Zygaenid Moths of Australia: Revision of the Zygaenidae of Australia (Procridinae: Artonini) Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, Volume 9 (Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera)

322 Pages·2004·19.63 MB·English

by  Gerhard M. Tarmann

Zygaenid Moths of Australia
A revision of the Australian Zygaenidae
(Procridinae: Artonini)
Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
M.Horak,Canberra,Australia
Editorial Panel
I.F.B.Common,Toowoomba,Australia
E.D.Edwards,Canberra,Australia
R.L.Kitching,Brisbane,Australia
S.E.Miller,Washington DC,USA
G.S.Robinson,London,UK
M.J.Scoble,London,UK
M.S.Upton,Canberra,Australia
Hestiochora xanthocoma, male
Drawing by R. Nielsen
MONOGRAPHS ON AUSTRALIAN LEPIDOPTERA VOLUME 9
Zygaenid Moths of Australia
A revision of the Australian Zygaenidae
(Procridinae: Artonini)
Gerhard M. Tarmann
WITH COLOUR PAINTINGS BY FRANTISˇEK GREGOR
IV ZYGAENID MOTHS OF AUSTRALIA
© Gerhard Tarmann 2004
All rights reserved.Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and
subsequent amendments,no part ofthis publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system or
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National Library ofAustralia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Tarmann,Gerhard M.
Zygaenid moths ofAustralia:A revision ofthe Australian
Zygaenidae (Procridinae:Artonini).
Includes index.
ISBN 0 643 06798 1 (Hardback).
ISBN 0 643 09219 6 (netLibrary eBook).
1.Zygaenidae – Australia. 2.Zygaenidae – Australia –
Morphology. 3.Lepidoptera - Australia. I.Gregor,
Frantiˇsek. II.Title. (Series:Monographs on Australian
Lepidoptera;v.9).
595.780994
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Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera
Previous volumes in this series:
Volume 1,1989 Volume 5,1997
Primitive Ghost Moths Oecophorine Genera ofAustralia II
Morphology and Taxonomy ofthe Australian Genus TheChezala,PhilobotaandEulechriagroups
FrausWalker (Lepidoptera:Hepialidae s.lat.) (Lepidoptera:Oecophoridae)
E.S.Nielsen and N.P.Kristensen I.F.B.Common
Volume 2,1993 Volume 6,1999
Tineid Genera ofAustralia Biology ofAustralian Butterflies
(Lepidoptera) R.L.Kitching,E.Scheermeyer,R.E.Jones and N.E.Pierce (Editors)
G.S.Robinson and E.S.Nielsen
Volume 7,1999
Volume 3,1994 Heliothine Moths ofAustralia
Oecophorine Genera ofAustralia.I. A Guide to Pest Bollworms and Related Noctuid Groups
TheWingiaGroup (Lepidoptera:Oecophoridae) M.Matthews
I.F.B.Common
Volume 8,2000
Volume 4,1996 Oecophorine Genera ofAustralia III
Checklist ofthe Lepidoptera ofAustralia TheBareaGroup and Unplaced Genera
E.S.Nielsen,E.D.Edwards and T.V.Rangsi (Editors) (Lepidoptera:Oecophoridae
I.F.B.Common
Contents
Abstract 1
Introduction 3
Material and methods 5
Material studied 5
Treatment ofmaterial 5
Depositories and material examined 5
Acknowledgements 7
Zygaenid morphology 9
Imago 9
Egg 36
Larva 36
Pupa and cocoon 39
Biology and life history 41
Phenology 41
Larval host-plants 41
Parasitoids 42
Cyanogenesis and resistance to hydrocyanic acid (HCN) 42
Defensive biology 43
Ecology,dispersal,diversity and distribution 44
Pheromones and mating behaviour 45
Genetics and individual variation 46
Zygaenids as indicator species 46
Pest zygaenids 46
Conservation 47
Fossil record 47
Phylogeny 49
PAUP analysis 49
A possible history ofAustralian Zygaenidae 57
Checklist ofAustralian Zygaenidae 59
VI ZYGAENID MOTHS OF AUSTRALIA
Taxonomy 61
Family Zygaenidae Latreille 61
Subfamily Procridinae Boisduval 61
Tribe Artonini Tarmann 61
Key to Australian genera 61
Genus Pollanisus Walker 63
Key to Pollanisusspecies 65
P.viridipulverulenta(Guérin-Méneville) 67
P.cupreus Walker 72
P.nielseni sp.n. 75
P.modestus sp.n. 76
P.lithopastus Turner 77
Pollanisus sp.1 79
P.empyrea (Meyrick) 79
P.apicalis (Walker) 81
P.trimacula (Walker) 84
P.edwardsi sp.n. 86
P.subdolosa (Walker) 87
P.subdolosa subdolosa(Walker) 87
P.subdolosa clarassp.n. 89
Male specimens probably conspecific with P.subdolosa 91
Populations close to,but doubtfully conspecific with,P.subdolosa 91
P.contrastussp.n. 91
Pollanisuscf.contrastus 1 93
Pollanisuscf.contrastus2 93
Possible P.edwardsi,P.subdolosaorP.contrastus females 93
P.eungellaesp.n. 94
P.acharon (Fabricius) 95
P.eumetopusTurner 97
P.commonisp.n. 98
P.incertussp.n. 99
P.angustifronssp.n. 100
Pollanisussp.2 102
Pollanisussp.3 102
Pollanisussp.4 102
Pollanisussp.5 102
Pollanisussp.6 103
Pollanisussp.7 103
Pollanisussp.8 104
P.cyanota (Meyrick) 104
P.isolatus sp.n. 105
P.calliceros(Turner) 106
P.calliceros calliceros(Turner) 106
P.calliceros azureassp.n. 107
Genus Onceropyga Turner 133
Key to Onceropygaspecies 134
O.anelia Turner 134
O.pulchra sp.n. 135
CONTENTS VII
Genus Hestiochora Meyrick 139
Key to Hestiochoraspecies 141
‘Hestiochora tricolor auctt.’– a complicated species-complex 141
The ‘Hestiochora tricolor habitus’– external appearance wasp-like 143
Hestiochoraerythrota-tricolor-group 143
H.erythrotaMeyrick 143
H.tricolor(Walker) 144
H.continentalissp.n. 145
H.furcatasp.n. 148
Hestiochoraqueenslandensis-group 149
H.queenslandensissp.n. 149
Hestiochoraxanthocoma-occidentalis-group 150
H.xanthocomaMeyrick 150
H.occidentalissp.n. 151
H.intermixtasp.n. 152
Genus TurneriprocrisBryk 163
T.dolens (Walker) 164
Genus Myrtartona gen.n. 169
Key to Myrtartonaspecies 170
M.coronias (Meyrick) comb.n. 170
M.leucopleura (Meyrick) comb.n. 172
M.rufiventris (Walker) comb.n. 174
M.mariannae sp.n. 176
Genus Australartona gen.n. 185
A.mirabilissp.n. 186
Genus Homophylotis Turner 191
Key to Homophylotisspecies 192
H.thyridota Turner 192
H.pseudothyridota sp.n. 194
H.artonoides sp.n. 195
Genus Pseudoamuria gen.n. 201
Key to Pseudoamuriaspecies 202
P.uptoni sp.n. 202
P.neglecta sp.n. 203
Genus Palmartona gen.n. 207
P.catoxantha(Hampson) comb.n. 208
Genus Thyrassia Butler 215
T.inconcinnaSwinhoe 216
Appendix I:List oflocalities 221
Appendix II:CryoSEM figures ofeggs and first instar larvae of
Pollanisus subdolosaclarassp.n. 227
References 231
Index 243
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Abstract
The Zygaenidae,commonly known as burnets and All species are described or redescribed,a diagno-
foresters,are a group ofaposematic moths that are sis is given and the biology and distribution are
usually diurnal.They have long attracted attention summarised.The adults ofall species are figured in
not only for their often beautiful appearance but colour,mostly upper as well as under side,from
also for their unusual biology.Zygaenids are capable colour paintings by Frantisˇek Gregor (Brno,Czech
ofsynthesising cyanogenic glucosides and releasing Republic).Many zygaenid groups such as Pollanisus
hydrocyanic acid.They can also detoxify hydrogen are taxonomically difficult,with few and unreliable
cyanide and are highly resistant to cyanides. diagnostic characters in genitalic structures.The fine
Knowledge about the Australian zygaenid fauna details ofcolouration,even the brilliance ofthe
has been very fragmentary until now,based on the shiny scales,are often the only means to separate
original descriptions only.Together with an in- species.The exquisite paintings,detailed portraits
depth revision ofthe Australian taxa,this study originally created at a ten-fold magnification ofthe
presents a comprehensive overview ofthe morphol- moth,are crucial as they depict these subtle diagnos-
ogy and biology ofthe Zygaenidae,placing the tic details.These originals are reduced slightly in this
Australian fauna into a world context and book (see magnification oforiginal size ofmoth
discussing the differences between subfamilies and given after the species name).Taxa recognised as
genus groups.Ofthe four subfamilies currently possible distinct species but not described for lack of
recognised (i.e.Zygaeninae,Chalcosiinae, sufficient material have also been illustrated,antici-
Callizygaeninae and Procridinae),only the pating that some will be named at a later date and a
Procridinae have a world-wide distribution.All comparable illustration will then become important.
Australian zygaenids belong to this subfamily which Details ofthe morphology ofadults and early
is divided into the two tribes Procridini and stages are figured by SEM pictures.Keys to genera
Artonini.All Australian species,43 species in 10 and species are provided and the genitalia ofall
genera,belong to the Artonini,and the monophyly species figured.A selection ofcolour photos illus-
ofthis tribe is discussed. trates biology and habitats.A distribution map for
Current knowledge ofthe Australian zygaenids, each species is given and the original data are listed,
all foresters,is summarized and discussed.Nearly with an alphabetic list ofall known Australian
halfthe fauna,four genera,21 species and two zygaenid localities.
subspecies,are described as new and eight others During field work,a conscious effort was made
recognised.All recognised species are endemic to to find eggs and larvae ofas many species as possi-
Australia except Palmartona catoxantha (Hampson, ble,resulting in the inclusion oflife history infor-
[1893]),a Southeast Asian pest species on coconut mation for five genera,namely Pollanisus,
palms not native to Australia but either already Hestiochora,Turneriprocris,Myrtartonagen.n.,and
present or a very likely future incursion. Australartonagen.n.