Teracotona rhodophaea ( Walker, 1865 )

Spitsyn, Vitaly M., Spitsyna, Elizaveta A. & Bolotov, Ivan N., 2022, Life history of the African tiger moth Teracotona rhodophaea (Walker, 1865) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zootaxa 5154 (1), pp. 97-100 : 97-100

Teracotona rhodophaea ( Walker, 1865)

Figs 1A–S , 2A–B, 2E–G, 2J–L .

Material examined: 10♂, 2♀, TANZANIA: Zanzibar Island, Kiwengwa Forest , dry monsoon forest, 5°59’S, 39°21’E, 24.03– 12.04.2021, E. Spitsyna & V. Spitsyn leg.

Diagnosis: This species differs from most other Teracotona taxa by a having monochromatic scarlet hindwing with a black spot at the cell apex and without spots at the outer margin. It differs from T. submacula ( Fig. 2C–D ) by having a more elongated forewing apex, larger size, a specific valva shape (compare Fig. 2E and 2H ), and a shorter and broader uncus.

Morphology of preimaginal stages: Eggs: spherical, crème-white, glossy ( Fig. 1A ). Incubation time 4 and 10 days under an average air temperature of 30ºC and of 19–20ºC, respectively. L1: The length 1 mm at hatching and 3 mm before the first molt; head capsule brown, eyes black; ground color brown; 6–10 small verrucae with tufts of long hairs on each abdominal segment dorsally ( Fig. 1B–E ). L2: The length after molting 3–9 mm; head capsule brown; eyes black; ground color brown; coloration of 1–2 first anterior and 2–4 last posterior abdominal segments lighter than that of other segments; each segment at the middle section of the body bears 14 verrucae with long hairs ( Fig. 1F–G ). L3: The length up to 12 mm; similar to L2 but differs by larger verrucae with longer hairs; 8 to 12 verrucae per body segment ( Fig. 1H–K ). L4: The length after molting up to 17 mm; head capsule dark-brown; eyes black; ground color dark-brown or black; each body segment bears 8 to 12 large verrucae with dense tufts of long hairs; the hairs on posterior and anterior sections of the body are black; those in the middle of the body are yellow or reddish yellow ( Fig. 1L–O ). L5: The length at molting up to 23 mm; similar to L4 but differs by having larger verrucae with longer hairs ( Fig 1 P–Q ); each segment bears two white spots laterally (one from each side). L6: The length at molting up to 45 mm; looks like L5 but differs by having larger verrucae with longer hairs ( Fig 1 R–S ); each segment bears two white spots laterally (one from each side). Pupa: Total length 16–21 mm; motionless; maximum width 8–10 mm; almost entirely black or dark-brown, slightly shiny ( Fig. 2A–C ); antennae and legs weakly seen; abdominal spiracles narrow, slightly rising above the cuticular surface, with orange inner side; in a silken, loosely spun, brownish cocoon. The pupal development takes 36–76 days.

Host plant: Commelina L. ( Commelinaceae ) ( Sevastopulo 1975; Goodger and Watson 1995).

Larval host plants used in breeding experiments: In our experiment, this species accepted a wide array of host plants as follows: Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., I. purpurea (L.) Roth ( Convolvulaceae ), Lactuca sativa L., Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. , Arctium tomentosum Mill. , Tussilago farfara L., Helianthus annuus L. ( Asteraceae ), Raphanus sativus L. ( Brassicaceae ), Salix viminalis L. ( Salicaceae ), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. ( Malvaceae ), Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet, Phaseolus coccineus L., Arachis hypogaea L. ( Fabaceae ), Cucurbita pepo L., and C. maxima Duchesne (Cucurbitaceae) .

Biological observations. Female can mate twice. Female lays batches of 60– 150 eggs (up to 664 eggs per female in total). Cannibalism was recorded for 6th instar larvae, which sometimes also consume pupae.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Eggs and larvae of Teracotona rhodophaea. (A) Eggs. (B–E) First instar larvae. (F–G) Second instar larvae. (H–K) Third instar larvae. (L–O) Fourth instar larvae. (P–Q) Fifth instar larvae. (R–S) Sixth instar larvae. (Photos: Elizaveta A. Spitsyna).

FIGURE 2. Adult specimens, genitalia, and pupa of Teracotona spp. (A–B, E–G, J–L) T. rhodophaea from Zanzibar Island [coll. RMBH]: (A) male; (B) female; (E) male genitalia; (F) aedeagus; (G) female genitalia; and (J–L) pupa (ventral, dorsal, and lateral view, respectively). (C–D, H–I) T. submacula from South Africa [coll. RMBH]: (C–D) males from Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces, respectively; (H) male genitalia; and (I) aedeagus. (Photos: Elizaveta A. Spitsyna and Vitaly M. Spitsyn).