The Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Abstract

recognized as a separate species) along with three unidentified species of Epinotia, at least one of which did not belong to that genus. Then Meyrick (1926) described Crocidosema synneurota and Platynota colobota, without recording other species. These three taxa were simply listed by Linsley &Usinger (1966), andLinsley (1977) did not add any new records. In their papers on introduced insects in the Galapagos, Peck et al. (1998) and Causton et al. (2006) mentioned C. plebejana and S. smithiana, as well as Bactra philocherda Diakonoff and Episimus transferranus (Walker). Perry & de Vries (2003) recorded C. plebejana as widespread in the Galapagos and feeding on Acacia sp. (Fabaceae).Tortricidae larvae usually feed in hiding, either in tied leaf shelters or inside plant tissue; several species are polyphagous. In the Galapagos one or more host plants are known for only three species, and the host plants of two more widespread species are known from elsewhere.In addition to the species treated below, four others along with Epinotia lantana (Busck) were reared from larvae intercepted with various goods by the quarantine system of the Galapagos Islands (SICGAL). They were identified by BL and JR as follows: Anopinella sp. (Euliini), Lasiothyris sp. (Cochylini), Transtillaspis sp.(Euliini, reared from apples), and Epinotia cosmoptila (Meyrick, 1917) (Eucosmini), the last of which representing a new record for the western part of the South American continent. We do not believe that these four are established on the Galapagos.However, the unique female illustrated as Fig. 34 (wingspan: 24 mm), collected on Isabela, Volcan Darwin. 630 m in elevation (MHNG [ENTO] No. 3094) represents an unknown species that is probably established on the archipelago; it is not described here owing to the paucity of material.Among the 28 families of Lepidoptera recorded from the Galapagos, the Tortricidae and Geometridae occupy the fourth rank in terms of species numbers, behind the Noctuidae, Pyralidae, and Gelechiidae. They are followed by the Sphingidae and Pterophoridae, which have 15 species each. MATERIAL AND METHODSThe responsibilities of the authors in this project were as follows. The first author (JR) made most taxonomic decisions and specimen identifications, and prepared all new species descriptions and most diagnoses. BL collected most of the specimens during five expeditions to the

The discovery of Megalota in the Neotropics, with a revision of the New World species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutini)

“…The prominent, elongate, spined process from the costal margin of the valva near the inner base was referred to as the "labis" by Diakonoff (1966). However, this term is applied more appropriately to the expanded lobe at the base of the transtilla (Razowski 2008). Hence, I follow Aarvik (2004b) and refer to this structure as the "basal process of the valva."…”

“…Diakonoff (1966) used the term for the prominent spined basal process of the valva. However, according to Razowski (2008) "labis" refers to the laterally swollen bases of a mesally interrupted transtilla, as in Clepsis species (Tortricinae: Archipini). Horak (2006) refers to this structure in Megalota as a "very large cone-to club-shaped basal valva process…" To avoid confusion, I follow Aarvik (2004b) and refer to the structure as the basal process of the valva.…”

Two new species of Utetheisa Hübner (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Arctiinae) from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

“…Surveys of Lepidoptera on the Galapagos Islands during the past two decades have generated numerous records of undescribed species and new distribution records for previously reported species (e.g., Landry and Gielis 1992;Roque-Albelo and Landry 2002;Causton et al 2006;Razowski et al 2008).…”

Strepsicrates smithiana Walsingham (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae): first record from Chile and a newly documented host plant

“…It has been reported from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador (Razowski et al 2008), and on the mainland from Central America north to Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts. It has been recorded from Bermuda (Ferguson et al 1991), and it was introduced into Hawaii for control of Morella faya (Myricaceae) (Zimmerman 1978).…”

“…Pupae were concealed among leaves or among paper fragments tied by silk. Male and female adults obtained from pupae were pinned, labelled, and identified as Strepsicrates simithiana Walsingham, 1892, based on comparison with figures of the male and female genitalia in Razowski et al (2008). In order to verify the possible presence of S. smithiana in other localities of the Arica Province, M. pavonis trees were surveyed in the Azapa Valley (18°34'S, 70° 00'W) and Codpa Valley (18°49'S, 69°44'W) in January and October 2011, respectively.…”