Eudocima apta (Walker, [1858]) (Ophideres)

Vargas-Fonseca, Sergio, Correa-Carmona, Yenny, Montes-Rodriguez, Jose Mauricio, Calero-Mejia, Humberto & Zilli, Alberto, 2020, Synopsis of fruit-piercing moths of the genus Eudocima (Lepidoptera, Erebidae) from Colombia, ZooKeys 953, pp. 85-104 : 85

Eudocima apta (Walker, [1858]) (Ophideres) Fig. 2C-F

Material examined.

Colombia. Antioquia: 1♀; Medellín; 6.2518, -75.5636; Oct. 1993; N. Monsalve leg.; MFLG 46650. 1♂; same locality; Aug. 1967; R. Velez leg.; MFLG 46651. 1♂; Yarumal; vda. Corcovado, Alto de Ventanas; 7.0743, -75.4436; 2020 m; 22-26 Jun. 2015; ICN. Boyacá: 1♀; Cerinza; Parque principal; 5.9632, -72.9626; 2750 m; 31 Oct. 2014; E. Corredor leg.; UNAB. Cauca: 2♂♂, 1 ♀; Belalcazar [ Páez]; PNN Nevado del Huila, Termales, Ins. Pol. Irlanda; 2.6547, -75.9928; 2800 m; 2 Sep. 1980; C. Bohórquez leg.; light trap; ICN-80 1783, 1783, 1784. Cundinamarca: 1♀; Anapoima; Andalucía; 4.5489, -74.5352; 700 m; 14 Sep. 2009; M. Galindo leg.; entomological net; UNAB. 1♂; same locality; 670 m; 1 Nov. 2008; D. Ramirez leg.; entomological net; UNAB. 1♀; Bogotá; Barrio Quinta Ramos; 4.5775, -74.0923; 2555 m; 5 Nov. 2015; J. Rincon leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. 1♂, 1♀; Bogotá; Chapinero; 4.6097, -74.0818; 1 Nov. 1963-1 Feb. 1964; S. Restrepo leg.; MPUJ_ENT 0019402, 0019395. 1♀; Bogotá; Las Villas; 4.6097, -74.0818; 2630 m; 1 Mar. 1985; O. Ricardo leg.; MPUJ_ENT 0019406. 1♂; same locality; 8 Mar. 1985; V. Leonardo leg.; MPUJ_ENT 0019409. 1♂, 1♀; same locality; 17 Mar. 1986-17 Jun. 1988; JFLC. 1♂, 3♀♀; same locality; NHMUK. 1♂; Bogotá; U. La Salle; 4.6097, -74.0818; 17 Jun. 1977; J. Restrepo leg.; MLS 4684. 1♀; Bogotá; Univ. Nal. Col.; 4.6333, -74.0833; 2562 m; 18 Nov. 2014; Hernández leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. 1♂; same locality; 21 Apr. 2016; V. Ramirez leg.; UNAB. 1♂; same locality; 1 Nov. 2012; F. Ariza leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. 1♂; same locality; 12 Oct. 2016; Jaramillo leg.; entomological net; UNAB. 1♂; same locality; 10 Nov. 2015; L. Lemus leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. 1♂; same locality; 8 Mar. 2012; C. Peña leg.; entomological net; UNAB. 1♀; same locality; 2 Sep. 2014; A. Gamba leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. 1♀; same locality; 10 May 2012; C. Pinilla leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. 1♀; same locality; 12 Nov. 2015; A. Arevalo leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. 1♀; Bogotá; Timiza; 4.6088, -74.1554; 2600 m; 8 Jul. 2015; P. Osorio leg.; CTNI 183. 1♂; Gachalá; vda. Tunja; 4.8924, -73.5066; 1500 m; 1-3 Sep. 2015; ICN. 1♂; Mosquera; 4.7059, -74.2302; 28 Aug. 1979; N. Ruiz leg.; light trap; CTNI 222. 1♀; San Antonio del Tequendama, Santandercito; 4.6, -74.35; 1 May 1960; MPUJ_ENT 0019397. 1♂; Silvania; 4.4538, -74.3642; 140 m; 19 Nov. 2015; C. Hernández leg.; light trap; UNAB. 2♂♂, 1♀; Soacha, Km. 8, vía-Mosquera; RN Chicaque, Quebrada el Carmen; 4.5921, -74.2763; 2 Ago. 2016.; D. Cualla leg.; MPUJ_ENT 0048742, 0048765, 0048766. La Guajira: 1♂; 11.544, -72.9072; ICN. Norte de Santander: 2♀♀; Santo Domingo de Silos; Páramo de Berlin; 7.2378, -72.8103; 3171 m; 2 Jul. 2016; J. Montes leg.; hand collecting; MFLG. 1♂; same data; CTNI. Santander: 1♀; Floridablanca; 7.0622, -73.0864; 1 Sep. 1980; W. Olarte leg.; MHN-UIS. 1♂, 2♀♀; Rionegro; vda. La Paz, Finca La Esperanza; 7.3247, -73.1751; 1105 m; 5 Jul. 2016; J. Montes leg.; on Citrus sp. crop, hand collecting; CTNI. Tolima: 1♀; Armero; Hacienda El Dormilón; 4.9887, -74.8813; 180 m; 1 Oct. 2000; G. Fagua leg.; Malaise trap; MPUJ_ENT 0045647. 1♀; Melgar; vda. Aguila Media, Finca Santa Lucia; 4.1667, -74.5667; 1163 m; 4 Mar. 2012; J. Restrepo leg.; hand collecting; UNAB. Valle del Cauca: 1♀; Anchicayá; 3.6186, -76.9133; 400 m; 28 Aug. 1967; MUSENUV 14837. 1♀; same locality; 16 Jul. 1977; MUSENUV 14836. Without specific locality: 1♂; MLS 8386. 1♂; MPUJ_ENT 0019412.

Comments.

This species is easily distinguished from the other neotropical members of the genus by its circular black discal spot on the hindwings. Janzen and Hallwachs (2009) recorded larvae of E. apta as feeding on Disciphania heterophylla Barneby and Cissampelos pareira L. ( Menispermaceae ), whereas Van Bael et al. (2004) recorded in Panama Odontocarya tamoides Miers (misspelled as O. lamnoides ), also Menispermaceae , as a host plant. In Colombia, C. pareira has a wide distribution, however O. tamoides is restricted to the lowlands of the Caribbean Plain, the Pacific region and the Magdalena Valley ( Bernal et al. 2019). Adults of E. apta have been reported to affect several crops: Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck ( Rutaceae ) and genus Vitis ( Vitaceae ) in Cuba and Dominican Republic ( Robinson et al. 2010); Carica papaya L. ( Caricaceae ) in Mexico ( Hernández-Ruiz et al. 2017). Recently, it was recorded from citrus crops in Colombia ( Montes et al. 2018). It has been collected using light traps ( Brou 1994, Janzen and Hallwachs 2009).

Distribution.

Widespread in the New World, from southern United States and the Caribbean to Brazil, the South Atlantic Islands and north of Chile ( Angulo and Jana-Sáenz 1983; Brou 1994, Zilli and Hogenes 2002, Brou and Núñez 2013). Powell and Brown (1990) recorded E. apta up to an elevation of 3900 m. In Colombia, it has been recorded in several localities within the eastern cordillera and eastern slope of the central cordillera in a wide elevational range.

Remarks.

Traditionally it has been incorrectly identified as Eudocima materna (Linnaeus, 1767) (e.g., Costa Lima 1950: fig. 158). However, E. materna is distributed in the Old World. Zilli and Hogenes (2002) provided a rationale for considering E. apta as a valid species and not a synonym of E. materna .

Figures

Figure 2. Species of Eudocima fruit-piercing moths in Colombia. A, B Dorsal and ventral view of E. anguina male C, D same for E. apta female E, F same for E. apta male G, H same for E. collusoria female. Scale bars: 1 cm.