Crambidae of Aldabra Atoll (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea).

Authors

  • J. C. Shaffer
  • E. Munroe

Keywords:

Acentropinae, Achyra, Africa, Alytana ngen, Autocharis, Autocharis discalis nsp, Autocharis linealis nsp, biodiversity, biology, Bocchoris, Botys, Chabulina ngen, Chrysocatharylla, Cirrhochrista, Condylorrhiza, Crambinae, Crocidolomia, Cybalomiinae, Diaphania, Diasemiopsis, Diastictis, distribution, Duponchelia, Ethiopian, Eurrhyparodes, Evergestinae, expeditions, Glaphyriinae, Glyphodella ngen, Hellula, Herpetogramma, Herpetogramma continualis nsp, Herpetogramma juba nsp, Hodebertia, hostplants, Hydrocampa, Hymenia, Hymenoptychis, Isocentris, Legradnellus ngen, Lirabotys ngen, Madagascar, Marasmia, Metasia, Microgeshna ngen, Nausinoella ngen, Noorda, Noordinae, Notarcha, Notarcha digitalis nsp, Nymphulinae, Odontiinae, Omiodes, Ommatobotys ngen, Orphanostigma, Pagyda, Palpita, Parapoynx, Pardomima, Pessocosma, Pioneabathra ngen, Platamonina nname, Poliobotys ngen, Pyralidae, Pyrausta, Pyraustinae, Salbia, Schoenobiinae, Scirpophaga, Seychelles, South Africa, Spilomelinae, Spoladea, Stemorrhages, Stenochora, Sulawesi, Synclera, Synclera seychellensis nsp, taxonomy, Thyridiphora, zoogeography

Abstract

The Family Crambidae is represented on the western Indian Ocean atoll of Aldabra by 9 subfamilies of 44 genera and 49 species. Ten genera (typespecies indicated) are described as new: Lirabotys n. gen. (liralis Legrand); Pioneabathra n. gen. (olesialis Walker); Legrandellus n. gen. (fuscolarosalis Legrand); Microgeshna n. gen. (laportei Legrand); Ommatobotys n. gen. (ommatalis Hampson); Poliobotys n. gen. (ablactalis Walker); Nausinoella n. gen. (aphrospila Meyrick); Glyphodella n. gen. (savyalis Legrand); Chabulina n. gen. (putrisalis Viette); and Alytana n. gen. (aldabralis Viette). Six species: Autocharis linealis n. sp., A. discalis n. sp., Notarcha digitalis n. sp., Synclera seychellensis n. sp., Herpetogramma juba n. sp., and H. continualis n. sp., are newly described. There are 15 new combinations of Aldabra species and one species, Alytana aldabralis, is elevated from subspecific to full species rank. Platamonina is proposed as a replacement name for the preoccupied Platamonia Lederer, 1863. The American species Salbia haemorrhoidalis Guenée, 1854, is transferred to Orphanostigma. TheAfrican Noorda ecthoemata Hampson and the Malagasian N. seyrigalis Marion and Viette are transferred to Autocharis. Two South African species, Botys prolausalis Walker and Pyrausta rufitincta Hampson, are transferred to Lirabotys. The South African Bocchoris flavibrunnea Hampson and the Malagasian Diasticlis vadonalis Viette are transferred to Glyphodella. Hydrocampa tenera Butler, described from Sulawesi, is transferred to Chabulina. Eurrhyparodes abnegatalis (Walker), formerly a junior synonym of E. tricoloralis (Teller), is reinstated as a separate species with E. confusalis (Warren) as a junior synonym. Nine species (18.4%) and 1 subspecies are endemic to Aldabra, and a total of 12 species (24.5%) are endemic to the Aldabra Group (Aldabra, Assumption, Astove, Cosmoledo) of atolls. Relationships of nonendemic species are 38.8% Cosmopolitan or Paleotropical, 30.6% Ethiopian, 4.1% Western Indian Ocean, and 2.0% Oriental. All taxa are characterized and detailed descriptions are given for most of them, including all new genera and species. Keys are provided to subfamilies, genera, and species. Adult moths and genitalia of both sexes (where known) are illustrated for all species, and representative wing venation drawings are included for all genera. Geographic distributions, host data, and disposition of type-specimens are given to the extent known, and synonymies are provided for included genera and species. Zoogeographic and phylogenetic relationships of included taxa are discussed where sufficiently known.

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Published

2003-11-01