Gelechiinae

Cepeda, Danilo E., 2017, Contribution to the knowledge of Chilean Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea), Insecta Mundi 2017 (584), pp. 1-8 : 2-3

Gelechiinae : Gnorimoschemini

Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) . Species distributed from Arica and Parinacota Region through the Los Lagos Region, and the Juan Fernandez and Easter Islands. Considered a primary pest of potato; more details appear in Artigas (1994).

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) . Species distributed from the Arica and Parinacota Region through the Los Lagos Region, and the Juan Fernandez and Easter Islands. A widespread pest of tomato that is of great economic importance in Chile; see also Artigas (1994).

Eurysacca chili (Povolný) . A species described from Chile based on a single female specimen without a precise location, and doubtfully placed under genus Scrobipalpopsis , with no further details by Povolný (1967). Later it was transferred under the genus Eurysacca , and the male described; in addition, it was recorded from several locations in Southern Argentina and Peru ( Povolný 1986, 1994).

New distribution. Chile, with specimens identified from the Province of Curicó, Maule Region, associated with tobacco crops ( Nicotiana tabacum L., Solanaceae ).

Material examined. MEUC. 13 specimens. Rauco, Curicó, 20-Feb. 1970. Coll. T. Poch, en tabaco ; Fdo. Todos los Santos, Curicó, 4 - Feb. 1970, en tabaco. Coll. R. H. González. Permanent slides n° 736 ♂ and 737 ♀ .

Eurysacca media Povolný. A species described from males and females distributed in several locations in Argentina; in Chile it is mentioned from the Province of the Andes, Valparaíso Region ( Povolný 1986), but it is also distributed from the Coquimbo to the Metropolitan Region. It is considered a significant species on quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa Willd. Chenopodium album L. Bosc ex Moc. (Amaranthaceae) is also recorded as a host ( Lamborot et al. 1999).

Scrobipalpula atra Povolný. A species described from various locations in Argentina; in Chile, it is cited for the Province of Malleco, Araucanía Region ( Povolný 1987).

Scrobipalpula melanolepis (Clarke) . Endemic species from Juan Fernandez Islands, originally described under the genus Gnorimoschema , based on a male and a female specimen ( Clarke 1965). It was later transferred to Scrobipalpula by Povolný (1967).

Scrobipalpula pallens Povolný. A species described from various Argentina locations; in Chile is cited by Povolný (1987) for the Province of Malleco, Araucanía Region.

Scrobipalpula patagonica Povolný. Species described in Argentina by Povolný (1977) and in Chile from specimens from the Province of Talca, Maule Region ( Povolný 1987).

New distribution. This species was identified from specimens collected in sex pheromone traps for Tuta absoluta in the Province of Santiago, Metropolitan Region.

Material examined. MEUC: 45 specimens. Antumapu, La Pintana, Región Metropolitana, 15-20 enero 1988. G. Barría, en trampas feromona tomate y papa. Permanent slides n° 738 ♂ and 748 ♀.

Scrobipalpula transiens Povolný. Endemic species, described from a single male specimen from the Province of Talca, Maule Region ( Povolný 1987).

Scrobipalpulopsis hemilitha (Clarke) . An endemic species from Juan Fernandez Island described originally as Gnorimoschema , based on male and female specimens ( Clarke 1965). Later transferred to Scrobipalpula by Povolný (1967), who afterwards includes it under Scrobipalpulopsis and with a possible synonymy as Scrobipalpulopsis stirodes (Meyrick) from Argentina ( Povolný 1994)

Scrobipalpulopsis stirodes (Meyrick) Originally described by Meyrick (1931) from a single male specimen from the south of Argentina. Later transferred to Scrobipalpula by Povolný (1967). Later it was redescribed, including females, from specimens collected in several locations in Argentina by

Povolný (1987). For Chile, it was mentioned by Povolný (1987) from the Provinces of Osorno, Los Ríos Region; Talca, Maule Region; and Malleco, Araucanía Region.

Ephysteris trinota (Clarke) . Endemic species described originally under the genus Echinoglossa , from male and female specimens from Juan Fernandez Island ( Clarke, 1965). Later, Povolný (1967) transferred it to the genus Ephysteris , and finally under Opacopsis , although with reservations ( Povolný 1994). Due to the lack of properly assigned type material, Povolný (1994) also mentioned that it may be an introduced species. Opacopsis and Echinoglossa are currently treated as junior synonyms of Ephysteris ( Huemer and Karsholt 2010) .

Symmetrischema nanum Povolný. Species described only from males, from several localities in Argentina; in Chile, it is cited for the Province of the Andes, Region of Valparaíso ( Povolný, 1989a).

Symmetrischema striatella (Murtfeldt) . Species of Nearctic origin, the male and female genitalia were redescribed by Povolný (1967). It has been found in Argentina, and in Chile in the Province of the Andes, Region of Valparaiso ( Povolný 1989a).

Symmetrischema tangolias (Gyen) . Originally described from Chile by Gyen (1913) under the genus Trichotaphe and subsequently cited as such by Becker (1984). Artigas (1994) records it as Symmestrichema, citing its distribution from the Arica and Parinacota to the O’Higgins Region. Finally, Hayden et al. (2013) provide several records, and notable figures of adults and genitalia. It is considered a significant pest of potato and tomato crops ( Solanaceae ).

Scrobipalpomima obscuroides Povolný. Species originally described by Povolný (1989b) from Argentina and cited for Chile from the Province of Malleco, Araucanía Region.

Scrobipalpomima pseudogrisescens Povolný. Originally described by Povolný (1985) as S. grisescens from several localities of Argentina, and later redefined ( Povolný 1989b) as S. pseudogrisescens and quoted for Chile in the Provinces of Osorno and Valdivia, Los Lagos Region.

New distribution. A specimen collected in shrub and sclerophyll forest areas in the Province of Maipo, central Chile.

Material examined. MEUC: 1 specimen. El Escorial, Provincia de Maipo, Región Metropolitana, CHILE, 25 diciembre 2015 Coll. D.E. Cepeda. Permanent slide n° 747 ♂

Tecia venosa (Butler) . Originally described under the genus Topeutis by Butler (1883) from Valparaiso, Chile. Meyrick (1914) transferred this species to Oecophoridae under the genus Orsotricha . Clarke (1963, 1964) presented figures of female and male genitalia, and transferred Orsotricha to Gelechiidae . Becker (1984) cited the same name but in Dichomeridinae . Hodges and Becker (1990) transferred Orsotricha as synonyms under genus Tecia , and proposed other nomenclatural changes in the genus. However, Povolný (1994, 2002) considered the genus to belong to the tribe Gnorimoschemini , an opinion not shared by Lee and Brown (2010), who treat the genus under Dichomeridinae . In this paper, I follow the taxonomy of Povolný (1994).

Keiferia dalibori King and Viejo. Endemic species, described from males collected in association with Echium (Boraginaceae) and Rumex (Polygonaceae) ecosystems distributed in the Province of Concepción, Biobío Region ( King and Viejo 2012b).