Megalopygidae, Herrich-Schaffer, 1855

Cock, Matthew J. W., 2017, A preliminary catalogue of the moths (Lepidoptera except Papilionoidea) of Tobago, West Indies, Insecta Mundi 2017 (585), pp. 1-58 : 8

Family Megalopygidae

Nomenclature follows Becker (1995), except as indicated.

Megalopyge lanata (Cramer, 1780)

Megalopyge lanata (Cramer) : Polar et al. (2011)

Identified by comparison with the NHMUK series.

Englishman’s Bay , at light: ♂ Jun–Dec 2009 (J. Ingraham) [ UWIZM.2015.15.19] ; 2♀ late 2010–early 2011 (J. Ingraham) [M. Kelly photo 10995]; Scarborough , Marden House, MVL: ♂ 15 Jan 1982 (R. For- rester) [det. MJWC; discarded]

Megalopyge pellita (Felder, 1874)

Identified by comparison with the USNM series from French Guiana, the type locality.

Englishman’s Bay, at light: ♂ Jun–Dec 2009 (J. Ingraham) [UWIZM.2015.15.137]

Megalopyge xanthopasa xanthopasa (Sepp, [1848])

Identified by comparison with the NHMUK series.

Speyside, MVL: ♂ 14–17 May 1982 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC]

Norape plumosa (Butler, 1877)

Becker (1995) recognised three subspecies. Identified by comparison with the NHMUK series. This group of white megalopygids from Trinidad and Tobago needs more careful study and dissections, before this name can be used with confidence.

Nr. Speyside, MVL: ♀ 16 May 1982 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC]

Podalia farmbri ( Kaye, 1925) sp. rev.

Kaye (1925) described and illustrated Megalopyge farmbri from Trinidad, and states that the type is in OUNHM. I have not located the type of farmbri in OUNHM (or NHMUK or NMSE which contain other Kaye types). Fortunately only one Trinidad species matches Kaye’s (1925) description and illustration of the female ventral view (which is replicated in Kaye and Lamont (1927)), and I have matched the male and female based on Trinidad material. Podalia farmbri and P. nigrescens (Schaus, 1905) are treated as synonyms of P. amarga (Schaus, 1905) by Epstein and Becker (1993), while P. farmbri and P. amarga are treated as synonyms of P. nigrescens in Becker (1995). I have compared P. farmbri with the type and USNM series of P. nigrescens , and conclude that they are not synonyms. However, farmbri is synonymous with P. dimidiata (Walker, 1865) , based on Walker’s type from Brasil in the NHMUK. Podalia dimidiata is an unavailable homonym, and so Hopp (1935) introduced the replacement name P. walkeri Hopp, 1935 . Hence, P. farmbri Kaye, 1925 is a senior subjective synonym of P. walkeri Hopp, 1935 , syn. nov. and the unavailable homonym P. dimidiata Walker, 1865 , syn. nov.

Charlotteville , at light: ♀ 15–19 Jun 1998 (Roger Hammond & Piers Meynell) [ MJWC] ; Crown Point , at light: ♂ 9 Jan 1982 (M.J.W. Cock) [ MJWC] ; Englishman’s Bay , at light: ♂, ♀ Jun–Dec 2009 (J. In- graham) [ UWIZM.2015.15.17-18]

Podalia orsilocha orsilocha (Cramer, 1775)

Identified by comparison with the NHMUK series.

Englishman’s Bay , at light: 5♂ Jun–Dec 2009 (J. Ingraham) [♂ UWIZM.2015.15.20; 4♂ UWIZM.2015.15.57-60]