Synclera jarbusalis (Walker, 1859)

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 : 389

Synclera jarbusalis (Walker, 1859)

Figs 65, 66 , 131 , 177

Samea jarbusalis Walker, 1859: 352 .

Synclera jarbusalis (Walker) : Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015.

Material examined

Type specimen: 1 ♂ lectotype ( BMNH). Other specimens: 1 ♀ from the Galápagos Islands: – Santa Cruz: Finca Vilema, 2 km W Bella Vista. Deposited in MNHG.

Diagnosis: This beautiful species is easily separated from the other Galápagos spilomelines by the complex pattern of brown lines with orange yellow scales mostly enclosed between the linear markings ( Figs 65, 66 ). The pattern of the thorax and the first three abdominal segments dorsally is also striking. The wingspan is 16.5- 21.0 mm, the Galápagos specimen being the smallest of the four measured.

Biology: The host plants and immatures stages of this species are unknown ( Heppner, 2003). The species is not recorded either by Robinson et al. (2014). The only known specimen from the Galápagos was collected in the agriculture zone on April 1, 1992.

Distribution: In the BMMH, specimens identified as this species are from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Tobago, and Trinidad, reflecting a wide Neotropical distribution. It is also recorded from the USA (Florida) and El Salvador by Patterson et al. (2015), and I have collected it as well in Venezuela. In the Galápagos this species so far has been found only on Santa Cruz on a farm.

Remarks: This species was described from three specimens from Santo Domingo. One of these, a male in the BMNH, is labelled type and dissected. It was found to match in external characters the specimen found on the Galápagos. And it is here designated lectotype, harbouring the following set of labels: ‘St. Dom. | 55.1’ [typed]; ‘Type’ [circular, green bordered, typed]; ‘Brit. | Mus. | Slide | 6097’ [typed except number]; ‘6. SAMEA JARBUSALIS’ [typed on old printed paper]; ‘ LECTOTYPE | Samea | jarbusalis Walker | Des[ignated by]. B. Landry, 2016 ’.

Figures

Figs 65 - 72. Neotropical specimens of Spilomelinae, size not to scale. (65, 66) Synclera jarbusalis. (65) ♂, Brazil, Bahía, Camacan, Res. Serra Bonita, 800 m, 8. iv. 2011, MHNG. (66) ♀, Venezuela, Aragua, PN H. - Pittier, Paso Portachuelo, 1136 m, 21. vii. 2009, MHNG. (67, 68) Terastia meticulosalis. (67) ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, casa L. Roque-Albelo & V. Cruz, 137 m, 27. ii. 2005, MHNG. (68) ♂, Brazil, Mato Grosso, environs de Dourados, iii. 1966, MHNG. (69, 70) Udea galapagensis. (69) ♂ holotype, MHNG. (70) paratype ♀, Galápagos, San Cristóbal, El Junco, east side, 654 m, 25. ii. 2005, MHNG. (71, 72) Udea sideralis. (71) holotype ♂, MHNG. (72) paratype ♀, Santiago, N side, 527 m, 5. iii. 2005, MHNG.

Figs 131 - 133. Male genitalia of Neotropical Spilomelinae, a and b from same slides, but not to scale, (a) showing the genitalia without phallus and (b), the phallus. (131) Synclera jarbusalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8985, Brazil. (132) Syngamia florella: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8987, Galápagos, Santa Cruz. (133) Terastia meticulosalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9032, Galápagos, Santa Cruz.

Figs 173 - 177. Female genitalia of Neotropical Spilomelinae, not to scale. (173) Samea inconspicuella paratype: slide MHNG- ENTO- 8705. (174) Sisyracera inabsconsalis holotype. (175) Sisyracera jacquelinae paratype: slide MHNG- ENTO- 8688. (176) Spoladea recurvalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8984, Galápagos, Floreana. (177) Synclera jarbusalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9031, Galápagos, Santa Cruz.