Psara chathamalis ( Schaus, 1923 )

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 : 369

Psara chathamalis ( Schaus, 1923)

Figs 48 , 122 , 168

Pilocrocis chathamalis Schaus, 1923: 45 .

Herpetogramma chathamalis (Schaus) : Linsley & Usinger, 1966: 162.

Psara chathamalis (Schaus) : Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015.

Material examined:

Holotype: ♀ holotype ( USNM).

Other specimens: 20 ♂, 31 ♀, 74 of undetermined sex from the Galápagos Islands: – Baltra: South Seymour [no precise locality]. – Española: Bahía Manzanillo ; E side peninsula, at coast; Hood [no specific locality]. – Fernandina: Punta Espinosa; Cabo Douglas, GPS: S 00° 18.269’, W 091° 39.098’. – Floreana: Las Cuevas; Punta Cormoran; Charles [no specific locality]. – Gardner near Española: NW side. – Genovesa: Bahía Darwin ; S side, 200 y[ar]ds from beach. – Isabela: Tagus Cove. – Marchena : [no precise locality]. – Pinta: Plaja Ibbeston [sic]; arid zone. – San Cristóbal: Chatham [no precise locality]; P[uer]to Baquarizo [sic]; near Loberia, sea level, GPS: elev[ation]. 14 m, S 00° 55.149’, W 89° 36.897’; 4 km SE Pto Baquarizo [sic]. – Santa Cruz: Indefatigable [no precise locality]; Bahía Conway ; Academy Bay; Academy Bay, Charles Darwin Research Station; Charles Darwin Research Station, reared on Commicarpus tuberosus , Nyctaginaceae ; littoral zone, Tortuga Bay; East slope, 160 m. – Santa Fé: Tourist trail.

– Santiago: James Bay, E side n[ea]r. lagoons; Cerro Inn. – Seymour Norte: [no precise locality]; Arid zone. Deposited in AMNH, BMNH, CAS, CDRS, CNC, MCZ, MHNG, and NHRS.

Diagnosis: The golden brown ground colour of the wings in addition to the relatively larger size (wingspan: 20-26 mm), well-marked fasciae, including a distinct basal forewing fascia, will separate most specimens of this species ( Fig. 48 ) from the other brown species with darker brown markings, and the key above under Herpetogramma phaeopteralis (Guenée) will be of additional help in some cases.

Biology: Specimens collected in the Galápagos were only found at low elevation, on beaches and up to about 150 m on Santiago (Cerro Inn), from January until May and in September. One specimen, deposited in the BMNH, was reared on Commicarpus tuberosus (Lam.) Standl. (Nyctaginaceae) . This Galápagos indigenous plant is found on the islands of Española, Floreana, Isabela, Pinzón, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santiago (Jaramillo Díaz & Guézou, 2015) while elsewhere it is known from mainland Ecuador and Peru ( McMullen, 1999).

Distribution: This Galápagos endemic was described from Chatham Island (now San Cristóbal) and recorded by Schaus (1923) from Indefatigable (= Santa Cruz) and South Seymour (= Baltra). I have collected or examined specimens as well from Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Gardner near Española, Genovesa, Isabela, Marchena, Pinta , Santa Fé, Santiago, and Seymour Norte.

Remarks: The holotype in the USNM was examined to determine the specimens that I have collected or examined in different collections as mentioned above. Abundant in 1992, this species was collected only twice (on Fernandina and San Cristóbal) during our 2002, 2004, and 2005 expeditions, perhaps indicating a significant drop in the populations.

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 122 - 124. 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. (122) Psara chathamalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8663, Santiago. (123) Rhectocraspeda periusalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8981, Isabela. (124) Salbia haemorrhoidalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8700, Santa Cruz.

Figs 168 - 172. Female genitalia of Neotropical Spilomelinae, not to scale. (168) Psara chathamalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8993, Galápagos, Española. (169) Rhectocraspeda periusalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8982, Galápagos, Isabela. (170) Salbia haemorrhoidalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8994, Brazil. (171) Samea castellalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8707, Galápagos, San Cristóbal. (172) S. coffea paratype: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8720.