A Revision of the North American Moths of the Superfamily Eriocranioidea with the Proposal of a New Family, Acanthopteroctetidae (Lepidoptera]
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A Revision of the North American Moths of the Superfamily Eriocranioidea with the Proposal of a New Family, Acanthopteroctetidae (Lepidoptera] DONALD R. DAVIS SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY • NUMBER 251 SERIES PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Emphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined 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 theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoo/ogy Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale monographs that report the research and collections of its various museums and bureaux or of professional colleagues in the world of science and scholarship. The publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout the world. Papers or monographs submitted for series publication are received by the Smithsonian Institution Press, subject to its own review for format and style, only through departments of the various Smithsonian museums or bureaux, where the manuscripts are given substantive review. Press requirements for manuscript and art preparation are outlined on the inside back cover. S. Dillon Ripley Secretary Smithsonian Institution SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY • NUMBER 251 A Revision of the North American Moths of the Superfamily Eriocranioidea with the Proposal of a New Family, Acanthopteroctetidae (Lepidoptera) Donald R. Davis SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS City of Washington 1978 ABSTRACT Davis, Donald R. A Revision of the North American Moths of the Super- family Eriocranioidea with the Proposal of a New Family, Acanthopteroctetidae (Lepidoptera). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 251, 131 pages, 344 figures, 3 tables, 6 maps, 1978.—The general biology, biogeography, mor- phology, and classification are reviewed for the five genera and 16 species (including one subspecies) of North American Eriocranioidea. One new genus, Neocrania; one new subgenus, Disfurcida, of Eriocraniella; nine new species, Ei'iocrania breviapex, Eriocraniella xanthocara, E. longifurcula, E. platyptera, E. variegata, E. trigona, E. falcata, Neocrania bifasciata, and Acanthopteroctetes unifascia; and one new subspecies, Eriocrania semipurpurella pacifica, are described. A new family, Acanthopteroctetidae, is proposed for the endemic North American genus, Acanthopteroctetes. The Australian-Fijian family Agathiphagidae is removed from the Eriocranioidea and placed in the new superfamily Agathiphagoidea. Distribution maps and keys are provided for all species. The larval stages for nearly half of the known Nearctic eriocraniid species are described for the first time. All stages are fully illustrated by line drawings and photographs. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION DATE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year. SERIES COVER DESIGN: The coral Montastrea cavernosa (Linnaeus). Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Davis, Donald Ray. A revision of the superfamily Eriocranioidea with the proposal of a new family, Acanthopteroc- tetidae (Lepidoptera) (Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 251) Bibliography: p. 1. Eriocraniidae. 2. Acanthopteroctetidae. 3. Insects—Classification. 4. Insects—North Amer- ica. I. Title: A revision of the superfamily Eriocranioidea ... II. Series: Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 251. QL1.S54 no. 251 [QL561.E8] 591'.08s [595.7'8] 77-24967 Contents Page Introduction 1 Biology 2 Distribution 2 Life History 4 Parasitism 5 Hosts 6 Morphology 7 Adult Morphology 10 Pupal Morphology 29 Larval Morphology 32 Abbreviations 34 Systematics and Evolution 35 Subordinal Classification 35 Family Classification 36 Generic Classification 38 Early History 41 Checklist of Nearctic Eriocranioidea 42 ERIOCRANIOIDEA 42 Key to the Nearctic Families of Eriocranioidea 44 ERIOCRANIIDAE 44 Key to the Genera of Nearctic Eriocraniidae 46 Key to the Larvae of Nearctic Eriocraniidae 47 Dyseriocrania Spuler 47 Key to the Species of Nearctic Dyseriocrania 48 D. griseocapitella (Walsingham) 48 D. auricyanea (Walsingham) 56 Eriocrania Zeller 60 Key to the Species and Subspecies of Nearctic Eriocrania 61 E. semipurpurella semipurpurella (Stephens) 61 E. s. pacifica, new subspecies 63 E. breviapex, new species 67 Eriocraniella Viette 68 Key to the Subgenera of Eriocraniella 70 Subgenus Eriocraniella Viette 70 Key to the Species of the Subgenus Eriocraniella 70 E. (£.) aurosparsella (Walsingham) 71 E. (E.) xanthocara, new species 76 E. (E.) longifurarfa, new species 81 E. (E.) platyptera, new species 85 Disfiircula, new subgenus 87 Key to the Species of the Subgenus Disfurcirfa 87 E. (D.) variegata, new species 87 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY Page E. (D.) trigona, new species 88 E. (D.) falcata, new species 90 Neocranidj new genus 92 N. bifasciata, new species 94 ACANTHOPTEROCTETIDAE, new family 95 Acanthopteroctetes Braun 96 Key to the Species of Acanthopteroctetes 96 A. tripunctata Braun 97 A. bimaculata Davis 97 A. unifascia, new species 98 Literature Cited 100 Figures 166-344 104 A Revision of the North American Moths of the Superfamily Eriocranioidea with the Proposal of a New Family, Acanthopteroctetidae (Lepidoptera) Donald R. Davis Introduction eral colleagues. The European Eriocraniidae have been superficially reviewed by such early workers The superfamily Eriocranioidea contains some of as Spuler (1910), or reviewed more recently for the most primitive elements within the order specific countries by Heath (1958, 1976) and Ra- Lepidoptera; consequently, a thorough study of its zowski (1975). members should be of considerable importance to This report marks the first in a series of investi- anyone interested in the phylogeny and systematics gations by the author on select families of North of the order. The superfamily is further interesting American leaf-mining moths. The research has been in that it is believed to represent one of the first partially supported by grants from the Smithsonian successful phyletic lines within the Lepidoptera to Research Foundation. In addition to this aid, I explore and fully utilize the leaf-mining habitat. would like to acknowledge several individuals who Largely for these reasons, it has become imperative have helped me during the course of this study by that a revision of our North American species be providing critical information or special assistance. undertaken. From the relative number of new taxa In this regard I wish to thank Dr. Robert Carlson, and information presented on the following pages, United States Department of Agriculture, Wash- it should be apparent that such an investigation ington, D.C.; Mr. John Heath, Monks Wood Ex- has been long overdue. perimental Station, Huntingdon, England; Prof. The present study represents the first attempt to Syuti Issiki, Ito City, Japan; Dr. Niels Kristensen, revise the Nearctic Eriocranioidea. Although the Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark; Dr. completion of this revision has been somewhat cur- Tosio Kumata, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, tailed by the absence of a similar treatment for the Japan; Dr. Akira Mutuura, Entomology Research Palearctic species, much information concerning Institute, Ottawa, Ontario; Dr. Paul Opler of the the Old World fauna has been derived from an Office of Endangered Species, United States Depart- examination of most of the known species as well ment of the Interior, Washington, D.C.; and Dr. as from critical data generously supplied me by sev- A. K. Zagulajev, Zoological Institute, Academy of Sciences, Lenningrad, USSR. I wish especially to ex- Donald R. Davis, Department of Entomology, National press my appreciation to Mr. Heath and Dr. Krist- Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Wash- ington, DC. 20560. ensen for assisting me with numerous inquiries re- SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY lating to this problem. Most of the line illustrations have since been synonymized, and at least two addi- in this paper were completed under contract by tional names were proposed subsequently. The Miss Ann Szymkowicz, variously assisted by me great majority of the Palearctic species are known and by the following staff artists of the Department primarily from western Europe, but at least two of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution: Miss Bi- species have been reported from northern Japan. ruta Akerbergs, Mr. Lawrence Druckenbrod, Mr. The distribution of this family in Asia is very Ambrose Nelson, and Mr. George Venable. I am poorly known because of insufficient collecting in indebted to Mr. Victor Kranz of the Smithsonian several critical areas. From the scant records pres-