Cosmorrhyncha ocellata (MABILLE, 1900)

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 : 368

Cosmorrhyncha ocellata (MABILLE, 1900)

I find this species regularly at light and bred more than 20 specimens from larvae (plate 12: fig. 61) on Tamarindus indica L. ( Fabaceae ) (plate 12: fig. 59) in the months of April, May and June 2015 (all collected from the same tree, located in La Reunion, La Possession, Ravine à Malheur, alt. 200 m, 20°55'33"S / 55°21'3"E). MARTIRÉ & ROCHAT (2008) raised it on Desmodium intortum (Mil.) URB. (Fabaceae) .

In Mauritius I found some empty pupal cases (plate 12: fig. 62) and a pupa of this species also on Acalypha indica L. ( Euphorbiaceae ) in Blackriver, Vanilla House, 20°22'5"S / 57°22'47"E, alt. 20 m.

An adult eclosed already on the following day, 08-vi-2016 from the collected pupa. Additional specimens were collected at the same station at light and also in Blackriver, alt. 55 m, 20°21'31"S / 57°24'27"E on 12-vi-2016.

Wingspan 13 mm; adult: (plate 12: fig 59-60); male genitalia (plate 12, fig. 63).

Hostplants: Tamarindus indica L., Desmodium intortum (MIL.) URB. (Fabaceae) , Acalypha indica L. ( Euphorbiaceae ).

Distribution: Comoros, La Reunion, Madagascar and new record for Mauritius.

Parasites: Three specimens of a Braconidae , Phanerotoma leucobasis KRIECHBAUMER, 1894 were bred from this species on 15. and 19.vi.2016 (Identification: Pascal Rousse, France).

Remarks: There was a former record of the neotropical species Cosmorrhyncha ocelliferana (WALKER, 1863) from Mauritius ( DE PRINS & DE PRINS, 2016). Most African records of this neotropical species had been invalidated since - and I believe that these species were also confused in Mauritius.