JERRY A. POWE A Systematic Monograph _ of New World Ethmiid , f Moths (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY NUMBER 120 SERIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION The emphasis upon publications as a means of diffusing knowledge was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In his formal plan for the Insti- tution, Joseph Henry articulated a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This keynote of basic research has been adhered to over the years in the issuance of thousands of titles in serial publications under the Smithsonian imprint, com- mencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Annals of Flight Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes original articles and monographs dealing with the research and collections of its several museums and offices and of profes- sional colleagues at other institutions of learning. These papers report newly acquired facts, synoptic interpretations of data, or original theory in specialized fields. These publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, laboratories, and other in- terested institutions and specialists throughout the world. Individual copies may be obtained from the Smithsonian Institution Press as long as stocks are available. S. DILLON RIPLEY Secretary Smithsonian Institution SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY NUMBER 120 jerry A. Powell A Systematic Monograph of New World Ethmiid Moths (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS CITY OF WASHINGTON ABSTRACT Powell, Jerry A. A Systematic Monograph of New World Ethmiid Moths (Lepi- doptera: Gelechioidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 120, 302 pages, 294 figures, 22 plates, 68 maps, 1973.—The family Ethmiidae is repre- sented in the Americas by 133 species, or about half the world fauna. A classifi- cation is proposed, based on correlation of a traditional biosystematic approach with a numerical phenetic analysis of adult characters. The 133 species are assigned to 3 previously existing genera; 49 species are described as new, 11 from Nearctic North America, 4 from the West Indies, 25 from Neotropical Mexico and Central America, and 9 from South America. Keys to the species are pro- vided, based on external features of the moths. Literature synonymy, descriptions of morphological aspects, type data, geographical ranges, and flight periods are given for each species. All knowledge of geographical distribution patterns, be- havior and biology, and morphology of the larva, pupa, and adult of the world ethmiid fauna is analyzed in development of speculation concerning the sys- tematic position and phylogenetic relationships of these moths (see summary at end of text). Official publication date is handstarnped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Powell, Jerry A. A systematic monograph of New World Ethmiid moths. (Smithsonian contributions to zoology, no. 120) Bibliography: p. I. Ethmiidae. 2. Moths—America. 3. Lepidoptcra—America. I. Title. II. Series: Smith- sonian Institution. Smithsonian contributions to zoology, no. 120. QL1.S54 no. 120 [QL561.E85] 591.08S [595.7'81] 72-13716 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Goverment Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 Price S3.85 domestic postpaid or $3.50 GPO Bookstore Contents Page Introduction 1 Acknowledgments 2 Taxonomy 4 Nomenclatural Review 4 Materials and Descriptive Methods 6 Evaluation of Taxonomic Characters 7 Taxonomic Procedures 13 Results, Discussion, and Taxa 17 Systematic Position of the Ethmiidae 22 Biology 29 Host-Plant Relationships 30 Seasonal Life History 33 Adult 34 Egg 37 Larva 38 Pupa 40 Natural Enemies 41 Geographical Distribution 42 Worldwide Fauna 42 New World Fauna 42 Phylogeny 53 Systematic Treatment 54 Family Ethmiidae 54 Pyramidobela 55 Ethmia 61 Section I 69 The Albitogata Group 69 The Charybdis Group 80 The Semilugens Group . 81 The Papiella Group 95 The Macelhosiella Group . 97 The Piperella Group ... 101 The Bipunctella Group 102 The Hagenella Group 108 The Kirbyi Group 113 The Mulleri Group . 121 The Cypraeella Group 122 The Exornata Group 144 The Notatella Group 150 Section II 159 The Baliostola Group 159 The Confusella Group . 162 The Longimaculella Group 171 The Conglobata Group 185 iii iV S\fITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY Page Systematic Treatment—Continued Ethmia—Continued Section II—Continued The Cyanea Group 186 The Gigantea Group 187 The Trifurcella Group . 188 The Prattiella Group 209 The Joviella Group 210 The Hammella Group . 212 The Punctessa Group . 213 Pseudethmia 215 Systematic List of New World Ethmiidae . 216 Summary 218 Literature Cited 220 Illustrations 226 Index 299 jerry A. Powell A Systematic Monograph of New World Ethmiid Moths (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) Introduction morphological development for the New World fauna. The Ethmikiae are a family of small to moderate- This study had its origin in early 1959, when in sized moths that is of worldwide distribution, con- attempting to identify some small collections from sisting of some 250 described species. The group California and Mexico, I found that little had been occurs in all faunal realms, reaching its greatest recorded about geographical distributions of the diversity in the northern Neotropical region. In previously described species and almost nothing general ethmiids occupy areas of seasonal drought was known of their biologies. A preliminary re- and are dependent upon plants of the large family port giving some of this information and describ- Boraginaceae and to a lesser extent the Hydro- ing three new species was published (Powell, 1959). phyllaceae, a much smaller family that is restricted However, no sooner was that manuscript prepared primarily to North America. than I collected another new species near my home As presently denned the New World fauna of in central California, one of the best sampled areas Ethmiidae is composed of 133 species in 3 genera, for insects in the western United States. This, to- of which 49 species are described as new. The state gether with collections made the following year, of knowledge is thought to be relatively complete led me to propose a California insect survey bulle- for the Nearctic, with only about 9 species having tin project on ethmiids in 1961, and I began to been collected for the first time during the past 15 investigate the distribution and biologies of sev- years and with something known of the biologies eral species in detail. The following year I studied of about half the species. By contrast, the picture at eastern North American museums to assess west- in Neotropical Mexico and Central America is less ern material and to survey the Neotropical fauna well defined with many new forms having been in order to gain some appreciation of an overall discovered during the past decade and with little classification of the group. Unexpectedly, I found information available on biologies. The South that nearly all of the previously described species American fauna is incompletely known; any sizable were recognizable at the National Museum of collection from any place other than the extreme Natural History, through Busck types, Walsingham northern perimeter can be expected to include ad- material from the Biologia Centrali-Americana proj- ditional undescribed species. ect, and through illustrations of Meyrick types which No previous classification has been proposed for were then in preparation for publication (Clarke, the Neotropical ethmiids that comprise the center 1965) and were made available to me by Dr. Clarke. of diversity, both in numbers of species and in There were only about 45 species described from the Neotropical region, mostly known only from few specimens, and a classification of all New /. A. Powell, Department of Entomology and Parasitology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720. World species thus seemed practical at that time. 1 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY Through Walker paratypes and photographs tails and techniques involved are reported else- sent from the British Museum, the few remaining where (Powell, 1971), and the information is species were nearly all incorporated, and a review summarized in the present report. In general only was essentially completed by the end of 1963. the flight period, given as months of capture, and At about that time, however, there began a series the food plant, where known, are reported in the of expeditions to Mexico, Central America, and systematic treatments of individual species. Further northern South America that emphasized collec- biological information is summarized in the intro- tion of smaller moths; these were primarily by the ductory biological section. Biological data from Duckworths, Flint, Spangler, and others of the the literature for the American species has been Smithsonian Institution, and by Chemsak, myself, thoroughly treated, while that concerning