Geometrid larvae of the Alpi Marittime Natural Park (district of Valdieri, Cuneo, Italy), with descriptions of the larvae of two Gnophini Pierce, 1914 (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

Abstract

Examination of 14 plant families in the Alpi Marittime Alps Natural Park (Valdieri, Italy) resulted in the collection of 103 larvae of 28 geometrid taxa; these belong to three subfamilies, with Ennominae Duponchel, 1845 being the most representative (13 taxa = 46.4%). The final instar (L5) of two taxa in the tribe Gnophini Pierce, 1914, Gnophos furvata meridionalis Wehrli, 1924 and Charissa pullata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) is described, including its chaetotaxy. Biological data and observations are provided for all taxaThe All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory + Monitoring Mercantour/ Alpi Marittime was launched by the European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT) project (2006-2011). The ATBI was coordinated by M.-F. Leccia (Parc national du Mercantour) and M. De Biaggi (Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime), who provided the relevant permits. EDIT contributed towards the cost of travel and accommodation on the seven trips undertaken, as did the Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime, which subsidized the trips undertaken in 2011 (Alcotra 2007- 2013 and its Generalized Biological Inventory programme). We are grateful to Mark Shaw (Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh) for having identified the hymenopteran parasitoids mentioned in this paper, to David Wagner at the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, USA, who helped the first author in the field of chaetotaxy and who made his stay there (November 2011 to January 2012) so very memorable, and the Biology Department of the Autónoma University, Madrid, for all facilities provided and the granting of a three-month’s subsidy in order to be able to travel to the University of Connecticut. We also add our most grateful thanks to Sven Erlacher and to an anonymous reviewer comments from whom improved our pape