SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 256 Cactus-Feeding Insects and Mites JOHN MANN Director ^ The Alan Fletcher Research Station Queensland Depart?ne7it of Lands Australia SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS WASHINGTON, D.C. 1969 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 ardcles and monographs dealing with the collections and work of the Museum and setting forth newly acquired facts in the field 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 1 902, 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 256 of the Bulletin series. Frank A. Taylor Director, United States NationaiMuseum U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1969 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.G. 20402 - Price $1.25 (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Introduction 1 Checklists 9 Insects and Mites Feeding on Cactus 9 Insects 9 Mites 12 Scavengers Feeding on Cactus 12 Predators on Dactylopius Species 12 Parasites of Cactus Insects 13 Cactaceae and Their Associated Insects and Mites 15 Lepidoptera 29 Lepidoptera: Phycitidae 29 Laetilia Ragonot 30 Laetilia coccidivora (Comstock) 30 Melitara Walker 30 Melitara prodenialis Walker 31 Melitara dentata (Grote) 32 Melitara doddalis Dyar 33 Melitara Walker, sp 35 Olycella Dyar 37 Olycella junctolineella (Hulst) 38 Olycella nephelepasa (Dyar) 39 Olycella subumbrella (Dyar) 40 Olyca Walker 41 Olyca phryganoides Walker 42 Alberada Heinrich 42 Alberada parabates (Dyar) 42 Alberada holochlora (Dyar) 43 Nanaia Heinrich 44 Nanaia substituta Heinrich 44 Nanaia Heinrich, sp 44 Cactoblastis Ragonot 44 Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) 45 Cactoblastis doddi Heinrich 49 Cactoblastis mundelli Heinrich 52 Cactoblastis bucyrus Dyar 52 Cahela Heinrich 52 Cahela ponderosella (Barnes & McDunnough) 52 Rumatha Heinrich 54 Rumatha glaucatella (Hulst) 54 Rumatha polingella (Dyar) 54 V VI CONTENTS Lepidoptera: Phycitidae—Continued Page Yosemitia Ragonot 55 Yosemida graciella (Hulst) 55 Yosemitia longipennella (Hulst) 55 Tucumania Dyar 56 Tucumania tapiacola Dyar 56 Tucumania porrecta Dyar 61 Eremberga Heinrich 61 Eremberga leuconips (Dyar) 62 Salambona Heinrich 62 Salambona analamprella (Dyar) 62 Sigelgaita Heinrich 63 Sigelgaita chilensis Heinrich 63 Sigelgaita huanucensis Heinrich 64 Sigelgaita transilis Heinrich 64 Amalfrida Heinrich 64 Araalfrida leithclla (Dyar) 64 Ozamia Ragonot 65 Ozamia lucidalia (Walker) 65 Ozamia fuscomaculella (Wright) 65 Ozamia fuscomaculella clarefacta Dyar 66 Ozamia thalassophila Dyar 69 Ozamia immorella (Dyar) 69 Ozamia stigmaferella Dyar 69 Ozamia hemilutella Dyar 70 Ozamia punicans Heinrich 70 Cactobrosis Dyar 71 Cactobrosis fernaldialis (Hulst) 71 Cactobrosis strigalis (Barnes & McDunnough) 72 Miscellaneous Phycitidae 72 Lepidoptera: Pyralidae 74 Beebea Schaus 74 Beebea guglielmi Schaus 74 Lepidoptera: Pyraustidae 75 Megastes Guen6e 75 Megastes cyclades (Druce) 75 Noctuelia Guen6e 78 Noctuelia elautalis Grote 78 Mimorista Warren 80 Mimorista flavidissimalis (Grote) 80 Mimorista pulchellalis (Dyar) 82 Mimorista Warren, sp 82 Chrysobatys Munroe 83 Chrysobatys cambogialis (Guen6e) 83 Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae 83 Metapleura Busck 83 Metapleura potosi Busck 83 CONTENTS VII Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae—Continued Page Aerotypia Walsingham 84 Aerotypia pleurotella Walsingham 84 Lepidoptera: Tineidae 85 Dyotopasta Busck 85 Dyotopasta yumaella Kearfott 85 Tinea Linnaeus, sp 85 Lepidoptera: Gracilariidae 86 Marmara Clemens 86 Marmara opuntiella Busck 86 LEPmoPTERA: Miscellaneous Species 86 Blastobasis Zeiler, sp. (Blastobasidae) 86 Thecla melanis Drury 86 Lepidoptera species undetermined 87 COLEOPTERA 87 Coleoptera: Cerambycidae 87 Alcidion Dejean 87 Alcidion cereicola Fisher 88 Coenopaeus Horn 88 Coenopaeus palmeri (LeConte) 88 Archlagocheirus Dillon 89 Archlagocheirus funestus (Thomson) 89 Parmenosoma Schaeffer 91 Parmenosoma griseum Schaeffer 91 Moneilema Say 91 Moneilema ulkei Horn 93 Moneilema variolare Thomson 95 Moneilema rugosipennis Fisher 97 Moneilema armata LeConte 97 Moneilema laevigata Bland 98 Moneilema gigas LeConte 99 Moneilema pollens Casey 100 Moneilema pimalis Casey 100 Moneilema spoliata Horn 100 Moneilema obtusa LeConte 100 Moneilema appressa LeConte 101 Moneilema corrugans Casey 101 Moneilema annulata Say 101 Moneilema nigriventris Fisher 102 Moneilema crassa LeConte 102 Moneilema aterrima Fisher 102 Moneilema blapsides Newman 102 Moneilema crassipes Fisher 103 Moneilema opuntiae Fisher 103 Moneilema vittata Fisher 103 Moneilema mexicana Fisher 1 03 Moneilema ebenina Bates 103 VIII CONTENTS Coleoptera: Cerambycidae—Continued Moneilema Say—Continued Page Moneilema punctipennis Fisher 103 Moneilema mundelli Fisher 103 Moneilema albopicta White 104 Coleoptera: Curculionidae 104 Huarucus Marshall 104 Huarucus cacti Marshall 1 04 Onychobaris LeConte 105 Onychobaris mystica Casey 105 Cylindrocopturus Heller 105 Cylindrocopturus biradiatus Champion 105 Gerstaeckeria Champion 105 Gerstaeckeria clathrata (LeConte) 106 Gerstaeckeria doddi Fisher 106 Gerstaeckeria porosa (LeConte) 106 Gerstaeckeria hubbardi (LeConte) 107 Gerstaeckeria nobilis (LeConte) 107 Gerstaeckeria basalis (LeConte) 108 Gerstaeckeria cactophaga (Pierce) 108 Gerstaeckeria elegans Fisher 108 Gerstaeckeria unicolor (Fisher) 108 Gerstaeckeria cubaecola (Fisher) 108 Gerstaeckeria insulana (Fisher) 108 Cactophagus LeConte 109 Cactophagus spinolae (Gyllenhal) 109 Cactophagus spinolae var. validus LeConte Ill Cactophagus spinolae var. rubroniger Fisher 112 Cactophagus fahraei (Gyllenhal) 112 Cactophagus striatoforatus (Gyllenhal) 112 Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae 112 Disonycha Chevrolat 112 Disonycha varicornis Horn 112 Chrysomelidae species undetermined 113 Coleoptera: Anobiidae 113 Tricorynus Waterhouse, spp 113 Coleoptera: Buprestidae 113 DiPTERA 114 Diptera: Cecidomyiidae 114 Asphondylia Loew 114 Asphondylia opuntiae Felt 115 Cecidomyia Meigen 1 22 Cecidomyia opuntiae (Felt) 122 Mayetiola Keiffer 122 Mayetiola KeifTer, species A 122 Mayetiola Keiffer, species B 122 Mayetiola Keiffer, species C 123 Neolasioptera Felt, sp 123 CONTENTS IX Page Diptera: Lonchaeldae 123 Lonchaea Fallen 123 Lonchaea alexanderi Br^thes 123 Dasiops Rondani 124 Dasiops saltana (Townsend) 124 Hymenoptera: Ghalcididae 124 Torymus Dalman 124 Torymus bifasciipennis (Gahan) 124 Rileya Ashmead 125 Rileya opuntiae Gahan 125 Heteroptera: Coreidae 125 Chelinidea Uhler 125 Ghelinidea tabulata (Burmeister) 128 Chelinidea canyona Hamlin 129 Chelinidea hunteri Hamlin 131 Chelinidea vittiger Uhler 131 Narnia StSl 133 Narnia pallidicornis Stal 134 Narnia snowi Van Duzee 135 Narnia femorata StSl 136 Leptoglossus Guerin-Meneville 136 Leptoglossus dentatus Berg 136 Leptoglossus cinctus (Herrich-Schaeffer) 136 Leptoglossus condor (Walker) 137 Leptoglossus subauratus Distant 137 Leptoglossus Guerin-Meneville, sp 137 Heteroptera: Capsidae 137 Hesperolabops Kirk 137 Hesperolabops picta Hunter, Pratt & Mitchell 137 Homoptera 137 Homoptera: Coccidae 138 Dactylopius Costa 1 38 Cochineal Insects: History 138 Forms Recognized 139 Undetermined Species 140 Host Specificity 141 Enemies 141 Habits and Life History 143 Generations 144 Effect on Host Plant 145 Dactylopius coccus Costa 146 Dactylopius opuntiae Lichtenstein 146 Dactylopius confusus Cockerell 147 Dactylopius sp. near confusus Cockerell 148 Dactylopius ceylonicus Green 148 Dactylopius newsteadi Cockerell 149 X CONTENTS Homoptera: Coccidae—Continued Page Diplacaspis Jacobson 1 50 Diplacaspis echinocacti (Bouch6) 150 Acarina: Tetranychidae 151 Tetranychus Dufour 151 Tetranychus opuntiae Banks 151 Acarina: Eriophyidae 152 Eriophyes Von Siebold, sp 152 Scavengers 152 Bibliography 155 CACTUS-FEEDING INSECTS AND MITES INTRODUCTION NSECTS AND MITES THAT ATTACK CACTUS have been the subject of considerable inquiry during recent years in the United States of America, India, Ceylon, South Africa, and Madagascar, as well as in Australia. On behalf of some of these countries, further investi- gations have been made in the United States and Mexico. To place on record for these and other investigations the vast amount of information collected by officers of the Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board and by the Queensland Department of Lands during 1921-1939 and 1958-59, this publication has been prepared. The Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board was an independent organization representing a cooperative effort by the Governments of the Commonwealth and the States of Queensland and New South Wales, and