Idiophantis croconota MEYRICK, 1918

Bippus, Maik, 2016, New or poorly known Microlepidoptera from the Mascarenes (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae, Bedellidae, Batrachedridae, Carposinidae, Epermeniidae, Gelechiidae, Tineidae, Tortricidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 66 (2), pp. 347-370 : 350

Idiophantis croconota MEYRICK, 1918

Description: Wingspan: 13.5–14.5 mm (plate 6: figs 21–23). Forwings are dark brown with a large ochreous yellow dorsal stripe, a black apical dot and whitish longitudinal apical mark.

The abdomen of the male has a coremata on the eight segment. Male genitalia: plate 6: figs 25–25b.

This species was described by a single female specimen from Antananarivo / Madagascar ( MEYRICK, 1918) and

had not yet been illustrated, nor recorded outside of Madagascar.

Biology: Hostplants are Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. and Syzygium jambos L. (Alston) ( Myrtaceae ). The larvae (fig. 24b) ties two opposite leafs together and feed inside. The pupae (fig. 24a) are cream-whitish and its reddish eyes are well visible. It pupates between the tied leafs. Pupal stage: 14 days.

Most probably this is an introduced species, both food plants are considered beeing introduced species to the Malagasy region (LAVERGNE, C., 2011).

In La Réunion this species does not seem to feed on other endemic Syzygium ssp., nor other Myrtaceae .

The specimens at light were all collected in Réunion, La Possession, alt. 400 m. Most specimens bred from larvae were collected in the same town at an altitude of 550 m, 20°55'32"S / 55°22'46"E, one specimen at an altitude of approximately 20 meters in Saint-Paul on Syzygium cumini .

Material examined: 23-ix-2013 (e.l.#247- Syzygium cumini, St. Paul , alt. 20 m), 02-i-2014 (e.l.#122- Syzygium jambos ), 16-vi-2014 (e.l.#219- S. jambos ), 23-x-2014, 13-xi-2014, 14-xi-2014, 16-xi-2014 (e.l.#289- S. jambos , slide RE-1382, male), 21-xi-2014 (e.l.#303- S. cumini ), 23-i-2015, 24-i-2015 (slide RE-1520, female), 11-ii-2015, 15-ii-2015, 21-ii-2016 (slide RE-1516, female), 21-ii-2015 (slide RE-1589, male), 20-iv-2015 (2 specimen), 24-iv-2015,13-v-2015,13- viii-2015 (e.l.#461B- S. jambos ), 22-viii-2015 (e.l.#461B- S. jambos ), 03-xii-2015 (e.l.# 521- S. jambos ), 06-ii-2016, 15-ii-2016 (2 specimen), 23-iv-2016, 19-viii-2016.

Distribution: Madagascar and new record for La Réunion.

Parasites: From one larva found on Syzygium jambos was bred a Braconidae, Wilkensonellos spec., that might be an undescribed species (determination: Pascal Rousse, France). Though it might have parasitized also another species that was bred from the same lot: Macarostola eugeniella (VIETTE, 1951) (Gracillariidae) and for the moment I cannot attribute it with certainty to a species.

Remarks: I would like to thank Dr. David Lees (BMNH) for allowing me to study the types of several Idiophantis species , including Idiophantis croconota (labeled: NMMUK010304534; Abdomen missing; Idiophantis croconota MEYR., E. Meyrick det., in Meyrick Coll.; Meyrick Coll., BM 1938–290; Antananarivo, Madagascar, M. II; Holotype).

Twelve specimens (some raised from larvae) were placed at the same museum in July 2016 for thanking Mr Lees and the British Museum for their frequent help and efforts.

Two additional specimens were also deposited at the ZMHB - Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt Universität, Berlin in June 2016 for study to Dr. Mey .