Spilosoma erythrozona (Kollar, [1844])

Spitsyn, Vitaly M., 2024, Life history and re-description of Spilosoma erythrozona (Kollar, [1844]) from Pakistan (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zootaxa 5433 (3), pp. 446-450 : 449

Spilosoma erythrozona (Kollar, [1844])

Material examined: 5♂, 1♀, PAKISTAN: Shogran , coniferous forest, h- 2341 m, 34°38’30”N, 73°27’54”E, 08– 10.viii.2022, V. Spitsyn leg.

Description. Male morphology: Wingspan 30–35 mm, forewing length 14–18 mm. Eye black. Antenna white dorsally and black ventrally. Frons white with black spots near eyes. Vertex white. Labial palpus short black and white. Thorax, patagium, and tegula white. First pair of legs: tarsus and tibia black on inner side and white on outer side; femur red on inner side and white on outer side. Second and third pairs of legs: white with black spots on inner side. Upperside of forewing white with three black points at corners of cell (sometimes point one or absent). Underside of forewing white; costal margin black; black spot (or two ones) at base of wing; black spot (or two ones) at apex of cell; sometimes black spot can be located between veins M1 and M 2 in submarginal area. Upperside of hindwing white, with series of black spots (from one to four, but usually three) in marginal area, and one round spot at apex of cell. Underside of hindwing pattern similar to that of upperside. Upperside of abdomen red, underside of it white. Each abdominal segment with large black spot dorsally, black spot laterally (sometimes it merges with upper spot into line), and two black points ventrally. Last abdominal segment black dorsally, with bunch of white scales. Segments can have white edging dorsally. Male genitalia: Tegumen large and broad. Uncus large and broad. Saccus large, wide, and rounded. Valva broad, with wide medial process and curved apical part having irregular shape. Juxta broad, with concave upper edge. Aedeagus long, with sclerotized area in apical part. Vesica with field of granulose and field of large cornuti. Female morphology: Wingspan 32–36 mm, forewing length 17–19 mm. Similar to male, without black spots near eyes and black band running along costal margin of forewing underside.

Morphology of preimaginal stages: Eggs: spherical, light green, glossy; incubation time 4–5 days. L1: Length 1 mm at hatching; head capsule dark brown; eyes black; ground color creamy; first segment has prothoracic shield with hairs medium length and six light brown verrucae with light hairs; other segments have 10–12 verrucae similar color; each verruca has one hair; large verrucae have long black hairs, length of which up to 2 mm. L2: Length after molting 3–4 mm; head capsule light brown; eyes black; ground color light green, almost creamy; each segment has 8 to 12 light verrucae with dark and light hairs; each verruca has 1 to 7 hairs; almost inconspicuous white line dorsally. L3: Length after molting 7 mm; similar to L2 but differs by having larger verrucae with more and longer hairs; white dorsal line clearer than in L2; white line laterally. L4: Length after molting up to 9 mm; head capsule dark yellow; eyes brown; dorsum dark green; sides light green; each segment has 8 to 12 large verrucae with hairs medium length; dorsal white line distinct; white spiracles on first and last segments. L5: Length after molting up to 14 mm; similar to L4 but differs by having larger verrucae; spiracles large, white, with black fringe on first and eleventh segments; spiracles fewer, white, with black fringe on other segments. L6: Length after molting 29 mm, maximum length 45 mm; ground color black; verrucae large; hairs medium length, black on first and last segments, and orange brown on other segments; spiracles white; light band and light spots laterally. Pupa: Total length 12–16 mm; maximum width 4–7 mm; brown ( Fig. 3A–C ); antennae and legs weakly seen; abdominal spiracles slightly rising above cuticular surface; in silken, loosely spun, brown cocoon. Pupal development takes 12 days.

Larval host plants used in breeding experiments: The larvae fed on three species of plants (i.e. Plantago major L. ( Plantaginaceae ), Arctium tomentosum Mill. , Taraxacum officinale (L.) ( Asteraceae )) not expressing any preference.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pupa and genitalia of Spilosoma erythrozona. (A–C) Pupa (dorsal, ventral, and lateral view, respectively). (D) Male genitalia. (F) Female genitalia.