Hampson, 1912) comb.n.; Conogethes pandamalis (Walker, 1859) comb.n. (from Dichocrocis); Arthromastix pactolalis (Guenée, 1854) comb.n. (from Syllepte); Prophantis coenostolalis (Hampson, 1899) comb.n. (from Thliptoceras); Prophantis xanthomeralis (Hampson, 1918) comb.n. (from Thliptoceras); Prophantis longicornalis (Mabille, 1900) comb.n. (from Syngamia); Charitoprepes apicipicta (Inoue, 1963) comb.n. (from Heterocnephes); Prenesta rubrocinctalis (Guenée, 1854) comb.n. (from Glyphodes); Alytana calligrammalis (Mabille, 1879) comb.n. (from Analyta). Epherema Snellen, 1892 stat.rev. with its type species E. abyssalis Snellen, 1892 comb.rev. is removed from synonymy with Syllepte Hübner, 1823. Ametrea Munroe, 1964 and Charitoprepes Warren, 1896 are transferred from Pyraustinae to Spilomelinae; Prooedema Hampson, 1891 from Spilomelinae to Pyraustinae; Aporocosmus Butler, 1886 from Spilomelinae to Odontiinae; Orthoraphis Hampson, 1896 from Spilomelinae to Lathrotelinae; Hydropionea Hampson, 1917, Plantegumia Amsel, 1956 and Munroe’s (1995) “undescribed genus ex Boeotarcha Meyrick” are transferred from Spilomelinae to Glaphyriinae.publishedVersio

Discovery of an unknown diversity of Leucinodes species damaging Solanaceae fruits in sub-Saharan Africa and moving in trade (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea)

The larvae of the Old World genera Leucinodes Guenée, 1854 and Sceliodes Guenée, 1854 are internal feeders in the fruits of Solanaceae, causing economic damage to cultivated plants like Solanum melongena and S. aethiopicum . In sub-Saharan Africa five nominal species of Leucinodes and one of Sceliodes occur. One of these species, the eggplant fruit and shoot borer L. orbonalis Guenée, 1854, is regarded as regularly intercepted from Africa and Asia in Europe, North and South America and is therefore a quarantine pest on these continents. We investigate the taxonomy of African Leucinodes and Sceliodes based on morpho - logical characters in wing pattern, genitalia and larvae, as well as mitochondrial DNA, providing these data for identification of all life stages. The results suggest that both genera are congeneric, with Sceliodes syn. n. established as junior subjective synonym of Leucinodes . L. orbonalis is described from Asia and none of the samples investigated from Africa belong to this species. Instead, sub-Saharan Africa harbours a complex of eight endemic Leucinodes species. Among the former nominal species of Leucinodes (and Sceliodes ) from Africa, only L. laisalis (Walker, 1859), comb. n. ( Sceliodes ) is confirmed, with Leucinodes translucidalis Gaede, 1917, syn. n. as a junior subjective synonym. The other African Leucinodes species were unknown to science and are described as new: L. africensis sp. n. , L. ethiopica sp. n. , L. kenyensis sp. n. , L. malawiensis sp. n. , L. pseudorbonalis sp. n. , L. rimavallis sp. n. and L. ugandensis sp. n. An identification key based on male genitalia is provided for the African Leucinodes species. Most imports of Leucinodes specimens from Africa into Europe refer to Leucinodes africensis , which has been frequently imported with fruits during the last 50 years. In contrast, L. laisalis has been much less frequently re - corded, and L. pseudorbonalis as well as L. rimavallis only very recently in fruit imports from Uganda. Accordingly, interceptions of Leucinodes from Africa into other continents will need to be re-investigated for their species identity and will likely require, at least in parts, revisions of the quarantine regulations. The following African taxa are excluded from Leucinodes : Hyperanalyta Strand, 1918, syn. rev. as revised synonym of Analyta Lederer, 1863; Analyta apicalis (Hampson, 1896), comb. n. ( Leucinodes ); Lygropia aureomarginalis (Gaede, 1916), comb. n. ( Leucinodes ); Syllepte hemichionalis Mabille, 1900, comb. rev. , S. hemichionalis idalis Viette, 1958, comb. rev. and S. vagans (Tutt, 1890), comb. n. ( Aphytoceros ). Deanolis iriocapna (Meyrick, 1938), comb. n. from Indonesia is originally described and misplaced in Sceliodes , and L. cordalis (Doubleday, 1843), comb. n. ( Margaritia ) from New Zealand, L. raondry (Viette, 1981) comb. n. ( Daraba ) from Madagascar as well as L. grisealis (Kenrick, 1912), comb. n. ( Sceliodes ) from New Guinea are transferred from Sceliodes to Leucinodes . While Leucinodes is now revised from Africa, it still needs further revision in Asia.publishedVersio

Revision of Afrotropical Udea Guenée in Duponchel, 1845, with description of five new species of the U. ferrugalis (Hübner, 1796) group (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Spilomelinae)

The Udea species (currently six) present in the Afrotropical realm are revised based on adults. Phlyctaenia epicoena Meyrick, 1937 syn. nov. is found to be identical with U. ferrugalis (Hübner, 1796). Udea delineatalis (Walker in Melliss 1875) and U. hageni Viette, 1952 are redescribed. In addition, five species of Udea are described as new to science: U. kirinyaga Mally sp. nov. from Mount Kenya in Kenya, U. nicholsae Mally sp. nov., U. meruensis Mally sp. nov. and U. momella Mally sp. nov., all three from Mount Meru in Tanzania, and U. namaquana Karisch & Mally sp. nov. from South Africa. A phylogenetic analysis based on morphological data and mitochondrial COI as well as the nuclear wingless gene, where available, places the new species in the U. ferrugalis species group, which also comprises U. ferrugalis as well as U. delineatalis from the oceanic island of St. Helena. Another island endemic, Udea hageni from Tristan da Cunha, is found to be a member of the U. numeralis group, as sister to U. numeralis. An additional synapomorphic character of the genitalia is recognised for the U. ferrugalis group. Udea infuscalis (Zeller, 1852) and U. melanostictalis (Hampson in Poulton 1916) are misplaced in Udea and transferred to Pyraustinae, as Lirabotys infuscalis comb. nov. and Achyra melanostictalis comb. nov., respectively. Adults, tympanic organs, and genitalia of both sexes, where available, are illustrated. A checklist summarises the now eight Afrotropical Udea species

Figures 45-47 from: Mally R, Huemer P, Nuss M (2018) Deep intraspecific DNA barcode splits and hybridisation in the Udea alpinalis group (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Crambidae) – an integrative revision. ZooKeys 746: 51-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.746.22020

The analysis of mitochondrial COI data for the European-Centroasian montane Udea alpinalis species group finds deep intraspecific splits. Specimens of U. austriacalis and U. rhododendronalis separate into several biogeographical groups. These allopatric groups are not recovered in the analyses of the two nuclear markers wingless and Elongation factor 1-alpha, except for U. austriacalis from the Pyrenees and the French Massif Central. The latter populations are also morphologically distinct and conspecific with Scopula donzelalis Guenée, 1854, which is removed from synonymy and reinstated as Udea donzelalis (Guenée, 1854) stat. rev. Furthermore, Udea altaica (Zerny, 1914), stat. n. from the Mongolian central Altai mountains, U. juldusalis (Zerny, 1914), stat. n. from the Tian Shan mountains of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and NW China, and U. plumbalis (Zerny, 1914), stat. n. from the Sayan Mountains of Northern Mongolia are raised to species level, and lectotypes are designated. Evidence of introgression of U. alpinalis into U. uliginosalis at three localities in the Central Alps is presented. A screening for Wolbachia using the markers wsp, gatB and ftsZ was negative for the U. alpinalis species group, but Wolbachia was found in single specimens of U. fulvalis and U. olivalis (both in the U. numeralis species group). We do not find evidence for the conjecture of several authors of additional subspecies in U. rhododendronalis, and synonymise U. rhododendronalis luquetalis Leraut, 1996, syn. n. and U. r. ventosalis Leraut, 1996, syn. n. with the nominal U. rhododendronalis (Duponchel, 1834)

Molecular and morphological phylogeny of European Udea moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea)

Udea Guenée, 1845, comprising more than 200 species, predominantly occurs in temperate Eurasia and the New World, with few representatives on the southern continents of the Old World. We present a fi rst phylogenetic analysis for the genus, mainly based on European species. We applied Bayesian and Maximum Parsimony approaches to a combined dataset of coxI (1,415 bp) and wingless (363 bp) sequences as well as morphological characters. The analysis of the concatenated dataset partitions with Bayesian inference yielded a hypothetical tree with 26 well supported (posterior probability ≥ 0.95) monophyla. A clade including the genera Deana, Mnesictena and Udeoides from the southern continents of the Old World is found as sister group to Udea. European Udea species do not form a monophyletic group in itself. There are four monophyla found within European Udea, the ferrugalis, itysalis, alpinalis, and numeralis species groups. These are well supported by molecular and morphological data. According to morphology, all four species groups have representatives also in other parts of the Holarctic region. Our data support the hypothesis that all Udea species endemic to oceanic islands in the Atlantic and Pacifi c belong to the ferrugalis group and all those endemic to the European Alps to the alpinalis group. Our data imply that the ancestors of two island species (Udea azorensis, U. delineatalis) have colonised the respective islands via ocean surface currents. Altogether, we are able to place 54 of the 213 described Udea species into species groups

Deep intraspecific DNA barcode splits and hybridisation in the Udea alpinalis group (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Crambidae) – an integrative revision

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A new Indian species of shoot and capsule borer of the genus Conogethes (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), feeding on cardamom

Shashank, P.R., Kammar, Vasudev, Mally, Richard, Chakravarthy, A.K. (2018): A new Indian species of shoot and capsule borer of the genus Conogethes (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), feeding on cardamom. Zootaxa 4374 (2): 215-234, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4374.2.