Herpetogramma bipunctalis (Fabricius, 1794)

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 : 337-339

Herpetogramma bipunctalis (Fabricius, 1794)

Figs 19 , 104 , 150

Phalaena bipunctalis Fabricius, 1794: 232 .

Herpetogramma bipunctalis (Fabricius) : Peck et al., 1998: 227. ‒ Causton et al., 2006: 141. ‒ Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015.

Material examined: ♀ lectotype of synonym Botys philealis Walker, 1859 , 3 ♂, 2 ♀ from the Galápagos Islands: – Genovesa: Bahía Darwin. – Isabela: ± 15 km N P[uer]to Villamil. – Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Research Station; Charles Darwin Research Station, Barranco, 20 m elev[ation]. – Santiago: Jaboncillo [camp], ± 850 m elev. Deposited in MHNG.

Diagnosis: Measuring 23 to 25 mm in wingspan, this pale tan species can be recognized by its slightly darker forewing costa and apex, as well as by the two small contrasting eponymous dots in the cell, with the apical slightly bigger ( Fig. 19 ). Herpetogramma phaeopteralis ( Figs 20, 21 ) is much darker and its darker markings are poorly apparent. Paler specimens of Asciodes quietalis ( Fig. 6 ) are more evenly coloured on the forewing, without darker costa and apex, their transverse lines are zigzagged, and their apical cell dot is quadrangular with the centre concolourous with the forewing background.

Biology: The larva has been recorded to feed on a wide variety of host plants in the Acanthaceae , Amaranthaceae , Araceae , Asteraceae , Brassicaceae , Chenopodiaceae , Euphorbiaceae , Fabaceae , Hydrangeaceae , Malvaceae , Poaceae , Rubiaceae , Schisandraceae , Solanaceae , Tiliaceae , Urticaceae , Zingiberaceae ( Robinson et al., 2014) . In the Galápagos the five specimens available have been collected from March until May in anthropized as well as pristine habitats from the littoral zone to about 850 m in elevation.

Distribution: Described from ‘Americae Insulis’ (American Islands) this species is widespread across the World, including Australia in warmer regions, and the Western Hemisphere from Canada and eastern USA, across the West Indies and south to Argentina ( Shaffer et al., 1996; Patterson et al., 2015; Robinson et al., 2014). It is known in the Galápagos from the islands of Genovesa, Isabela, Santa Cruz, and Santiago.

Remarks: I have identified Galápagos specimens based on specimens in the BMNH. Michael Shaffer, former curator of Pyraloidea at the BMNH, pinned a note under one specimen saying that it was conspecific with this species. The type would be in Copenhagen. female lectotype for the synonym Botys philealis Walker, 1859 , is designated with the following labels: 1- ‘47 | 9’ [recto], ‘Vene | zuela’ [verso] [circular, pale blue, hand written]; 2- ‘74. BOTYS PHILEALIS .’ [typed, folded]; 3- ‘Type’ [circular, green bordered, typed]; 4- ‘1953 | 424’ [hand written, upside down]; 5- ‘Lecto | type’ [circular, navy blue bordered, typed]; 6- ‘ LECTOTYPE | Botys | philealis | Walker | Des. B. Landry, 2000’ [hand written except for Latin name, describer, and last two zeros]’; 7- ‘B.M. Pyralidae | Genitalia slide |. 22278 ♀ ’ [typed except for female sign]; 8- LECTOTYPE | designated by |. Solis, 2009’ [typed]. paralectotype male without abdomen is also designated. The species is known as the Southern beet webworm ( Heppner, 2003).

Figures

Figs 17 - 24. Neotropical specimens of Spilomelinae, size not to scale. (17) Diaphania nitidalis ♀, Brazil, Bahía, Camacan, Res. Serra Bonita, 800 m, 8. iv. 2011, MHNG. (18) Ercta vittata ♂, Galápagos, Marchena, 12. iii. 1992, MHNG. (19) Herpetogramma bipunctalis ♂, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, CDRS, Barranco, 20 m, 30. iv. 2002, MHNG. (20, 21) Herpetogramma phaeopteralis. (20) ♂, Galápagos, Isabela, NE slope Alcedo, Los Guayabillos camp, 869 m, 2. iv. 2004, MHNG. (21) ♀, Galápagos, San Cristóbal, near La Loberia, sea level, 24. ii. 2005, MHNG. (22, 23) Hymenia perspectalis. (22) ♀, Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Los Gemelos, 4. v. 2002, MHNG. (23) ♀, same locality, 27. v. 1992, MHNG. (24) Lineodes integra ♂, Pinta, Cabo Ibbetson, 8 m, MHNG.

Figs 104 - 106. Male genitalia of Galápagos Spilomelinae, a and b from same slides, but not to scale, (a) showing the genitalia without phallus and (b), the phallus. (104) Herpetogramma bipunctalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9007, Genovesa. (105) H. phaeopteralis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8683, Fernandina. (106) Hymenia perspectalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9003, Santiago.

Figs 148 - 152. Female genitalia of Neotropical Spilomelinae, not to scale. (148) Diaphania nitidalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8960, French Guiana. (149) Ercta vittata: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9029, Galápagos, Marchena (MHNG). (150) Herpetogramma bipunctalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8685, Galápagos, Isabela. (151) H. phaeopteralis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 8684, Galápagos, Fernandina. (152) Hymenia perspectalis: slide MHNG-ENTO- 9000, Galápagos, Santa Cruz.

Figs 1 - 8. Galápagos specimens of Spilomelinae, size not to scale. (1) Agathodes designalis ♀, Isabela, Alcedo, cumbre, 1100 m, 17. iv. 2002, MHNG. (2, 3) Agathodes galapagensis. (2) ♂ holotype, MHNG. (3) ♀ paratype, Santa Cruz, transition zone, recently cut road, 12. iii. 2004, MHNG. (4 - 6) Asciodes quietalis. (4) ♀, Alcedo, NE slope, 292 m, 30. iii. 2004, MHNG. (5) ♀, Santa Cruz, transition zone, recently cut road, 12. iii. 2004, MHNG. (6) ♂, Santa Cruz, E. C. C. D., 4. iii. 1992, MHNG. (7, 8) Beebea guglielmi. (7) ♂, Santa Cruz, CDRS, 14. iv. 1975, BMNH ©, the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London. (8) ♀, Albermarle I., Cowley Mtn., 2. x. 1906, CAS.