Lantanophaga pusillidactylus (Walker, 1864)

Matthews, Deborah L., Miller, Jacqueline Y., Simon, Mark J. & Goss, Gary J., 2019, Additions to the plume moth fauna of The Bahamas (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) with description of four new species, Insecta Mundi 708 (708), pp. 1-35 : 3-4

Lantanophaga pusillidactylus (Walker, 1864)

Fig. 3 , 26a, b , 38

Diagnosis. Overall wing patterns are very similar to Stenoptilodes brevipennis (Zeller) , Stenoptilodes taprobanes (Felder and Rogenhofer) , and Postplatyptilia flinti Gielis , with brown and gray patterned forewings, a costal triangle at the cleft base, and the termen of the forewing second lobe appearing scalloped with a trilobed margin formed from clusters of fuscous spatulate scales in the fringes ( Fig. 3 ). Distinguished from these species by the smaller wing expanse (≤ 11 mm) in Bahamas populations and by having fuscous patches laterally on the fourth abdominal segment. The male genitalia ( Fig. 26a, b ) are characterized by an elongate, distally projecting, forked saccus ( Fig. 26a ). Female genitalia with paired sigmoid signa, posteriorly placed within corpus bursae ( Fig. 38 ).

Pinned material examined. BAHAMAS: Abaco: Central Abaco, E side of S.C. Bolle Hwy., 3 mi. S of Treasure Cay Rd. , 26.656294°, −77.306661°, 2.x.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, RMR (1 ♀) ; South Abaco, Schooner Bay Institute, 26.161333°, −77.187667°, 31.v.2016, DLM, JYM, MJS, GJG, adults perching or flying near flowers of Lantana involucrata (3 ♀) ; same data except 4.vi.2016 (1 ♀) ; Schooner Bay , coppice trail, 26.167000°, −77.181167°, 30.x.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, RMR (10 ♀, slide DM 2155) ; Cat Island: vic. Dumfries , 2 mi. SE of Arthur’s Town Airport, 24.603249°, −75.643619°, 24.vi.2014, DLM, JYM, GJG, MJS (1 ♀) ; vic. Ocean Dream Resort , E of Smith Town, 24.232273°, −75.454536°, 23.vi.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, GJG (1 ♀) ; N of Old Bight Settlement / E of Moss Town , 24.244333°, −75.379667°, 21.vi.2014, emerged 23.vi.2014, ex. flowers of L. involucrata , DLM, JYM, MJS, GJG (1 ♂) ; SE of Old Bight Settle- ment, 1.46 mi. from Queen’s Hwy. on road to Port Howe , 24.222603°, −75.364922°, 22.vi.2014, flying around L. involucrata , DLM, JYM, GJG, MJS (4 ♀) ; SE of Old Bight Settlement, 2 mi. from Queen’s Hwy. on road to Port Howe , 24.220000°, −75.355500°, 25.vi.2014, DLM, JYM, GJG, MJS (3 ♀) ; Crooked Island: Pittstown Point , 22.831211°, −74.348717°, 7.vi.2013, MJS, GJG, at light (1 ♀) ; same data except 8.vi.2013 (1 ♀) ; Eleuthera Island: Leon Levy Native Plant Pres. , 25.187667°, −76.212833°, 27.vi.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, GJG, P. DeLuca, F. Cartwright, E. Fried (3 ♂, 4 ♀) ; same data, ex. L. involucrata (2 ♂) ; 1.4 mi. N of Rock Sound Airport , 24.912834°, −76.166422°, 28.vi.2014, DLM, MJS, JYM, GJG, (1 ♂, 2 ♀) ; Grand Bahama Island: Lucayan National Park, S of Grand Bahama Hwy. , 26.602538°, −78.400230°, 25.x.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, RMR, ex. flowers of Lantana involucrata (1 ♀) ; vic. Barbary Beach , 26.558526°, −78.536983°, 26.x.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, RMR (2 ♀) ; Great Exuma Island: 0.8 mi. SW of Farmer’s Hill, Palm Rd. & Sea View Dr. , 23.579202°, −75.929259°, 23.v.2014, flowers of L. involucrata , DLM, JYM, GJG, MJS (1 ♂) ; vic. Rolleville , 23.661833°, −75.987333°, 25.v.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, GJG (2 ♀) ; New Providence Island: Adventure Learning Center Zoo off Marshall Rd. , 25.004472°, −77.353807°, 10.iv.2014, M. Mundle, DLM, JYM (1 ♂) ; W Bay St. & Indigo Dr., Orange Hill Inn , 25.065248°, −77.457152°, 9.vi.2018, DLM (4 ♀) ; San Salvador Island: Gerace Research Centre, Alfred Pike Trail , 24.117166°, −74.463864°, 23.vii.2015, DLM, TAL, R.W. Portell (1 ♂, 3 ♀); same loca- tion, 10.vi.2018, DLM, JYM (2 ♀) ; same data except, netted on vegetation, DLM (2 ♀) ; Gerace Research Centre, vic. Water Tanks , 24.117589°, −74.465207°, 22.vi.2015, DLM, TAL, R.W. Portell (1 ♂, 2 ♀) ; same location, 11.vi.2018 JYM, DLM (1 ♀) ; 0.25 mi. W of Gerace Research Centre , 24.119145°, −74.469955°, 25.vii.2015, DLM, TAL, R.W. Portell (2 ♂, slide DM 2161, 2 ♀) ; South Andros Island: Kemp’s Bay Settlement, vic. Nathan’s Lodge , 24.019937°, −77.531602°, 31.iii.2014, ex. flowers of L. involucrata , DLM, JYM, MJS, RMR (2 ♂) .

Preserved material examined. BAHAMAS: Eleuthera Island: Leon Levy Native Plant Pres. , 25.187667°, −76.212833°, 27.vi.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, GJG, P. DeLuca, F. Cartwright, E. Fried, on flowers of Lantana involucrata (1 P); lighthouse point, 24.616414°, −76.146781°, 29.vi.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, GJG, P. DeLuca, F. Cartwright, E. Fried, on flowers of L. involucrata (4 L, 2 P) ; Great Exuma Island: 0.8 mi. SW of Farmer’s Hill, Palm Rd. & Sea View Dr. , 23.579202°, −75.929259°, 23.v.2014, DLM, JYM, GJG, MJS, on flowers of L. involucrata (3 L, 1 P, 3 PC) ; New Providence Island: Adventure Learning Center Camp off Marshall Rd. , 25.005093°, −77.358966°, 9.iv.2014, DLM, JYM, M. Mundle, on flowers of L. involucrata (3 L, 2 P, 1 PC) ; South Andros Island: Kemp’s Bay Settlement, vic. Nathan’s Lodge , 24.019937°, −77.531602°, 31.iii.2014, DLM, JYM, MJS, RMR, on flowers of L. involucrata (16 L, 21 P, 1 PC) .

Life history. Larvae feed and pupate within the flower clusters of species of Lantana L.. There are seven species of Lantana recorded from the Bahamas ( Correll and Correll 1982), all of which are likely used by this moth. Adults and larvae were collected in association with Lantana involucrata L. and L. demutata Millsp. , though the two species were easily confused in the field.

Distribution. Known from all faunal regions, generally tropical though extending into southern temperate regions. This species was introduced to Hawaii from Mexico as early as 1902 for biological control of Lantana camara ( Koebele 1924; Perkins 1924). Though not considered a serious pest, it is easily spread through transport of ornamental varieties of Lantana . In The Bahamas, it has been collected on all the major islands sampled except North Andros, Mayaguana, and Inagua, though it most likely occurs throughout the archipelago. Larger specimens, with a wing expanse of up to 18 mm ( Greece), have been encountered outside of The Bahamas (C. Gielis, pers. comm.).

Figures

Figures 2–9. Bahamas Pterophoridae pinned adults. 2) Lioptilodes albistriolatus ♀, Cat Island, 23.vi.2014. 3) Lantanophaga pusillidactylus ♂, South Andros Island, 31.iii.2014. 4) Postplatyptilia flinti ♀, Grand Bahama Island. 5) Stenoptilodes brevipennis ♀, Grand Bahama Island. 6) Stenoptilodes taprobanes ♀, Abaco. 7) Michaelophorus salensis Matthews, new species, ♀, holotype, Great Inagua, 24–25.vii.2014. 8) Sphenarches anisodactylus ♀, New Providence Island. 9) Megalorhipida leucodactylus ♀, San Salvador Island, 23.vii.2015. Scale line below each name equals 1 mm.

Figures 25–28. Bahamas Pterophoridae male genitalia. 25a) Lioptilodes albistriolatus, slide DM 2159. 25b) phallus, same individual. 26a) Lantanophaga pusillidactylus, slide DM 2161. 26b) phallus, same individual. 27a) Postplatyptilia flinti, slide DM 2099. 27b) phallus, same individual. 28a) Stenoptilodes brevipennis, slide DM 2101. 28b) phallus, same individual.

Figures 37–42. Bahamas Pterophoridae female genitalia. 37) Lioptilodes albistriolatus, slide DM 2150. 38) Lantanophaga pusillidactylus, slide DM 2155. 39) Stenoptilodes taprobanes, slide DM 2157. 40) Stenoptilodes brevipennis, slide DM 2156.41) Postplatyptilia flinti, slide DM 2100. 42) Megalorhipida leucodactylus, slide DM 2154.