I^^^^P^MJ SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 244 WASHINGTON, D.C. 1964 MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Bagworm Moths of the Western Hemisphere (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) DONALD R. DAVIS Associate Curator of Lepidoptera SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WASHINGTON, 1964 Publications of the United States National Museum The scientific publications of the United States National Museum include two series, Proceedings of the United States National Museum and United States National Museum Bulletin. In these series are published original articles and monographs dealing with the collections and work of the Museum and setting forth newly acquired facts in the fields of anthropology, biology, geology, history, and technology. Copies of each publication are distributed to libraries and scientific organizations and to specialists and others interested in the various subjects. The Proceedings, begun in 1878, are intended for the publication, in separate form, of shorter papers. These are gathered in volumes, octavo in size, with the publication date of each paper recorded in the table of contents of the volume. In the Bulletin series, the first of which was issued in 1875, appear longer, separate publications consisting of monographs (occasionally in several parts) and volumes in which are collected works on related subjects. Bulletins are either octavo or quarto in size, depending on the needs of the presentation. Since 1902, papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum have been published in the Bulletin series under the heading Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. This work forms number 244 of the Bulletin series. Frank A. Taylor Director, United States National Museum U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1964 Contents Fan Introduction 1 Review of the literature 4 Life history 7 Characters 13 Classification 18 Conclusions 23 Checklist 26 Family Psychidae 28 Species of uncertain generic position 141 Adult males known but not examined 141 Adult males unknown 146 Unidentified larval cases 156 Literature cited 159 Index 219 Bagworm Moths of the Western Hemisphere' Introduction This study is a preliminary revision of the tineoid family Psychidae of North and South America (including the West Indies). A treat- ment of such scope has been attempted only once (Gaede, 1936), and it was at best a very superficial study. Other published accounts consist mostly of original descriptions, taxonomic notes, and works treating restricted areas. As a result, the interpretations of previous authors have been erroneous in several instances; fm'thermore, a comprehensive key for the genera and species has never been attempted; thus, reliable identification of many of these insects has been virtually impossible. The purpose of the present study is to re-evaluate the decisions of earlier workers; to complete and, where necessary, to correct their conclusions; and to investigate and utilize several taxonomic criteria in order to facilitate identification and a more comprehensive under- standing of the insects presently included in this family. The members of the family Psychidae present nmiierous problems that have greatly hindered a satisfactory treatment of the group. No single factor is unique for the family, and the close interrelation of many factors make their solution no easy task. The frequency with which many of these problems are met in the Psychidae demon- strates why this family has been considered one of the most perplexing groups, taxonomically, to be fomid in the Lepidoptera. Some of the more prevalent problems encountered are: 1. The extreme convergence in superficial appearance among a majority of the species; or, conversely, the extreme lack of obvious specific differentiation. 2. The sometimes extreme variation of diagnostic features in both adults and larval cases (e.g., wing venation in certain species). 3. The rarity in collections of a majority of the known species, with the consequent necessity of founding new species on the basis of one ' Modified from a doctoral dissertation submitted to Cornell University, 1962. 1 2 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 244 or a few specimens. (Undoubtedly this lack of adult specimens results in part from the exceedingly brief period of the year during which these forms may be collected.) 4. The disappearance or unavailability of the type specimens, a fact that is all too frequently linked with the inadequacy of the original description in providing diagnostic characters that can be relied upon. 5. The lack of biological data, a factor which can be of prime im- portance in a group that displays so much structural homogeneity. (This paucity in large part may be due to the extended life cycle of the larva, a factor which hinders breeding and rearing experiments.) 6. The lack of adequate collecting data, involving not only locality (especially for types) but also the association of larval cases with their corresponding adult, a fact of paramount importance in no. 7. 7. The erection of new species solely on the larval case or on the basis of a few general statements concerning the larva and/or pupa. 8. The polyphagous feeding habit of the larva. (This sometimes facilitates the rearing of these insects but of course makes it impossible to interpret precise relationships based on host preferences.) 9. The possibility of hybridization between certain species. (Suffi- cient evidence is at present lacking to support this supposition.) Taxonomic keys and discussions of the larvae were omitted because immature stages of only a few species were available. A preliminary exammation of setal maps, noting color markings and variations, etc., revealed only a few minor divergences among some of the species; thus, it is believed that larval systematics will not profoundly modify the present classification, which is based essentially on the adult male. Future work should be concerned especially with the collecting of all stages of these insects. This work could best be done through rearings, a procedure that would provide not only an abundant series of specimens representing all stages but also would furnish material that definitely could be associated. Genetic information obtained from attempts to cross certain species and populations may be difficult to acquire but would be highly desirable. All the specimens used in this study were borrowed from the collections of the United States National Museum, the British Museum, and the sources Hsted below. The abbreviations used to indicate where the material is deposited are: AMNH—American Museum of Natural History, New York, N.Y. ANS—Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. BM—British Museum (Natural History), London, England. CAS—California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California. CM—Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. CNC—Canadian National Collections, Ottawa, Ontario. CPK— Collection of Charles P. Kimball, Sarasota, Florida. BAGWORM MOTHS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE 3 CU— Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. DEI—Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Berlin, Germany. DRD—Collection of the author, Washington, D.C. INHS—-Illinois State Natural History Survey, Urbana, Illinois. MCZ—-Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cam- bridge, Massachusetts. MSU— Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. PM—Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. RNH—Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic, Leiden, Netherlands. RWH—Collection of Ronald W. Hodges, Washington, D.C. SNG—Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft, Frankfurt, Ger- many. UM—University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. USNM—United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. ZMHU—Zoologisches Museum der Humbolt-Universitat, Berlin, Germany. ZSBS—Zoologische Sammlung der Bayerischen Staates, Mtinchen, Germany. Gross measurements were made with a standard millimeter ruler. The wing expanse was measured from the extreme apex of one wing to that of the other side. In the larval cases, only those which were mature (i.e., which contained evidence of pupal material) were meas- ured. The diameter in all instances refers to the greatest diameter observed along the length of the case. Except in those cases where specific aclaiowledgment is given, all photographs were made by the author with an Exakta VX Ila 35 mm. camera. Drawings also were executed by the author, usually with the aid of a Kenivision Micro-Projector. Illustrations of some structures (e.g., the male and female genitalia of certain species) have been included to show the similarities in these organs that may exist between different species as well as the differences. Definitions of nearly all the terms used in this study may be found in the glossary prepared by Torre-Bueno (1950). Terms relating to the male and female genitalia were in part derived from the discus- sions of Burrows (1923), Forbes (1923), and Klots (1956). Selected illustrations (figures 146-148, 310) have been labeled to show the precise application of many of the terms used in the discussions on wing venation and genitalia. The terminology used in discussing the distributions of the various species follows that of Smith (1935) and Lobeck (1948). Many individuals and several institutions together have provided assistance in making this work possible. I wish primarily to express the gratitude I feel toward Dr. Frank Morton Jones (deceased. May 1962), whose very fine collection and extensive earlier work on the North American Psychidae provided a firm basis for the present revision. In addition to his