Exelastis pumilio (Zeller, 1873)

Matthews, Miller, Jacqueline Y., Mark & Goss, Gary, 2012, Observations of plume moths on North Andros Island, Bahamas, and notes on new records and species previously recorded from the Bahamas (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (236), pp. 1-12 : 5

Exelastis pumilio (Zeller, 1873)

Fig. 2d

Material Examined. Bahamas: North Andros, Captain Bill’s Blue Hole, 24.742046°, -77.862031°, 29.x.2011, at MVL, D. Matthews, J. Miller, M. Simon, G. Goss (1 female) [ MGCL].

Diagnosis. Wingspan 10.5–17.5 mm. This species is recognized by the caramel to grayish brown dorsal ground color of the wings with a contrasting pale buff metathorax and upper abdominal segments. Small dark scale tufts are present along the termen of both forewing lobes along with three or four scale clusters mixed within the fringes of the forewing anal margin. Scale tufts or “teeth” are absent on the hindwing.

Life History. Members of the genus are associated with hosts of the plant family Fabaceae . The larvae of this species are covered with both primary and secondary setae and variable in color, ranging from purplish-red to green depending on the plant parts consumed. Descriptions of the larvae and pupae are available in Matthews et al. (1994) and Matthews (2006). Several leguminous hosts are known, but the most common are Desmodium incanum DC. and D. tortuosum (Sw.) DC. Both occur in the Bahamas ( Correll and Correll 1982, Nickrent et al. 1988) but the former is listed under the synonym D. canum (G. F. Gmel.) Schinz et Thell. Larvae were not collected on North Andros but D. incanum was notably abundant as a lawn forb in the Stafford Creek area.

Distribution. This species is known from both the Old and New World tropics but not previously re- ported in the Bahamas. In the United States, it occurs primarily in the southeastern region, occurring as far west as Texas and north along the coast into New Jersey. In the West Indies it is known from Barbados, Cuba, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Vincent. Comments. The diagnostic dark scale tufts of the forewing are present but difficult to distinguish on the right forewing of the North Andros specimen ( Fig. 2d ). A Florida specimen with more complete scaling is illustrated by Matthews and Landry (2008).

Figures

Figure 2. Pterophoridae from North Andros Island: a) Lioptilodes albistriolatus; b) Stenoptilodes brevipennis; c) Sphenarches anisodactylus; d) Exelastis pumilio; e) Adaina perplexus; f) A. sp.