This article was downloaded by: [Michigan State University] On: 24 December 2014, At: 11:29 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Systematics and Biodiversity Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tsab20 Moths of the Neotropical genera Ischnopteris, Stegotheca and Rucana (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae) Linda M. Pitkin a a Department of Entomology , Natural History Museum , Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK E-mail: Published online: 11 Mar 2010. To cite this article: Linda M. Pitkin (2005) Moths of the Neotropical genera Ischnopteris, Stegotheca and Rucana (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae), Systematics and Biodiversity, 3:1, 13-96, DOI: 10.1017/S1477200004001616 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1477200004001616 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions Systematics and Biodiversity 3 (1): 13-96 Issued 29 April 2005 doi: 10.1017/S1477200004001616 Printed in the United Kingdom © The Natural History Museum Moths of the Neotropical genera Ischnopteris, Stegotheca and Rucana (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae) Linda M. Pitkin Department of Entomology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK Email: [email protected] submitted June 2004 accepted September 2004 Contents Abstract 13 Introduction 14 Taxonomic history of Ischnopteris, Stegotheca and Rucana 14 Structures of taxonomic note 15 Materials and methods 15 Depositories of material 16 Ischnopteris Hubner 16 Description 17 Checklist of species 46 Key to species 46 Ischnopteris fabiana species group 48 Ischnopteris chryses species group 57 Species not placed to group 63 Species excluded from Ischnopteris: 'Ischnopteris' discolor species group 77 Stegotheca Warren 80 Description 80 Checklist of species 81 Key to species 81 Species 81 Rucana Rindge 86 Description 86 Checklist of species 86 Key to species 87 Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 11:29 24 December 2014 Species 87 Acknowledgements 94 References 94 Index 95 Abstract Three closely related Neotropical genera of ennomine moths of the tribe Nacophorini are revised: Ischnopteris, Stegotheca and Rucana. These genera are all redefined, and the concepts of Stegotheca and Rucana are extended; the previously monobasic Stegotheca is markedly expanded by the inclusion of two other genera as junior synonyms: Salasaca and Canelo. In Ischnopteris 37 species are recognized, 17 of which are newly described; six species, including one newly described, are recognized in Stegotheca, and nine species, including two newly described, are recognized in Rucana. All species of these genera are described fully, and several new synonyms and other taxonomic changes are published. A vital aspect of the work is to serve as an identification guide. To this end keys to the species are provided as are illustrations of all species: the moths are illustrated in colour; genitalia and other structures are in half-tone. Information on the larvae and hostplants is given for several species of Ischnopteris, and some larvae are figured, including the larva of a new species. This study also describes highly unusual morphological modifications of some moths in these genera, which have not been previously recorded in the Geometridae. 13 14 Linda M. Pitkin Keywords Ennominae, Geometridae, hostplants, larvae, Lepidoptera, moths, Nacophorini, Neotropical region, retinacu- lum, taxonomy Introduction Although the relationships of Ischnopteris have yet to be resolved fully, some advance is made here in establishing af- The Geometridae are one of the three largest families of moths finities with certain other genera within the Nacophorini, and in number of species, and one of the chief areas of focus of so my initial study was expanded to include them in this pa- the Macrolepidoptera Research Group's programme of work per. These are Stegotheca and Rucana, smaller genera with at the Natural History Museum, London, UK (BMNH). Geo- six and nine species respectively recognised here. There are metrid moths occur worldwide but they are most diverse in some apomorphic features shared by some members of the the tropics, particularly the Neotropical region, which is home three genera, suggesting a close relationship between them. to about one-third of the species of the subfamily Ennominae. The most notable character is an enlarged retinaculum of the My recent review of the genera of Neotropical ennomine moths male fore wing, usually with a central semi-transparent 'win- (Pitkin, 2002) provided a framework for that subfamily at the dow' (see 'Structures of taxonomic note'). This is present in genus level, preparing the ground for better assessment of nearly all Ischnopteris species and in one or more species of species names and the wealth of data associated with them. each of the other two genera, but not in any other member of the The broad coverage of that study (267 genera with about Nacophorini. However, without further analysis of characters 3400 species) inevitably left tremendous scope for more de- across the entire tribe, there is insufficient evidence to determ- tailed studies, and the present work selects a few genera of ine whether or not the three genera under study constitute a Neotropical Ennominae for in-depth revision. monophyletic group. For future investigation, comparison with The genera chosen for this study, Ischnopteris Hubner, the genus Quillaca Rindge could be useful. Certain characters Stegotheca Warren, and Rucana Rindge, are members of the of Quillaca and Rucana are similar (see under 'diagnosis and Nacophorini. This tribe of mainly large and often sturdy monophyly' of Rucana), although moths of Quillaca are much ennomine moths is strongly represented in the Neotrop- larger and have distinctively modified genitalia. ics, with more than 40 genera (Pitkin, 2002). The mono- Nacophorine moths often have fairly elongate fore wings, phyly of the Nacophorini is not clearly established. Members and this is particularly marked in Ischnopteris, Stegotheca and of the tribe typically have a pair of processes in the anel- Rucana (e.g. Figs 11, 73, 82), so much so that they do not have lus of the male genitalia, which is situated usually postero- a typically geometrid moth appearance. They could even be laterally at the end of the juxta. Similar processes are mistaken for Notodontidae, except for the long slender abdo- present in the tribe Lithinini, but they are usually more men in the male sex, particularly in Ischnopteris and Rucana. slender and setose. Nacophorine processes are usually curved Like many other nacophorine moths, Ischnopteris species are and tapered from a wide base to a pointed apex, without generally fairly large geometrids (with a fore wing length of up setae, and are typically large and heavily sclerotized. How- to 29 mm), whereas those of Stegotheca and Rucana look like ever, there are exceptions to this in both tribes. For fur- smaller versions of Ischnopteris. Ischnopteris and Rucana are ther discussion of characters of both tribes see Pitkin (2002: typical nacophorines in that they have a pair of well-sclerotized pp. 133-134). The New World genera of the Nacophorini processes, which are situated postero-laterally at the end of the were revised by Rindge (1983), with the description of 19 new juxta, in the anellus of the male genitalia. These processes are genera, and have since been the subject of further research and curved, usually pointed, and not setose, and they are tapered or Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 11:29 24 December 2014 revision (e.g. by Pitkin (2002) and studies on individual genera have an extended base. Stegotheca, like several other nacophor- by Parra & Beeche (1986) and Dias (1998)). The Nacophorini ine genera, usually has the processes of the anellus secondarily are also well represented in Australia, and research on the tribe reduced or lost. Stegotheca is unusual in having a fovea in the there has been carried out by McQuillan et al. (e.g. 2001). male fore wing, a feature not known in any other genera con- Ischnopteris, Stegotheca and Rucana occur widely across firmed as belonging in the Nacophorini, although present in the Neotropics but not outside that region. Ischnopteris is the various ennomines in some other tribes. second largest genus of Neotropical nacophorines, exceeded in numbers of species only by Mallomus Blanchard. Prior to the present study, Ischnopteris comprised 34 named species Taxonomic history of Ischnopteris, (Pitkin, 2002), and I now revise that to 37 species. Ischnop- teris is a particularly significant genus because its concept Stegotheca and Rucana has been confused in the past. Many species have at times The concept of Ischnopteris has undergone enormous change been incorrectly placed in this genus and later moved to since the genus was described by Hubner in 1823.