A New Genus of Seed-Infesting Micropterygid Moths
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A New Genus of Seed-infesting Micropterygid Moths 1. J. DUMBLETON 1 THE SUPERFAMILY MICROPTERYGOIDEA con combe of the Queensland Department of stitutes the most primitive group of the Agriculture later sent me larvae and pupae of Lepidoptera. Like the other superfamily of the this species. The detailed morphology was suborder Homoneura, the Hepialoi dea, it is studied with adult material extracted from characterised, by the venation in the fore and the pupae. No success was obtained in at hind wings being almost identical. They are tempts to secure emergence of the moths of like certain Trichoptera in wing venation and the Fijian species and Brimblecombe ·was in the presence in the pupae of large func successful in obtaining emergence of the tional mandibles . The adult mouth parts Queensland species only after many years of show a gradation between the mandibulate effort. type in the Micropterygidae and the haustel The association of these insects with Kauri late type, characteristic of most Lepidoptera, pines (Agathis spp.) opens an interesting in the Mnesarchaeidae. The Micropterygidae field for research since pines of this genus are of world-wide distribution and the larvae occur from the Philippines and Indo-China are external feeders on mosses and liverworts. through the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago The Eriocraniidae are not known from the to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Eastern Southern Hemisphere and their larvae are Queensland, New Caledonia, Fiji, and New leaf miners on Betulaceae and Cupuliferae. Zealand.:The genus Agathis is regarded as The Mnesarchaeidae are confined. to New centred in Malaysia, and the Pacific repre Zealand, their larval habits being unknown. sentatives, of which Agathis oitiensis from Fiji The Neopseustidae from India and Formosa is at the easternmost limit of distribution of are also unknown in their larval habits. the genus, are regarded as of Malaysian affini In February, 1947, I received some seed of ties and derivation. It seems likely that related Agathis vitiensis, a species of Kauri pine, from micropterygoid moths will be found to be B. E. V. Parham of the Department of Agri associated with Agathiselsewhere and particu culture of Fiji, with a request that I endeavour larly in Malaysia. There is at present no evi to rear out and identify the insect with which dence of the occurrence of a related insect in they were infested. Several of the larvae the seed of the New Zealand Kauri (Agathis present pupated in September, 1948, and the australis) or in those of the Moluccas, New pupal characters established the species as a Caledonia, Borneo, and the Philippines. The micropterygoid moth. Parham also informed two species, one from Fiji and the other from me that there was a similar larva in the seed Queensland, which I describe here, present of Queensland Kauri and A. R. Brimble- points of considerable interest. The Fijian species is the first record of any microptery ISenior Entomologist, Entomological Research goid moth from it really oceanic Pacific island Station, Deparrment of Scientific and Indusrrial Re search, Nelson, New Zealand. Manuscripr received although they are recorded from Formosa. J une 18, 1951. The habit of feeding and pupating within [ 17] 18 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. VI, January, 1952 seeds has not previously been reported within micropterygid genera by the presence of two the superfamily. apical spurs on the middle tibia, the absence These two species ofmicropterygoid moths of the sensory process on the basal joint of are congeneric. The weight of evidence from the labial palp, and (except for the Australian morphological and biological sources would species of Sabatinca) the 4-segmented labial indicate that they are more nearly allied to palps. the Micropterygidae than to the Eriocrani idae and, as they do not fit existing microp Agathiphaga vitiensis n. sp. terygid genera, a new genus is created for ADULT: Forewing 4.0 mm. long, dorsally them. dark greyish-brown with fine white hairs, a light yellowish-brown patch on anal area and Agathiphaga new genus a smaller patch of similar colour distad of this ADULT: Ocelli absent; mandibles present; on the posterior margin before mid-length; labial palps 4-segmented, sensory process on ventrally dark scaled with lighter brown basal segment absent; maxillae with galea fringes. Venation as in Figure 3. Forewing present but not modified to form short with R 1 branched and CUlaarising from M a• haustellum, lacinia present, maxillary palps Lateral lobes of labrum with 3-4 setae on 5-segmented. Forewings with Sc unbranched each side. Third and fourth segments oflabial and with closed cubito-medial cell in addi palps sub-equal in length. Apical segment of tion to closed radial cell. Legs: Tibiae I with maxillary palp small, sub-globose. Male strigil at mid-length and a single short apical genitalia as in Figures 4a- r, 5a-f Forked spur; tibiae II and III with two spurs at mid median rod of female genitalia t .o mm. long. length and two apical spurs; femora I and II Tooth on ental margin of left pupal man with two small setae or spurs ' on tip. Male dible at about half-length, i.e., behind or with paired glandular processes on fifth cephalad of the external tooth. abdominal sternite. Male genitalia with claspers large, exserted and curved dorsad. SPECIMENS: Two male and three female Female genitalia eversible , terminal segment pupae obtained from larvae within seed of with single median Y-shaped rod, not Agathis oitiensis, Fiji, per B. E. V. Parham. heavily sclerotized or adapted for piercing. Holotype, male, on slide mounts deposited in PUPA: Head with four pairs of long frontal Entomology Section, Department of Agri setae; beak absent. Mandibles hypertrophied, culture, Suva, Fiji. apex truncate with scalloped edge but with out large teeth apically. Mandibles asymmetri MORPHOLOGY cal, both toothed externally but left mandible ADULT: The head capsule is strongly sclero with single tooth on non-serrate ental margin. tized and pigmented, with the exception of No strap-like process on dorsum of meso the stippled areas shown in Figure la, which and rnetathorax and first abdominal segment. bear the tufts of scales. A median epicranial All tarsi 2-clawed. No abdominal setae. suture runs from the posterior margin of the Claspers ofmale genitalia exserted and curved occiput to a point level with the antennal ~~~ . ' sockets. From the posterior third of the epi LARVA: Antennae short. Compound eyes cranial suture, a suture runs anterolaterally to absent. Apodous. Integument spinulose, setae a point behind mid-length of the inner mar very short. Internal feeders in seed of Agathis gin of the eye. The ocelli are absent. The spp. antennae are 5 mm. long and consist ofabout GENOTYPE: Agathiphaga oitiensis n. sp. Fiji. 47 segments of which the large basal one is Agathiphaga is separated from all other 0.4 mm. long. The labrum (Fig. Ib) is tri- New Micropterygid Moths- DUMBLETON 19 quite distinct tooth, with a large sensory pore basad of this and three smaller pores distad. There is a finely setose or spinulose area at the apex. The labium (Fig. Ie) has a trans o 0 verse mental plate. The labial palpi are 4 a segmented, the second segment slightly longer than the first, the third twice as long asthe second, and the fourth slightly longer than the third with a sensory groove extend ing back to mid-length. There is no finger like sensory process arising from the first segment of the palp. The hypopharynx is similar to that of Agathiphaga queenslandensis (Fig. Sb). The maxillary cardo and stipes (Fig. 2) are not clearly separated. The stipes bears mesally a sclerotized lacinia with a single dorsal seta; laterad of this is the thin leaf-like galea which is as long as the first joint of the maxillary palp. The maxillary palps are long, folded, and 5-segmented with the first, third, and fourth segments sub-equal in length, the second shorter, and the fifth small and sub-globose. The pattern on the D·IDmm. forewing is shown in Figure 3a and the vena >-------< tion of both wings in Figures 3b, e. The un d broken lines represent veins in which the FIG. 1. Agathiphaga oitiensis, structures of adult . a, Dorsal aspect of head; b, dorsal aspect of labrum ; c, epipharynx; d, external face of mandible; e, ventral view of labium. lobed, with two sensory pores on each side between the lateral and median lobes, and one large and two smaller setae on each side at mid-length of the lateral lobe. The epi pharynx (Fig. Ie) has a group of sensory pores on each side with ·scattered setae an terior to these. The clypeus or post-labrum has two sensory pores on each side. The mandibles (Fig.·Id) are present and, to the extent that the ginglymus and condyle are FIG. 2. Ventral view of maxilla and base of labium present, could be described as functional. of adult A . vitiensis. MP, Mental plate ; LAB, labium; They are reduced to a lobe or finger-like form LP" LP2, segments of labial palp ; CA, cardo ; ST, stipes; LAC, lacinia; G, galea; MXP, first segment of maxillary and bear on the external face an obsolete but palp. 20 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. VI, January, 1952 a 1·0,""", __----..J!sc RI~ _ ... ....RId a --..-":-:': ~'~-:~ " : :=~~~':.:::=<:..:~:.: .~.. ~..::=:.::.:::':;-..: ·~-:::·-;-.,>i ~M";?:: ..... ... _±_-:---:-':--_...:....--.:::,_/ M3 3A %A ' IA C.~ CuIb Cu'" m A c 8. f FIG. 3. Structures of adult A . oitiensis. a, Forewing 7. showing markings; b, venation of forewing ; c,venation of hind wing; d, pro" meso-, and metatibiae; e, first and second abdominal segments in ventral view; FIG. 4. A . oitiensis, terminal abdominal segments of f, fifth sternite of male showing glandular processes .