Diaphania indica (Saunders, 1851)

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 : 335

Diaphania indica (Saunders, 1851)

Figs 16 , 101 , 147

Eudioptes [sic] indica Saunders, 1851: 163 .

Diaphania indica (Saunders) : Peck et al., 1998: 227. ‒ Causton

et al., 2006: 141. ‒ Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015.

Material examined: 6 ♀, 13 of undetermined sex from the Galápagos Islands: – San Cristóbal: 4 km SE P[uer] to Baquarizo [sic]; La Toma, ca. 6.5 km east El Progreso, GPS: 299 m elev[ation]., S 00° 55.356’, W 89° 31.089’. – Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Research Station; Charles Darwin Research Station, base of El Barranco, GPS: S 00° 44.305’, W 90° 18.105’; Horneman Farm, 220 m; Media Luna, pampa zone. Deposited in CAS, CDRS, CNC, MCZ, and MHNG.

Diagnosis: In the Galápagos this species ( Fig. 16 ) is similar to Diaphania hyalinata (L.) ( Fig. 15 ), but it is generally smaller (19-25 mm versus 26-29 mm) and its forewing dark brown marginal band slightly expands anteriorly before reaching the inner margin whereas this terminal band is straight until the inner margin in D. hyalinata .

Biology: The larva feeds on various Cucurbitaceae , but it has also been recorded on Annonaceae , Fabaceae , Malvaceae , Oleaceae , Poaceae , and others ( Robinson et al., 2014). In the Galápagos, in contrast to D. hyalinata , D. indica was collected mostly in anthropized habitats in the littoral zone, but also in the highest (pampa) zone at about 700 m in elevation on Santa Cruz. Collecting dates of the available Galápagos specimens are in February and March.

Distribution: Around the world in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions on all continents (including Australia) and many islands (BMNH and MHNG specimens; Shaffer et al., 1996; Robinson et al., 2014). In the Galápagos it has been collected so far on San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz, but see above under Distribution for Diaphania hyalinata (L.).

Remarks: I confirmed the identification of a Galápagos specimen by comparing it with specimens in the BMNH. The latter had been curated by Michael Shaffer, who wrote to Jack Clarke about two syntypes of D. indica found in the University Museum of Oxford and his manuscript lectotype and paralectotype designations, made available by Clarke (1986: 80).

Figures

Figs 9 - 16. Specimens of Spilomelinae, size not to scale. (9) Cheverella galapagensis ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 27. v. 1992, MHNG. (10, 11) Cryptobotys zoilusalis. (10) ♀, Brazil, Bahía, Camacan, Res. Serra Bonita, 800 m, 8. iv. 2011, MHNG. (11) ♂, same locality, 27. iii. 2011, MHNG. (12, 13) Desmia mordor. (12) ♂ paratype, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 4. v. 2002, MHNG. (13) ♀ holotype, CNC. (14) Diaphania galapagensis ♂ paratype, Galápagos, Isabela, NE slope Alcedo, near pega-pega camp, 483 m, 31. iii. 2004, MHNG. (15) Diaphania hyalinata ♂, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 4. v. 2002, MHNG. (16) Diaphania indica ♂, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haut Katanga, Tshinkolobwe, 12. iii. 1931, MHNG.

Figs 101 - 103. Male genitalia of Spilomelinae, a and b from same slides, but not to scale, (a) showing the genitalia without phallus and b, the phallus. (101) Diaphania indica: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8673, Mozambique, Makulane. (102) Diaphania nitidalis: slide BL 1810, Galápagos, Santa Cruz (CAS). (103) Ercta vittata: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9028, Galápagos, Pinta (MHNG).

Figs 143 - 147. Female genitalia of Neotropical Spilomelinae, not to scale. (143) Cryptobotys zoilusalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8958, Brazil. (144) Desmia mordor paratype: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8978. (145) Diaphania galapagensis paratype: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8676. (146) D. hyalinata: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8674, Galápagos, Santa Cruz. (147) D. indica: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8672, Galápagos, San Cristóbal.