Druentica coralie Herbin, 2016

St Laurent, Ryan A. & Cock, Matthew J. W., 2017, Annotated list of Mimallonidae (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea) from Trinidad and Tobago, with the description of a new species of Cicinnus Blanchard, 1852 and taxonomic notes, Zootaxa 4268 (1), pp. 53-70 : 62-63

Druentica coralie Herbin, 2016

( Figs. 17, 18 )

Type locality. French Guiana

Druentia [sic] sp. prob. inscita (Schaus) : Nakahara et al. (1992), Culliney & Nagamine (2000) Druentica inscita (Schaus) : Waterhouse & Norris (1987)

Several specimens of Druentica from AMNH, HDOA and NHMUK are similar to the holotype of D. coralie Herbin, 2016 , a species described from French Guiana. Two genitalia preparations of these specimens reveal characters matching those figured by Herbin (2016). We do note, however, that the hindwings of specimens from Trinidad display a small discal spot, a character not seen in specimens from French Guiana. This character may be an instance of geographic variation in the species, considering that other characters of habitus and male genitalia are otherwise perfect matches for D. coralie .

The earliest mention of Druentica from Trinidad in the literature appears in Simmonds (1930), and although the insect in question is not identified, the description highly suggests Druentica . Considering the age and obscurity of this citation, we reproduce this description here: “A second species made a hard case out of silk, recalling the cocoon of the European Puss Moths. This larva was brown with a yellow stripe on each segment and lived within the case, leaving an opening at each end to allow it to come out to feed. When full fed it closed the two ends of a barrel shaped cocoon and pupated within…” This larval description was in relation to Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae) , a known host of this species (see below).

Nakahara et al. (1992) later discuss this Trinidad Druentica species, which R.M. Burkhart studied in Trinidad as a potential biological control agent of Clidemia hirta on Hawai’i. They include brief notes on its biology and host range restricted to Melastomataceae , including its apparently preferred field food plant Miconia acinodendrum , but it has not subsequently been released in Hawai’i ( Winston et al. 2014). Waterhouse & Norris (1987), Nakahara et al. (1992), and Culliney & Nagamine (2000) referred to the species as Druentia [sic] or Druentica sp. prob. inscita ( Schaus, 1890) , and although D. inscita is similar to D. coralie and D. patawa (treated below), D. inscita is not likely to be present in Trinidad because it is a Mexican species. We have seen two HDOA voucher specimens for the material reared from C. hirta in Trinidad, which we determine as D. coralie (verified by male genitalia dissection). There do not seem to be any vouchers for the material reared from Miconia acinodendrum , so this host plant record could refer to either Druentica species treated here, given that Druentica spp. are specialists on species of Melastomataceae ( Herbin 2016) .

Although the main reported food plants, M. acinodendrum and C. hirta , are widespread and common in Trinidad ( Williams 1934), the original Burkhart collections were all from the Northern Range. Fortunately, there are two reared specimens preserved in the collection of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture from the Northern Range, May 1980, and the live material sent to Hawai’i consisted of two airfreight consignments in November 1980, the first of seven larvae from Maracas Valley and the second of five larvae from the Northern Range, all collected from C. hirta (M. Ramadan, pers. comm. 2016). The distribution of D. coralie mostly overlaps with D. patawa in the Northern Range of Trinidad, but D. coralie has also been recorded from lowland forest (Caparo).

If our determination of this species is correct, we figure ( Fig. 18 ) the female of D. coralie for the first time, as previously it was unknown ( Herbin 2016).

Material examined: (8 ♂, 1 ♀, total) TRINIDAD : 1 ♂, Arima Valley, 800–1200 ft: 10–22.II.1964, Rozen & Wygodzinsky leg. ( AMNH) . 5 ♂, Caparo : XI.1905 (4 ♂) , XII.1905 (1 ♂), S.M. Klages [leg.], Rothschild Bequest, B.M. 1939-1, NHMUK010588413, 0 10588414 [dissected] (NHMUK). 1 ♂, Curepe : 1–20.III.1982, F.D. Bennett [leg.], black light trap ( UWIZM CABI.2469) . 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Northern Range: V.1980, R.M. Burkhart [leg.], reared from Clidemia hirta, St Laurent diss.: 1-10-17:1 [♂] ( HDOA) .

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 29. Mimallonidae of Trinidad. 17. Druentica coralie male, Trinidad, Arima Valley, 800 – 1200 ft (AMNH). 18. D. coralie female, Trinidad, ex. Clidemia hirta, photo courtesy of M. Ramadan (HDOA). 19. D. patawa male, Trinidad, Hollis Reservoir (MJWC). 20. D. patawa female paratype, French Guiana, Kaw Rd., 286 m (CDH). 21. Lacosoma ostrinum male, Trinidad, Off Saunders Road, Inniss Field, 50 m (MJWC). 22. L. ostrinum female, Trinidad, 2.5 mi SE of Valencia, Valencia Forest (MJWC). 23. Trogoptera guianaca male, Trinidad, Morne Bleu, Textel Installation (MJWC). 24. T. belilia female, Trinidad, Off Saunders Road, Inniss Field, 50 m (MJWC). 25. L. valva male, French Guiana, Réserve des Nouragues, Inselberg DZ, photo courtesy of P. Collet (CPC). 26. L. valva female, Trinidad, 2.5 mi SE of Valencia, Valencia Forest (MJWC). 27. Mimallo amilia male, Trinidad, Curepe (MJWC). 28. M. amilia female, Trinidad, Arima Valley (MJWC). 29. Zaphanta infantilis male, Trinidad, 2.5 mi SE of Valencia, Valencia Forest (MJWC). Scale bar = 1 cm.