Pilocrocis ramentalis Lederer, 1863

Bernard Landry, 2016, Taxonomic revision of the Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae s. l.) of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Revue suisse de Zoologie 123 (2), pp. 315-399 : 367-369

Pilocrocis ramentalis Lederer, 1863

Figs 46, 47 , 121 , 167

Pilocrocis ramentalis Lederer, 1863: 430 . ‒ Schaus, 1923: 28. ‒ Linsley & Usinger, 1966: 162. ‒ Peck et al., 1998: 227. ‒ Causton et al., 2006: 141. ‒ Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015.

Material examined: 22 ♂, 27 ♀, 20 of undetermined sex from the Galápagos Islands: – Fernandina: SW side, GPS: 815 m elev[ation]., S 00° 21.270’, W 91°35.341’; SW side, GPS: 352 m elev., S 00° 20.503’, W 091° 36.969’. – Floreana: Punta Cormoran. – Genovesa: Bahía Darwin. – Isabela: Albermarle [no precise locality]; Tagus Cove; Punta Albermarle, SW old US radar site; 1 km W Puerto Villamil; 2 km W Puerto Villamil; Sierra Negra, pampa zone, 1000 m; V[olcan]. Darwin, 300 m elev.; ± 15 km N P[uer]to Villamil; V. Darwin, 1000 m elev. – Marchena : [no precise locality]. – Pinta: Plaja Ibbeston [sic]; 200 m elev.; 372 m elev., N 00° 34.476’, W 90° 45.102’; 400 m elev. – Rábida: Tourist trail. – San Cristóbal: P[uer]to Baquarizo [sic]; near La Loberia, sea level, GPS: 00° 55.277’, W 089° 36.909’; 1 km S El Progreso; base of Cerro Pelado; El Junco, east side, GPS: 654 m elev., S 00° 53.734’, W 89° 28.727’; vic[inity]. El Junco, ca. 700 m. – Santa Cruz: Academy Bay; Charles Darwin Research Station; 4 km N Puerto Ayora; Horneman Farm, 220 m; agriculture zone, near (NNW) Bella Vista, GPS: 223 m elev., S 00° 41.297’, W 90° 19.670’; Finca Vilema, 2 km W Bella Vista; transition zone, recently cut road, GPS: S 00°42.528’, W 90°18.849’; Finca S[teve]. Devine; Tortuga Res[erve]. W S[an]ta Rosa; Los Gemelos; Media Luna, pampa zone. – Santiago: Bahía Espumilla ; Cerro Inn; 200 m elev.; Aguacate [camp], 520 m elev.; Central [camp], 700 m elev.; Jaboncillo [camp], ± 850 m elev. Deposited in AMNH, CAS, CDRS, CNC, MCZ, MHNG.

Diagnosis: In the Galápagos this 21 to 29 mm wingspan species ( Figs 46, 47 ) is similar to Cryptobotys zoilusalis (Walker) ( Figs 10, 11 ) and some specimens of Hymenia perspectalis (Hübner) ( Figs 22, 23 ) by virtue of their paler linear markings on the fore- and hindwing over a dark brown ground colour. Cryptobotys zoilusalis is a smaller species (wingspan around 20 mm) with a less sinuous forewing postmedian line that becomes wider when reaching the costa whereas that of P. ramentalis essentially disappears before the costa. Also, in P. ramentalis the forewing discal spot, a small dash or lunule, is bordered with black anteriorly whereas the discal spot of C. zoilusalis is bigger, rounded, and with black dashes on both sides, although more conspicuously so posteriorly. Males of P. ramentalis also harbour distinctive secondary sexual characters in the modified, broadly bent antenna basally and the ‘flap’ of modified scales from the base of the forewing costa covering part of the wing’s base. In the most poorly marked specimens of H. perspectalis there is a distinctive, submedian white band in the hindwing with a short bilobed projection medially, and the fringes have white and dark brown patches.

Biology: The larva has been recorded to feed on Odontonema (Acanthaceae) and Boehmeria (Urticaceae) ( Heppner, 2003; Robinson et al., 2014). Moths have been collected in the Galápagos from the littoral zone up to 1000 m above sea level on Isabela, from anthropized to pristine habitats, and from January until May.

Distribution: Native to the Western Hemisphere and described from ‘Vaterland?’, an unknown locality, this widespread species is found from Eastern Canada (south of Ontario) across the Eastern USA south through the Antilles, Central and South America to Argentina. It is widespread in the Galápagos, as shown from the 10 islands listed above.

Remark: Galápagos specimen was compared with identified material in the BMNH to secure the determination.

Figures

Figs 41 - 48. Neotropical specimens of Spilomelinae, size not to scale. (41, 42) Omiodes indicata. (41) ♂, Galápagos, Tagus Cove, emerged ex pupa on Desmodium glabrum, 20 - 25. v. 1992, MHNG. (42) ♀, Galápagos, Pinta, ± 50 m, 20. iii. 1992, MHNG. (43) Patania silicalis ♀, Galápagos, Alcedo, NE slope, 292 m, 30. iii. 2004, MHNG. (44, 45) Penestola bufalis. (44) ♂, Galápagos, Santiago, Cerro Inn, 28. iii. 1992, MHNG. (45) ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, CDRS, wall of Inverts. lab., 11 m, 6. iv. 2004, MHNG. (46, 47) Pilocrocis ramentalis. (46) ♂, Venezuela, Aragua, PN H. - Pittier, Estacion Rancho Grande, 1100 m, 15. vii. 2009, MHNG. (47) ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, E. C. C. D., 6. iii. 1992, MHNG. (48) Psara chathamalis ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Bahía Conway, 14. iv. 1992, MHNG.

Figs 119 - 121. Male genitalia of Galápagos Spilomelinae, a and b from same slides, but not to scale, (a) showing the genitalia without phallus and (b), the phallus. (119) Patania silicalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8989, Pinta. (120) Penestola bufalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8991, Santiago. (121) Pilocrocis ramentalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8992, Santiago.

Figs 163 - 167. Female genitalia of Neotropical Spilomelinae, not to scale. (163) Omiodes indicata: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9008, Galápagos, Isabela. (164) Palpita flegia: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8998, Colombia. (165) Patania silicalis: slide MHNG- ENTO- 8990, Galápagos, Isabela. (166) Penestola bufalis: slide CNC PYR 362, Galápagos, Santa Cruz. (167) Pilocrocis ramentalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8695, Galápagos, San Cristóbal.

Figs 9 - 16. Specimens of Spilomelinae, size not to scale. (9) Cheverella galapagensis ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 27. v. 1992, MHNG. (10, 11) Cryptobotys zoilusalis. (10) ♀, Brazil, Bahía, Camacan, Res. Serra Bonita, 800 m, 8. iv. 2011, MHNG. (11) ♂, same locality, 27. iii. 2011, MHNG. (12, 13) Desmia mordor. (12) ♂ paratype, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 4. v. 2002, MHNG. (13) ♀ holotype, CNC. (14) Diaphania galapagensis ♂ paratype, Galápagos, Isabela, NE slope Alcedo, near pega-pega camp, 483 m, 31. iii. 2004, MHNG. (15) Diaphania hyalinata ♂, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 4. v. 2002, MHNG. (16) Diaphania indica ♂, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haut Katanga, Tshinkolobwe, 12. iii. 1931, MHNG.

Figs 17 - 24. Neotropical specimens of Spilomelinae, size not to scale. (17) Diaphania nitidalis ♀, Brazil, Bahía, Camacan, Res. Serra Bonita, 800 m, 8. iv. 2011, MHNG. (18) Ercta vittata ♂, Galápagos, Marchena, 12. iii. 1992, MHNG. (19) Herpetogramma bipunctalis ♂, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, CDRS, Barranco, 20 m, 30. iv. 2002, MHNG. (20, 21) Herpetogramma phaeopteralis. (20) ♂, Galápagos, Isabela, NE slope Alcedo, Los Guayabillos camp, 869 m, 2. iv. 2004, MHNG. (21) ♀, Galápagos, San Cristóbal, near La Loberia, sea level, 24. ii. 2005, MHNG. (22, 23) Hymenia perspectalis. (22) ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 4. v. 2002, MHNG. (23) ♀, same locality, 27. v. 1992, MHNG. (24) Lineodes integra ♂, Pinta, Cabo Ibbetson, 8 m, MHNG.