International Network of Gelechioid Aficionados

17 Pages·2012·6.17 MB·English

Issue 1 3 December 2012
I.N. G.A.
Newsletter of the
International Network of
Gelechioid Aficionados
W
elcome to I.N.G.A., the “International We would like to make the following requests to
Network of Gelechioidea Aficionados.” others involved with research on Gelechioidea: 1)
We plan to make this newsletter an open forum please send a short paragraph/article describing
for exchanging information among all individuals your current or planned research along with any
who are interested in gelechioids, regardless of requests you may have for research material, and
whether subscribers are involved in research on 2) please send a list of your publications during
this superfamily, involved in museum curation, or 2011-2012 if missing from the list of this
someone working independently to study this newsletter with full citations for inclusion in our
diverse superfamily. next newsletter. We welcome photographs of you
or your taxon. Ideally, we would like to compile
This newsletter has the goals of 1) providing
any nomenclatorial changes that occur annually,
updates on gelechioid research, and
and submission of such changes by individual
nomenclatorial changes, 2) providing a forum for
researchers would be welcome.
exchange of information among those interested
in this superfamily of moths, 3) providing an We will distribute this newsletter twice each year.
annual bibliography of references relating to Please submit information on current research,
gelechioid systematics, with reviews of selected publications and other news to one of the co-
monographs, and, 4) providing an outlet for editors: Maria Heikkilä and Mari Kekkonen in
soliciting assistance from other systematists and Finland and Sangmi Lee and Richard Brown in
curators throughout the world for acquiring the U.S.A. (for contact information, please see the
material to conduct research. last page). Thanks to Robert Hoare for proposing
the acronym I.N.G.A., based on a genus of
We would like to increase our initial mailing list
Oecophoridae, for the title of this newsletter. We
to include more individuals who have interests in
are also grateful to Scott Justis for allowing us to
Gelechioidea and who may be interested in
use his photograph as a logo picture and Robert
receiving this newsletter. As all requested contri-
Hoare, Lauri Kaila and Jean-François Landry for
butions are totally voluntary-based, anyone recei-
providing comments on the newsletter.
ving this newsletter will not be obligated for any
submission. Please inform us if you do not want to Richard L. Brown, Maria Heikkilä,
receive future copies of this newsletter or if you Mari Kekkonen & Sangmi Lee
can suggest others who might want to receive this.
1
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Gelechioid Aficionados
Robert Hoare improving knowledge of the New Zealand fauna,
and not to attempt to become an expert on any one
I
am the Head Curator and Lepidoptera family worldwide!
Systematist at the New Zealand Arthropod
Lauri Kaila
Collection, Landcare Research, Auckland, New
Zealand. Originally from England, I started my
I
work as a Senior Curator in The Finnish
entomological career studying Nepticulidae for my
Museum of Natural History. I am interested in
PhD in Australia, and maintain an interest in this
all aspects of Lepidoptera systematics, but it seems
and other families of leaf-mining moths, although
that fate has directed me to focus on the
there are relatively few leaf-mining Lepidoptera in
Gelechioidea in particular. Perhaps that has
New Zealand.
something to do with the fact that my ‘serious’
Since arriving in New Zealand, I have specialised taxonomic work started in a young and sensitive
on a lineage of Xyloryctidae, the Hierodoris group age with Elachistidae (or Elachistinae of an
of genera, that is so far largely known from New expanded Elachistidae) where my species-level
Zealand, though several Australian taxa are known, taxonomic interest and expertise still, almost
and there are probably New Caledonian members entirely, resides. Regarding this group, my interest
too. (This group of genera has traditionally been is world-wide, not restricted to any particular
assigned to Oecophoridae, and I've retained this geographic area, thanks to the almost-manageable
placement tentatively until now, while it appears number of species in total. My other long-time
on all the phylogenetic evidence to be increasingly topic of interest has been the pursuit of obtaining
untenable!) understanding of the phylogeny of the
Gelechioidea, using both morphology and mole-
Various circumstances have led me to abandon
cules as a tool, and a family classification that
Gelechioidea temporarily for Noctuoidea, but I
would be phylogeny-based.
hope to be back soon. The New Zealand
Lepidoptera fauna is so compact (perhaps little In phylogeny, I am almost omnivorous within
more than 2000 species) and in such an interesting Lepidoptera, but Gelechioidea and its subgroups
state of taxonomic knowledge (mostly described, are my focal target. That is because I do believe
but still with many interesting new discoveries to that gelechioids are the least understood of the
be made in the field and in collections) that I retain largest lepidopteran superfamilies, and a data-
an interest in all groups, though Geometridae scare based phylogeny and classification could make it
me. I have decided, for better or worse, to focus on easier to approach. Having a comprehensive-real-
data-based, phylogeny-based classification as a
back-up one could focus better on some groups
without the need of knowing everything about
everything before anything could be done. This is
the situation that has been prevailed for a large part
of Gelechioidea, without doubt a reason why this
this superfamily has been so difficult to approach.
Robert Hoare and Lauri Kaila enjoying a break
in New Zealand. Photo by Jaakko Kullberg
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I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Gelechioid Aficionados
Jean-François Landry
I
have worked for the past 30 years as research
systematist at Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada,
which is the custodian for the Canadian National
Collection of Insects in Ottawa. I am also the
Curator of Lepidoptera for the CNC.
My initial involvment in Gelechoidea was
serendipitous. As a young graduate student
interested in insect ecology and systematics, I won
through a competition a position to do research on
Lepidoptera at the AAFC and the CNC: at the
working for an agriculture department meant that
time, being near completion of my masters degree,
research had to have at least a minimal agricultural
my new employment was conditional upon
connection, namely to pests and the likes. Thus
entering a doctoral program and gaining a PhD in
Coleophoridae were added to my roster, another
microleps systematics. Having worked previously
family where the Nearctic fauna is poorly known. I
on carabid beetles, I found myself crash-learning
also digressed into some non-gelechioids [Acro-
microleps. No really knowing what to study for my
lepiidae (oops! now Acrolepiinae), Gracillariidae,
PhD, I turned to lepidopterists at the Smithsonian
Yponomeutidae, Pyralidae, etc.], thanks to eco-
Institution for advice. The family Scythrididae was
nomic imperatives. However, my primary interest
suggested, as it was deemed then that the relatively
resides with the Gelechioidea. My focal point is
small Nearctic fauna would constitute a neat little
species-level work, particularly in the Nearctic
thesis project… How far from the truth this would
fauna. I use morphology, biology, behaviour, and
turn out to be! However, I always liked a challenge
genes in my studies, though DNA is a more recent
(perhaps I am a fool). So I plunged straight ahead
development that stemmed from the barcode
into scythridids and gelechioids.
initiative.
I admit that it was rather forbidding at first.
Our institution has a national identification service,
Externally scythridids are not exactly the most
which means that we receive identification requ-
attractive micromoths. However, I soon found that
ests from across the country and from all kinds of
their genitalia were absolutely amazing and bizarre
people and organization. I am thus called to iden-
(by Lepidoptera standards). I also liked that most
tify all manners of microleps, even from abroad
scythrids are best collected with a net at the height
when intercepted in imported goods, often in less-
of day in hot weather and that some have funny
than-ideal condition. This, added to the inadequate
habits such as running on sand dunes. And I found
knowledge of our Canadian fauna, has contributed
doing microdissections, which is an absolute
to my focus at the species level.
necessity and a starting point in the study of these
micromoths, to be a lot of fun: it is like opening Gelechioidea can be arguably considered the last
presents, one never quite knows what to expect. I frontier in Lepidoptera. Not only are they mega-
was fascinated and hooked. speciose but they also encompass all manners of
life styles, from the classics such as leaf miners,
Eventually I branched into other gelechioids,
leaf rollers, webbers, and borers, to more exotic
especially Nearctic Coleophoridae. Although stick-
habits like detritivores, fungivores, carnivores,
ing to Scythrididae would be plenty to fill a career,
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I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Gelechioid Aficionados
Jean-François Landry continues
parasitoids, even aquatic predators of snails. They Several years ago at one of the lepidopterists
range in size from the minute to the very large. meetings, I presented a talk on the undescribed
Yet, due to the the small size and cryptic habits of diversity of Coleophoridae in North America. At
the majority, they remain daunting subjects of the end of the closing banquet took place the
study. Their phylogeny and classification has and traditional door prize draw with all manners of
still remains a challenge. Some groups have under- donated prizes, from Lepidoptera books to
gone huge species radiations in particular regions. collecting equipment, to T-shirts and cards. I won
The global undescribed diversity possibly equals a bumper sticker that says, improbably: “so many
or exceeds that which is described. And who species… so little time”! The draw was not rigged.
knows what other crazy life styles await discovery! Pure chance! The sticker now ornates my office
door.
Hunters with nets
Below: Jean-François Landry at Carcross
Dunes in Yukon. Photo by J.-F. Landry
On right: Robert Hoare is teaching Lauri Kaila
how to use a net correctly in New Zealand.
Photo by Jaakko Kullberg
4
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Art & Poetry
Fred the Thread
(Batrachedridae sensu lato: Houdinia flexilissima
Hoare, Dugdale & Watts, 2006)

R. J. B. Hoare

E
xplanatory notes: Long ago, in the year
2003, young Corinne Watts was studying the
stems of giant cane-rushes (Sporadanthus ferrugi-
neus) in the Waikato peat-bogs of New Zealand.
I have a friend; his name is Fred;
She chanced upon squiggly lines decorating the
He’s thinner than a cotton thread:
stems and wondered who might be the artist re-
sponsible. Opening up stem after stem, she discov- His colour is an orange-red…
ered amazingly thin, long thread-like larvae of a He doesn’t feed on jam or bread
reddish orange colour, and the legend of Fred the
But Sporadanthus stems instead.
Thread was born. Fred has no legs, but he does
Such narrow tunnels must he tread
have a hinged head-capsule to allow him to eat his
way along through the inside of the stem. No ento- He needs a hinge inside his head
mologist could work out what type of insect the To give his jaws the room to shred
Fred larvae belonged to; lepidopterists thought
The food that is his home and bed,
they were Coleoptera; coleopterists thought they
To keep his tiny tummy fed
were Diptera; no dipterists could be found to com-
ment, even with the aid of Malaise traps. Eventu- And stop himself from dropping dead.
ally Corinne and a lepidopterist colleague reared

the beasties through to adulthood, and lo and be-
hold, they were indeed moths (Lepidoptera)! [A longer version of this poem appears in Hoare,
R. J. B. (2008) Six-legged Things and Scaly
The moth was named Houdinia flexilissima from
Wings. Magnolia Press. 100 pp.]
its very thin flexible larva, and its remarkable es-
cape from the tight confines of the Sporadanthus
stem. Literature Cited
Hoare, R.J.B., Dugdale, J.S. and Watts, C.H.
(2006) The world’s thinnest caterpillar? A new
genus and species of Batrachedridae (Lepidoptera)
from Sporadanthus ferrugineus (Restionaceae), a
threatened New Zealand plant. Invertebrate
Systematics 20, 571-583.

Fred the Thread Houdinia flexilissima as a
larva (on left) and adult (above) Photos by Birgit
Rhode
5
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Featured Taxon
A Review of Inga Busck (Oecophoridae)

Richard L. Brown
B
usck (1908) described Inga (Oecophoridae) United States. Of the eight species occurring in the
to include a single species, Anesychia sparsi- United States, primarily the Southwest, hosts are
ciliella Clemens, a species that serves as the logo known for only one species. I. concolorella (Beu-
for I.N.G.A. and this newsletter. Inga was syno- tenmüller) (Fig. 1) has been reared from roots of
nymized with Cryptolechia by Meyrick (1922), but the composite shrubs Isocoma tenuisecta (Rose &
was resurrected by Clarke (1941) who added five Standl.) in Arizona and Gutierrezia species in
additional species from North America to the ge- California (Hodges 1974, Powell & Opler 2009).
nus and illustrated genitalia of all the species. Powell and Opler reported that the Inga larvae live
Hodges (1972) synonymized several genera in feeding galleries of larvae of tortricid moths and
described by Meyrick with Inga and transferred 77 cerambycid beetles where they presumable feed on
South American species into the genus, most of detritus and fungal mycelia.
which had been described in Machimia Clemens or
The ecology and biology of Inga species in the
Atelosticha Meyrick. Clarke (1963) included many
cerrado of Brazil have been treated by Bendicho-
of these species in Himmacia Clarke in his
Lopez et al. (2006), Diniz and Morais (1997),
catalogue of type specimens that included figures
Diniz et al. (2007), Flinte et al. (2006), Monteiro et
of the imago and genitalia. The most recent
al. (2007) and others. Dinez et al. (2007) reared 15
treatment of species in American north of Mexico
species of Inga from 36 host species in 21 plant
(Hodges 1974) includes descriptions of two new
families, but only six of the moth species could be
species and figures of all imagoes.
identified: I. haemataula (Meyrick), I. phaeocrossa
The genus has been defined by a combination of
characters of the male genitalia, including a saccu-
lus with a distal process that extends to or beyond
the costal margin, a well-developed gnathos that
lacks spines or scobinations, and a triangular uncus
(Hodges 1974). The valvae in most species have a
characteristic shape with the distal portion lobe-
like and narrower than the sacculus.
Inga (Oecophoridae) is restricted to the New
World and is primarily a Neotropical group. Bec-
ker (1984), accessible at Brown and Lee (2009),
lists 98 species that occur from Mexico through Fig. 1. Inga concolorella collected by Don
Central America to Argentina, of which I. sparsi- Wright in Colorado, Weld Co., 40°13'53"N 104°
ciliella is the only one that also occurs in the 11'53"W, August 7, 1996. Photo by Richard L.
Brown
6
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Featured Taxon
(Meyrick), I. ancorata (Walsingham), I. corystes Described by Edward Meyrick 4. 521 pp. Trustees of the
(Meyrick), I. encamina (Meyrick), and I. erythema British Museum, London.
(Walsingham). Inga phaeocrossa and I. haematau- Diniz, I.R. and Morais, H.C. (1997) Lepidopteran caterpillar
la were found to be the most abundant species fauna of cerrado host plants. Biodiversity and Conservation
6, 817–836.
among all host plants and to be polyphagous on the
host plants surveyed. Inga inflammata (Meyrick) Diniz, I.R., Bermardes, C., Rodovalho, S. and Morais, H.C.
(2007) Biology and occurrence of Inga Busk [sic] species
has been reared from Byrsonima sericea Dc., feed-
(Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) on cerrado host plants.
ing on a tangle of dried leaves, the latter often pro-
Neotropical Entomology 36, 489–494.
duced by Gonioterma indecora (Zeller) (Elachist-
Flinte, V., Araujo, C.O., Macedo, M.V. and Monteiro, R.F.
idae) (Flinte et al. 2006). Inga crossota (Walsing-
(2006) Insetos fitófagos associados ao murici da praia,
ham) has been reported as a leaf feeder on mango,
Byrsonima sericea (Malpighiaceae), na Restinga de
Mangifera indica L. (Ribeiro 1951). Jurubatiba (RJ). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 50, 512–
523.
According to Diniz et al. (2007) early instars of all
Hodges, R.W. (1972) Taxonomic notes on the Gelechioidea.
species build shelters with mature leaves reaching
Part I: The genus Inga (Lepidoptera). Proceedings of the
senescence or even dry. Shelters were composed of
Entomological Society of Washington 74, 371–374.
two leaves tied together, open at both ends, and
Hodges, R.W. (1974) Gelechioidea, Oecophoridae. The
lined with a layer of frass intertwined with silk.
Moths of America North of Mexico, fasc. 6.2. (ed. by R.B.
Interestingly, mature larvae forage outside the leaf
Dominick et al.). E. W. Classey Ltd. And R. B. D.
shelter. Caterpillars reacted to disturbance by Publications, Inc. 142 pp. + Pls. A, 1–7.
wiggling out of the shelter and dropping by silken
Lee, S. and Brown, R.L. (2009) Revised Checklist of
threads. Pupation occurs within cut spheres of the Oecophoridae in Neotropical Region. Available at: http://
leaf that make an envelope-like structure within the mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu//
Researchtaxapages/Lepidoptera/Oecophoridae/Checklists/
leaf shelter. Flight periods of adults are highest
Neotropical-Oecophoridae.html. Accessed 4 November 2012.
from April to July.
Meyrick, E. (1922) Lepidoptera Heterocera, Fam.
Literature Cited
Oecophoridae. Genera Insectorum (ed. by M.P. Wytsman)
180: 1-224 + Pls. 1-6.
Becker, V.O. (1984) Oecophoridae. Atlas of Neotropical
Lepidoptera. Checklist: Part 1. Micropterigoidea-Immoidea. Monteiro, R.F., Macedo, M.V., Nascimento, M.S. and Cury,
(ed. by J. B. Heppner), pp. 27-40. Dr. W. Junk Publ. R.S.F. (2007) Composição, abundância e notas sobre a
ecologia de espécies de larvas de lepidópteros associadas a
Bendicho-Lopez, A., Morais, H.C., Hay, J.D. and Dinez, I.R.
cinco espécies de plantas hospedeiras no Parque National da
(2006) Lepidópteros folivoros em Roupala montana Aubl.
Restinga de Jurubatiba, R.J. Revista Brasileira de
(Proteaeae) no cerrrado sensu stricto. Neotropical
Entomologia 31, 476–483.
Entomology 35, 182–191.
Powell, J.A. and Opler, P.A. (2009) Moths of Western North
Busck, A. (1908) A generic revision of American moths of
America. University of California Press, Berkeley. 369 pp.
the family Oecophoridae, with descriptions of new species.
Proceedings of the United States National Museum XXXV Ribeiro, J.H.C. (1951) Um ecoforídeo em folhas de
(no. 1644), 187–207. mangueira (Lepidoptera, Tineoidea). Agronomia 10, 105–
108.
Clarke, J.F.G.C. (1941) Revision of the North American
moths of the family Oecophoridae, with descriptions of new
genera and species. Proceedings of the United States
National Museum 90 (no. 3107), 33–286 + i-viii, pls. 1-48.
Clarke, J.F.G.C. (1963) Catalogue of the Type Specimens of
Microlepidoptera in the British Museum (Natural History)
7
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Unique Habitats
A new Aristotelia from the Monahans Sandhills in Texas

Richard L. Brown and Sangmi Lee
I
n August 2011 Sangmi and I were traveling on Not having time to spend an extra night, I told
Interstate-20 southwest of Midland, Texas on Sangmi that we needed to return because this
our way to the Lepidoptera Course at the South- inland dune habitat was sure to have some inter-
west Research Station in Arizona. We drove th- esting species.
rough a landscape dominated by mesquite to enter
In August 2012 while returning to the Lepidoptera
the Permian Basin, a geologically unique area that
Course, I planned for an extra night to collect in
is now dominated by thousands of oil wells. As we
these dunes. I did not obtain a permit for collecting
drove towards the town of Monahans, we began
in Monahans Sandhills State Park (Fig. 1), but I
passing sand dunes covered with a diversity of
stopped at the park to see the interesting exhibits at
flowers and vegetation that we had not seen before.
Fig. 1. Dunes of Monahans Sandhills that are stabilized by vegetation. Photo by Mark W. Lockwood.
8
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Unique Habitats
The Monahans Sandhills have been described by
Machenberg (1984). They extend about 200 miles
from Monahans, Texas northwestward into New
Mexico (Fig 3). The dunes are stabilized by shin
oak (Quercus havardii Rydb.), which only grows
about five feet high when mature but has roots
reaching down to groundwater. Many species of
insects are known to be endemic to the Monahans
Fig. 2. An apparently undescribed Aristotelia sandhills, including seven species of beetles (Quinn
species collected in Monahans Sandhills. Photo by 2011). More field work in other sandhills in
Sangmi Lee southwestern United States is needed to determine
the distribution of this species of Aristotelia.
the Visitor’s Center and to take a mid-afternoon
Literature Cited
walk through the dunes. The hike was rather brief
Machenberg, M.D. (1984) Geology of Monahans Sandhills
because the 42°C (108°F) ambient temperature,
State Park, Texas. Bureau of Economic Geology, University
amplified by the reflecting white sand, was not
of Texas, Austin, TX. 39 pp. Available at: http://
only uncomfortable, but must have been a factor in
www.lib.utexas.edu/books/landscapes/detail_viewer.php?
the lack of insect activity at this time of day. I then work_id=240514&state=text&page_tab=details&page_num=
explored the roads around the periphery of the park 8.
to find a spot to set my bucket light trap. I found a Quinn, M. (2011) Texas beetle information. Beetles of
good spot to place the trap at 31°36'44"N 102° Monahans Sandhills Texas. Available at: http://
www.texasento.net/Monahans.html. Accessed November 8,
49'56"W. This site was located in some small
2012.
dunes that were adjacent to the Park and separated
from the Interstate by an adjacent state
highway and an elevated railroad track.
The next morning I retrieved the trap to
find it moderately filled with moths. After
putting on my head magnifier to sort the
micro’s, I was shocked to see many
specimens of a moth that were red, black
and white with silver spots and bands, one
of the most striking gelechiids that I have
seen from North America (Fig. 2). It was
obviously a species of Aristotelia, but
unlike any known species and is presumed
to be undescribed.
Fig. 3. Aerial view of Monahans
Sandhills by Google/Terrametrics.
Collecting site indicated by arrow.
9
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012
Meetings
Entomological Society of Combined Annual Meeting of
America Annual Meeting – the Lepidopterists' Society and
November 11-14, 2012 the Societas Europaea
T Lepidopterologica – July 23-29,
his year's meeting featured the symposium
"Update on Tuta absoluta, the Tomato 2012
Leafminer" as well as submitted presentations on
F
our presentations relating to Gelechioidea
ecology, physiology and pest management of this
were given at the meeting. These included two
pest now introduced into Europe from South
talks on the Hawaiian fancy-cased caterpillars
America. Other contributions relating to Gelechio-
Hyposmocoma (Cosmopterigidae), the first on the
idea included presentations on a faunistics study of
evolution of carnivory in this genus (William
the Gelechioidea in the Black Belt Prairie in
Haines, Zachary Williams, Akito Kawahara,
Mississippi (Richard Brown, Sangmi Lee, and
Patrick Schmitz & Daniel Rubinoff) and the
David Pollck), a phylogenetics analysis of North
second on timing the explosive radiation in fancy-
American Exaeretia (Elachistidae) (Melissa Sisson
cased caterpillars (Daniel Rubinoff & Patrick
and Sibyl Bucheli), a phylogenetics analysis of
Schmitz). The other presentations were on testing
Agonopterix (Elachistidae (Robert Samuel de
six different methods to delimit species in three
Moya and Sibyl Bucheli), and a study of the bio-
gelechioid subfamilies, Elachistinae, Gelechiinae
logy and biomass impact of Blastobasis repartella
and Hypertrophiinae (Mari Kekkonen, Lauri
(Blastobasidae, but titled Coleophoridae) (Vero-
Kaila, Marko Mutanen & Paul Hebert) and on
nica Calles Torrez).
the thus far largest phylogenetic study aiming at a

revised classification for Gelechioidea (Maria
Heikkilä, Marko Mutanen, Mari Kekkonen &

Lauri Kaila).

Future Meetings:
Annual Meeting of the Lepidopterists' Society
(jointly with Southern Lepidopterists' Society and the Association for Tropical Lepidoptera)
Scheduled for June 27-30, 2013 at University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. More details available at
http://www.lepsoc.org/2013_meeting.php

XVIIIth European Congress of Lepidopterology
Scheduled for July 29 – August 4, 2013 at Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. More details available at
http://www.soceurlep.eu/index.php?id=4
10
I.N.G.A. 1 - 2012