Synpalamides phalaris (Fabricius, 1793)

Ríos, Sergio D. & González, Jorge M., 2011, A synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Paraguay, Zootaxa 3055, pp. 43-61 : 47

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3055.1.3
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6188110
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C4E64D-FFB6-D923-FF36-6961FF06F85C
treatment provided by	Plazi (2016-04-11 18:11:05, last updated 2024-11-29 15:46:51)
scientific name	Synpalamides phalaris (Fabricius, 1793)
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Synpalamides phalaris (Fabricius, 1793) View in CoL

( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 2 – 9 )

Papilio phalaris Fabricius, 1793

Taxonomic history. Druce (1896) described Castnia sora separating it from Castnia mygdon Dalman, 1824 (a junior subjective synonym of phalaris ) basically by being darker. The description of the species is based on two specimens collected in San José, Caaguazú department, Paraguay. Strand (1913) clearly follows Druce (1896) and keeps the species as valid. Houlbert (1918) place Castnia sora in the genus Sympalamide s[sic]. Talbot (1919) mentions that the type of Sympalamides [sic] sora is “a red form of mimon Hübner”. Lathy (1922) reports the species, as Sympalamides [sic] phalaris sora from Sapucay, Paraguay, in Fournier’s collection. Jörgensen (1930) reports the rare presence of Castnia (Sympalamides)[sic] phalaris sora from Trinidad (Central Department), Sapucay (Paraguarí Department), Molino Cué, 120 km north of Villarrica (Guairá Department). He also mentions that the species was observed in large numbers by Schade ( Jörgensen, 1930). Miller (1986, 1995) keeps the species as Synpalamides sora while Lamas (1995) placed sora as a synonym of phalaris . Benítez (1988, 2002) mentions the presence of the species, as Castnia sara [sic], in the Collection of the Department of Entomology at Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Back in November 2009, A. Contreras (pers. comm.) photographed a single specimen from Arroyo Las Hermanas, Ñeembucú Department, flying low and slowly alongside several Castnia invaria penelope , in an open area, densely covered with Bromelia spp. Even though Miller (1986) mentions that this is a highly variable species, she keeps several taxa as valid ( Miller 1995) which were later synonymized by Lamas (1995). We suggest that Synpalamides orestes (Walker) , Synpalamides phalaris (Fabricius) and Synpalamides rubrophalaris (Houlbert) could possibly represent stages of a morphological cline. Lamas (pers. comm.) agrees with us in this respect. However, only an in depth morphological study of large series of the many “forms” of those three species will allow to discern if there is a geographic correlation with the several known phenotypes.

Distribution. It has been reported from Brazil. Uruguay, and Paraguay, and specimens are known suposedly collected in Argentina ( González & Cock 2004; González & Stünning 2007; González et al. 2010; Lamas 1995; Lathy 1922, 1923; Miller 1986, 1995).

Biology and behavior. Benítez (2002) mentions this species associated with pineapple ( Ananas sp.? or Pseudananas sp.?) and bananas ( Musa sp.). Jörgensen (1930) states that the species flies during November and December around plants of “ Caraguatá ” [ Bromelia balansae Mez and Pseudananas sagenarius var. macrodontes (E. Morren) Camargo ]. There is not much known about the life history of this species, however, females have been observed laying eggs on Guzmania sp. and Bromelia sp. ( Bromeliaceae ) ( Miller 1986). It has been seen flying in forest clearings during January and February in certain areas of Brazil ( Biezanko 1961b).

Material examined. PARAGUARÍ: 13, Cerro Acahay. 2.XI.1991. Coll. C. Aguilar [collected in lowland Forest] (MNHNPY); 13, “ Castnia sora Druce ”, “ Sympalamides [sic] sora Druce ”, “ Paraguay, Sapucay, 2.XII.1903, W.Foster,1903 – 138”, “Collection Wm. Schaus” ( MGCL). CENTRAL: 13, Asunción. Stma. Trinidad. 23.XII.1940 (FCA/ DE); 1Ƥ, [Asunción], Jardín Botánico, 28.XI.1955 ( MFS). CAAGUAZÚ: 13, [Type of Castnia sora ], “ Type ”, “ Castnia sora Druce ”, “ Castnia sora 3 type Druce”, “San José, Paraguay, R. Perrens”, “Ex. Coll. Herbert Druce 1913”, “Joicey Bequest., Brit. Mus. 1934 – 120.” (NHM, from a photograph provided by Dr. G. Lamas).

References

Benitez, E. A. (1988) Catalogo de Lepidopteros coleccionados en el Departamento de Entomologia. Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, Paraguay. 23 pp.

Benitez, E. A. (2002) Listado de nombres Cientificos y vulgares de plagas agricolas y forestales del Paraguay. Segunda edicion. Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, Paraguay. 39 pp.

Biezanko, C. M. (1961 b) Castniidae, Zygaenidae, Dalceridae, Eucleidae, Megalopygidae, Cossidae et Hepialidae da Zona Missioneira do Rio Grande do Sul. Arquivos de Entomologia, Escola de Agronomia Eliseu Maciel (Pelotas) (B), 14,1 - 12.

Druce, H. (1896) Descriptions of five new species of Heterocera. Annals and Magazine of natural History, Series 6, 17 (99), 28 - 42.

Gonzalez, J. M. (2004) Castniinae (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) from Venezuela. VI. The genus Athis. Diagnosis and comments. Caribbean Journal of Science, 40 (3), 408 - 413.

Gonzalez, J. M. & Stunning, D. (2007) The Castniidae at the Zoologisches Forschungmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). Entomologische Zeitschrift, 117 (2), 89 - 93.

Gonzalez, J. M., J. H. Boone, G. M. Brilmyer & D. Le (2010) The Giant Butterfly-moths of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, with notes on the Herman Strecker collection (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia 38 (152), 385 - 409.

Houlbert, C. (1918) Revision monographique de la sous-famille des Castniinae. Etudes de Lepidopterologie Comparee, 15, 1 - 730.

Jorgensen, P. (1930) Los Castniidae de la Argentina y Paraguay. Revista de la Sociedad Entomologica Argentina, 3 (14), 175 - 180.

Lamas, G. (1995) A critical review of J. Y. Miller's Checklist of the Neotropical Castniidae (Lepidoptera). Revista Peruana de Entomologia, 37, 73 - 87.

Lathy, P. I. (1922) An account of the Castniinae in the collection of Madame Gaston Fournier (Lepidoptera). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (9) 12 (49), 68 - 86.

Lathy, P. I. (1923) Further notes on the Castniinae in the collection of madame Gaston Fournier (Lepidoptera). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (9) 12 (68), 223 - 227.

Miller, J. Y. (1986) The taxonomuy, phylogeny, and zoogeography of the Neotropical Castniinae (Lepidoptera: Castnioidea: Castniidae). Ph. D. Thesis. University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. 571 pp.

Miller, J. Y. (1995) Castniidae. In: Heppner, J. B. (ed.). Checklist: Part 2. Hyblaeoidea - Pyraloidea - Tortricoidea. Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera. Association for Tropical Lepidoptera / Scientific Publications, Gainesville, USA, pp. 133 - 137, 176 - 177.

Strand, E. (1913) Gattung: Castnia F., In: Seitz, A. (ed.). Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde. Stuttgart, A. Kernen 6 (1), pp. 7 - 17.

Talbot, G. (1919) Review of a monograph of the Castniinae . Novitates Zoologicae, 26, 28 - 34.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 9. Adults of Castniidae. 2. Imara satrapes Kollar, 3, Itapúa, Paraguay (MNHNPY); 3. Synpalamides phalaris (Fabricius), 3, Asunción, Paraguay (FCA / DE); 4. Synpalamides rubrophalaris (Houlbert), 3, Alto Paraná, Paraguay (MNHNPY); 5. Castnia invaria penelope Schaufuss (White morph), 3, Sapucay, Paraguay (MGCL); 6. Castnia invaria penelope Schaufuss (red morph), 3, Ypacaraí, Paraguay (FCA / DE); 7. Castnia juturna Hopffer, 3, Argentina (MACN); 8. Telchin licus laura (H. Druce), 3, Canindeyú, Paraguay (MNHNPY); 9. Riechia acraeoides (Guérin-Méneville), 3, Asunción, Paraguay (MNHNPY).