A morphological reappraisal of the immature stages and life history of Elachista synethes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae), an Australian leaf miner alien to Chile

Abstract

Please cite this article in press as: Vargas, H.A., et al. A morphological reappraisal of the immature stages and life history of Elachista synethes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae), an Australian leaf miner alien to Chile. Rev. Brasil. Entomol. (2015). http://dx.Revista Brasileira de Entomologia xxx (2015) xxx-xxx w w w . r b e n t o m o l o g i a . c o m REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE Entomologia A Journal on Insect Diversity and Evolution Systematics, Morphology and Biogeography A morphological reappraisal of the immature stages and life history of Elachista synethes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae), an Australian leaf miner alien to Chile a b s t r a c tElachista synethes was recently recognized as an alien species in northern Chile, where its larvae mine the rescue grass Bromus catharticus (Poaceae). In order to provide the necessary information to allow field detection of E. synethes during early ontogeny, we conducted a morphological reappraisal of the immature stages of this leaf-miner moth, based on light and scanning electron microscopy, including the first descriptions of the egg and the first-instar larva. This is the first report of the existence of an apodal early larva for a species of Elachista Treitschke. The legs and prolegs are absent in the first two instars, but are well developed in the last two. Additional observations on the life history are also provided, including a description of the mine.

Description of immature stages and natural history of Stigmella schinivora (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), a leaf-miner associated with the Brazilian peppertree

“…Finally, it is important to emphasize that morphology of the immature stages in particular has been increasingly taken into account as an aid in species identification among leaf-miner moths, as for example among gracillariids (Davis and Wagner 2011, Kobayashi et al 2013, Brito et al 2017. Information on immature stage morphology is also a precondition for understanding interactions of these stages with host plants, particularly when damage on tissues and histology of the mines are explored in conjunction with ontogeny (e.g., Brito et al 2012, Vargas et al 2015, Pereira et al 2017. Thus, our results not only clarify the morphology of S. schinivora immature stages, but also could be used as an integrative framework for characterizing and comparing variation of immature stage morphology and associated host-plant interactions among other nepticulids and beyond.…”

Egg and First Instar of the Neotropical Geometrid MothPero obtusariaProut (Geometridae: Ennominae: Azelinini)

“…Morphology. We used the methods described in Vargas et al (2015) for morphological observations; the nomenclature of Salkeld (1983) for the description of the egg; and the nomenclature of Stehr (1987) for the description of the chaetotaxy of the larva, with the modification proposed by Duarte et al (2005) for the CD group of the head.…”

“…Lepidoptera(Duarte et al 2005, Brito et al 2013, Vargas et al 2015, Dolinskaya 2016, only a few SEM studies have been performed for eggs, larvae or pupae of Neotropical Geometridae (Beéche et al 1987, Ibarra-Vidal & Parra 1993, Parra & Ibarra-Vidal 2002, Bocaz & Parra 2005, Vargas et al 2010, King & Parra 2011, Vargas & Parra 2013…”