New distributional and foodplant records for twenty Cuban moths

3 Pages·1998·1.6 MB·English

214 Journal ofthe Lepidopterists' Society
When disturbed, adult Hemileuca assume acharacteristicdefensiveposture inwhich the
brightlycolored abdomen is curled underthe thoraxto the head (Tuskes et al. 1996). This
postureexposestheabdomentoapredatorsattack. However, SteveMcElfresh(pers.comm.)
has observed the Greater Roadrunner, Geococcyx califomianus Lesson (Neomorphidae),
consuminglargenumbersofHemileuca males,apparentlyundauntedbythisdisplay.
This studywasconducted under U. S. Navycontract N68711-96-LT-C0048tothe San
Diego Natural History Museum. I thank Norris Bloomfield for assistancewith fieldwork;
Steve McElfresh and Jocelyn Millar for generously sharing synthetic pheromone; and
Larry Gall, Felix Sperling, Jerry Powell, two anonymous referees and especially John
Brownforhelpfulcommentsthatgreatlyimprovedthemanuscript.This researchwassup-
ported in part by the Margaret G. Walker Fund for teaching and research in systematic
entomology, anda Hatch grantto Felix Sperling.
Literature Cited
FERGUSON, D. C. 1971. BombyWcoidea, Saturniidae (part 1). Moths ofAmerica north of
Mexico, Fascicle 20.2A. E. ClasseyLtd. and R. B. D. Publ., Inc. 153pp.
Powell, A. 1987. Records of prolonged diapause in Lepidoptera. Res. Lepid.
J. J.
25:83-109.
Tuskes, P. M. 1984. The biologyand distribution ofCalifornia Hemileucinae (Saturni-
idae). Lepid. Soc. 38:281-309.
Tuskes, P.J.M. & S. McElfresh. 1995. The biologyand distribution ofHemileuca elec-
tra (Saturniidae) populations in the United States and Mexico, with descriptions of
twonewsubspecies. Lepid. Soc. 49:49-71.
Tuskiecas.,CPo.rMn.e,llJ.UPn.ivT.utPrtelJs.es,&ItMha.caM,.NCeowllYionrsk.. 2169496p.p.ThewildsilkmothsofNorthAmer-
Stone, S. E. & M. J. Smith. 1990. Buckmoths (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae: Hemileuca) in
relationtosouthwesternvegetation andfoodplants. Desert Plants 10, 13-18:23-30.
Daniel Rubinoff, Division ofInsect Biology, DepartmentofEnvironmental Science,
Policy, andManagement, University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Receivedforpublication 18August1997; revisedandaccepted6January 1998.
JournaloftheLepidopterists'Society
52(2), 1998,214-216
NEW DISTRIBUTIONALAND FOODPLANT RECORDS FOR
TWENTYCUBAN MOTHS
Additional keywords: distribution, larval sampling, lighttraps, Estigmeneacrea.
The most recent treatment ofthe Cuban insect fauna is that ofBruner et al. (1975),
which discussed a number oflepidopteran species ofeconomic interest. The purpose of
the present paper is to expand upon this base ofknowledge, and provide new distribu-
tional and foodplant records for 20 species ofLepidoptera from Cuba. All records dis-
cussedin thetextandTable 1 derive from fieldcollections made since 1990. Larvaewere
removed from theirwild hosts and reared individually to adults in the laboratoryin petri
dishes,with freshpieces offoodplantprovided daily. Voucherspecimens ofadults are de-
positedinthe Entomological CollectionoftheCentrode Investigacionesde MedioAmbi-
ente (CIMA) in Camaguey, Cuba.
Table 1 summarizesthe rearingresults for 15 moth species. Inaddition, foodplantrela-
tionshipsweredeterminedfor4 species forwhich noprevious Cubandatawereavailable.
These4speciesarediscussedingreaterdetailbelow, asistherecentcaptureofEstigmene
acrea, apparentlyanewrecordfortheislandofCuba.
Volume 52, Number 2 215
TABLE 1. Foodplantrelationships recordedinthis studyforCuban Lepidoptera.
Species Foodplant
Geometridae
Disclisioproctastellata (Guenee 1857) Boerhaaviaerecta (Nyctaginaceae)
Noctuidae
Hypenavetustalis Guenee 1854 Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae)
Mursaphtisialis (Guenee 1854) Malva acuta (Malvaceae)
Crambidae
Hyaloristalimasalis (Walker 1886) Hyptis verticillata (Labiatae)
Ategunia ebulealis (Guenee 1854) Heterotrichumumbellatum (Melastomataceae)
Arthromastixlauralis (Walker 1859) Trichostigma octandrum (Phytolacaceae)
Bicilia iarchasalis (Walker 1859) Riviniahumilis (Phytolacaceae)
Cryptobotyszoilusalis (Walker 1859) Xanthiumstruemarium (Asteraceae)
Hileithiaductalis Moschler 1890 Blechumpyramidatum (Acanthaceae)
Lineodesgraciealis Herr.-Sch. 1871 Brunfelsia sp. (Solanaceae)
Omiodescuniculalis Guenee 1854 Gliricidiasepiurn (Leguminosae)
Salbiahaemorrhoidalus Guenee 1854 Lantanacamara (Verbenaceae)
Syda nodiflora (Verbenaceae)
Phylascaberrima (Verbenaceae)
Pyralidae
Pococerajovira (Schaus 1922) Gliricidiasepium (Leguminosae)
Thyrididae
Banisia myrsusalis (Walker 1859) Chrysophyllumoliviforme (Sapotaceae)
Tortricidae
Coelostathmaparallelana Walsing. 1887 Acaciafamesiana (Leguminosae)
Estigmene acrea (Drury). This polymorphic species has awide distribution in the
NewWorld, from Canadato Colombia (Hampson 1901, Watson & Goodger 1986). One
femalewascollectedatSierrade NajasaNaturalReserve, CamagiieyProvince, Cuba,ona
wall attractedto anincandescentlight. Estigmeneacrea is notknownfrom anyoftheAn-
tilleanislands (J. Rawlins, D. Ferguson, L. Hernandez, inlitt.) andis likelyarecentintro-
ductionforCuba,assuchaconspicuousspecieswouldnotremainunnoticedforverylong.
The femalewas kept alive forone dayandlaidamass ofeggs fromwhich about20larvae
emerged. Thesewerefedonfreshcabbageleavesbutdiedbeforepupation.Thecaptured
femaleisthewhiteform as illustratedinCovell (1984,pi. 13, fig. 16).
Hymenia perspectalis (Hubner). Larvae ofthis specieswere collected and reared
onAlternanthera pungens (Amaranthaceae). This species is distributed throughout the
Neartic and Neotropical regions, as well as Australiaand Ethiopia (Passoa 1985). Several
foodplants are recorded in the literature: Eclipta prostrana, Eleutheranthera ruderalis,
Melanthera canescens, Wedelia trilobata (Asteraceae); Amaranthus hibridus,A. australis
(Amaranthaceae); andRivinia humilis (Phytolacaeae).
Lygropia tripunctata (Fabricius). This specieswascollectedandrearedon Turbina
corymbosa andMerremia umbellata (Convolvulaceae), andiswidelydistributedfrom the
UnitedStatesto Brazil,includingtheAntilles (Passoa 1985). Itslarvaefeedonplantsinthe
familyConvolvulaceae (Bruneretal. 1975,Alayo&Valdes 1982, Passoa 1985).
Microtyris anormalis (Guenee). Larvae ofthis specieswere collected and reared
on Ipomoea batatas and Turbina corymbosa (Convolvulaceae). Itranges from the United
States to SouthAmerica, includingtheAntilles andWest Indies (Passoa 1985). Thelitera-
216 Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
tureIreviewedonlycitedconvolvulaceous foodplants forthis moth, but Silvaandd'Araujo
(1968) list Tabemamontana coronaria (Apocvnaceae).
Pleuroptya silicalis (Guenee). Larvae ofthis specieswere collected and reared on
Ipomoea batatas, I. setifera, Merremia umbellata (Convolvulaceae) and Rivinia humilis
(Phytolacaceae). The distribution of this species includes Panama, Guyana and Brazil
(Druce 1881). Bruner et al. (1975) recorded it from Cuba on Bouganvillea spectabilis
(Nyctaginaceae) andBohemeria nicea (Urticaceae).
I thankVitorO. Becker for identifying the Lepidoptera, and Eddy Martinez and An-
gela Beyra (GTMA, Camaguey, Cuba) foridentifyingthe foodplants.
Literature Cited
Alayo, P. & E. Valdes. 1982. Lista anotada de los microlepidopteros de Cuba. Acide-
miade Ciencias de Cuba, La Habana. 122pp.
Bruner, S. G, Scaramuzza, L. C. & A. R. Otero. 1975. Catalogo de insectos que ata-
can a las plantas economicas de Cuba. Academia de Ciencias de Cuba, Instituto de
COVEZLoLol,ogGiaV,.La198H4a.baAnaf.ieEldd.guAicdaedteomitahe,m2odat.hsedoifcieoans,terrenviNsoardtahyAamuemreinctaa.dHa.ou3g9h9toppn.Mif-
flin Co., Boston. 496pp.
DRUCE, H. 1881. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Lepidoptera, Heterocera. Vol. 1. Lon-
don. 490pp.
Hampson, G. F. 1901. Catalogue ofthe Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the collection ofthe
British Museum, London. London, British Museum (Natural History). 690pp.
PASSOA, S. 1985. Taxonomyoflarvae andpupae ofeconomicallyimportant Pyralidae in
Honduras. Unpubl. M. Sc. Thesis, Univ. Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 486pp.
SlLVA, A. G. &A. d'Araujo. 1968. Quarto catalogo dos insetos quevivem sobre plantas
do Brasil. RiodeJaneiro, MinesteriodeAgricultura, pt. 2, to. 1. 622pp.
Watson, A. & D. T. Goodger. 1986. Catalogueoftheneotropicaltiger-moths. London,
British Museum (Natural History). Occas. Pap. Syst. Entomol. No. 1. 71 pp.
Aurora Bendicho-Lopez, Centro de Investigaciones de MedioAmbiente, Ministerio
de Ciencia, Tecnologia y MedioAmbiente, Cisneros 105(altos), Camaguey 70100, Cuba.
Received/orpublication 17October1997; revisedandaceepted16January 1998.
JournaloftheLepidopterists'Society
52(2), 1998,216-217
NEWANTASSOCIATIONS FOR
GLAUCOPSYCHELYGDAMUS DOUBLEDAY (LYCAENIDAE)
Additional keywords: myrmecophily, silveryblue,Astragalus.
Larval myrmecophilyamong the Lycaenidae iswell known and documented. In North
America, thesilveryblue, Glaucopsycheh/gdamus Doubleday, andits associatedants have
been studiedbyPierce and Mead (1981) and Pierce and Easteal (1986). LarvaeofG. lyg-
damus secrete substances (e.g., sugars, amino acids) that attract and feed ants, while ants
provideprotection againstpredators andparasitoids (Pierce& Easteal 1986).
While collecting in the Ozarks (Christian County, Missouri) in April 1996, we discov-
eredacolonyofG. lygdamus. We attempted to find its larval host byobservingadult fe-
males and searching legumes for larvae. We subsequently discovered that most larvae
were found onAstragalus crassicarpus var. trichocalyx (Nutt.) (Fabaceae); Vicia carolini-
ana Walt. (Fabaceae) was also infrequently used. The larvae oftenwere tended by ants,
andwe noted size discrepancies amongthe ants. A fewantswere collected foridentifica-
tion purposes. In a return trip to the area in 1997,we decidedto look more closelyatthe
ant-larvarelationshipandcollectalargersampleoflarvaeand theirassociatedanttenders.
We alsoobservedthatthe largerinstars appearedtobe tended bylargerants.