Autosticha pelodes (MEYRICK, 1883)

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 : 348

Autosticha pelodes (MEYRICK, 1883)

Description (plate 1: figs 1–4): Wingspan: 13,5–17 mm.

This species was not yet known from Reunion and Africa. Six specimens were collected and examined: La Réunion, La Possession, alt. 400 m, 03-v-2015, 14-xi-2015 (slide RE-2247, female) , 25-i-2016 (slide RE-2379, male) , 15-ii-2016, 09-vii-2016 and 15-x-2016. Three of the collected specimen were deposited in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands in July 2016 . Other specimens recorded but not collected: 09-iv-2013, 26-viii-2014, 14-x-2014, 18-x-2014, 21-x-2014.

Distribution: distributed by men, known from Java, Celebes, New Hebrides, Samoa, Austral islands, Marquesas, Hawaii (ZIMMERMANN, 1978), New Caledonia. New record for La Réunion.

Hostplants: decaying vegetable matter, including sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L., Poaceae ), palm fronds, Ipomoea capsules, dead twigs and sticks of Araucaria , Lantana and Ricinus .

Remarks: This species was illustrated by ZIMMERMAN (1978, pp. 1797–1801), including male & female genitalia, wing venations and larvae.