Neotropical Entomology ISSN: 1519-566X journal homepage: www.scielo.br/ne SCIENTIFIC NOTE First Host Plant Record for Pero obtusaria Prout (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) HA Vargas Depto de Recursos Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Univ de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile Keywords Abstract Azelinini, Chile, Ennominae, immature stage The shrub Pluchea chingoyo Correspondence Pero obtusaria Prout. Héctor A Vargas, Depto de Recursos is mentioned as the first host plant record Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias for larvae of the little known moth Agronómicas, Univ de Tarapacá, Casilla 6-D, Arica, Chile; [email protected] Edited by André VL Freitas – UNICAMP Received 30 December 2010 and accepted 19 February 2011 Pero Herrich-Schäffer is restricted to the New-World known for the Neotropical species, mostly based on wing and is the most diverse among the Neotropical Azelinini maculation and genital morphology of the adult, while genera, with little more than 300 described species, most biological informationPero on theis from immature Bodner stages et al remains of which distributed in the Pero Neotropical region (Poole largely unknown.Myrica The onlypubescens information available on hosts 1987, Pitkin 2002, Clifford 2003, Lévêque 2006, 2007, for any NeotropicalPero maculicosta (2010), Brown 2007,Pero obtusariaVargas 2007). Prout and was Pero recently rodriguezi discovered who indicated (Myricaceae) as host for Peroin northern obtusaria Chile, where it includes two described larvae of Pero Warren in Ecuador. species: Vargas. Poole (1987) tried to rear several Neotropical was originally described from Peru,Pero and species of in Venezuela, but he was not able to find rodriguezihas been subsequently recorded from the coastal valleys a suitable food source for any of the larvae. This fact of the Arica Province (Vargas & Hausmann 2008). could be suggesting a high degree of host specializationP. was described from Precordillera of the obtusariaof this fauna, contrasting with the polyphagy of many Parinacota Province, at 3000 m altitude (Vargas 2007). Nearctic species. A similar situation was observed with Host plants and immature stages are unknown for both in northern Chile, where a female was collected north Chilean species. Pero is in the Azapa valley in December 2007 and placed in Despite the great diversity in the Neotropics, with a polyethylene bag in order to obtain eggs. More than more than 290 species described, the fauna of sixty eggs were laid and larvae hatched 9-11 days after better known in the Nearctic region, where host plant oviposition. Plants previously known as suitable host records and studieset alon morphology of immature stages plants for larvae of other geometridP. obtusaria moths of northern are available for some species (McGuffin 1963, Poole Chile (i.e.: Anacardiaceae, Fabaceae and Nyctaginaceae) 1987). Robinson (2010) indicated host plants for were offered to the first instars of . However, eleven Nearctic species, many of which are polyphagous. larvae were not able to feed on these plants and died. On the other hand, only basic taxonomical aspects are On the other hand, in January, 2008, one last instar of Neotrop Entomol 40(5): 625-627 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil 625 First Host Plant Record for Pero obtusaria Vargas Pluchea chingoyo Acknowledgments a folivorous geometrid was collected on (Asteraceae) in the Azapa valley,P. chingoyo among 18:00h and 19:00h. The larva was placed in a glass vial and brought Thanks to Dr Clifford D Ferris for kindly providing to the laboratory. Leaves of were supplied literature, to an anonymous referee for kind comments when necessary until pupation. The pupa was periodically and suggestions, and to project DIEXA-UTA 9710-10 by observed until adult emergence. This procedure was financial support. successfully replicated in August 2008 and December References 2009, resulting in additional five last-instarP. obtusaria larvae collected and reared to the adult stage. Adults obtained were mounted, labelled and identified as Bodner F, Brehm G, Homeier J, Strutzenberger P Fiedler K (2010) based on the genital morphology of the male (Poole Caterpillars and host plant records for 59 species of Geometridae 1987). Vouchers specimens are deposited in the Museo (Lepidoptera) from a montane rainforest in southern Ecuador. Pero NacionalPluchea de chingoyoHistoria Natural de Santiago, Santiago, ChileP. J Insect Sci 10: 1-22. obtusaria(MNNC). P. obtusaria Brown RM (2007) A new species of Herrich-Schaffer 1895 is the first host plant known for (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from Mexico. Pan-Pac Entomol . Apparently, larvae of are host plant 83: 222-225. Pero specialists, because these were not able to feed on other Ferris CD (2003) A new species of from Wyoming and Idaho hosts offered in laboratory. However, additional field and (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Bull Allyn MusPero 142: 1-4. laboratory studies are required in order to determinate P. fortunata herissa Lévêque A (2006) Description d’un nouveau du Mexique et the effective host range of this species.P. obtusaria On the other hand, larvae were always collected at afternoon, among compléments à la connaissance de Lévêque, 2005 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae). Bull Soc Entomol 18:00h and 19:00h. Then, larvae of could be P. chingoyo Fr 111: 345-352. Pero du mostly nocturnal feeders, because additional ten previous and subsequent surveys on undergone near Lévêque A (2007) Description d’une nouvelle espèce de midday in the same location were not successful. Pérou (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae). Bull Soc Entomol Fr 112: 389-394. The plant family more frequently mentionedet al as host for larvae of Geometridae in northern Chile is Fabaceae Luebert F, Pliscoff P (2006) Sinopsis bioclimática y vegetacional de (e.g.: Vargas & Parra 2004, 2005,Chrismopteryx Vargas undularia 2005). Chile. Santiago, Chile, Editorial Universitaria, 316p. of Pero Recently, Nyctaginaceae has been also indicatedet al as a Perohost McGuffin WC (1963) The immature stages of the Canadian species obtusariafor larvae of the geometrid moth Herrich-Schaeffer (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Can (Blanchard) in the same area (Vargas 2010). Entomol 95: 1159-1167. is the second north Chilean species of this family with larvae feeding on an Asteraceae host plant. Another Pitkin LM (2002) Neotropical Ennominae moths: a review of the genera Glena mielkei (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Zool J Linn Soc 135: 121-401. geometrid moth with immature stages Trixisassociated cacalioides with Pero this plant family in the same area is Vargas, Poole RW (1987) A taxonomic review of the new world moth which larvae are folivorous on the shrub genus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). U S Dept Agric Tech (Asteraceae) (Vargas 2010). Bull 1698, 257p. An adequate knowledge of host plants of herbivore Robinson GR, Ackery PR, Kitching IJ, Beccaloni GW, Hernández insects is a key aspect in order to design basic studies LM (2010) HOSTS – a database of the world’s lepidopteran on immature morphology and biology. Additionally, hostplants. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/ this information is also important in relation to insect research/projects/hostplants/index.html.Pero 27-12-2010. conservation, especially in highly disturbed areas as the Vargas HA (2007) Una nueva especie de Herrich-Schäffer coastal valleys of northern Chile, where the intensive (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) del norte de Chile. Neotrop Entomol agriculture has prompted a strong habitat modification 36: 529-531. Glena and loss (Luebert & Pliscoff 2006), besides many other Vargas HA (2010) A new species of Hulst (Lepidoptera, negative effects associated with this anthropic activity. Geometridae) from northern Chile. Rev Bras Entomol 54: 42- Material examined. CHILE.Pluchea Arica. chingoyo Two males, one 44. female Azapa, Arica, Chile, January 2010, H.A. Vargas Vargas HA, Hausmann A (2008) Adiciones a la fauna de geométridos coll., reared from larva on , DecemberPluchea 2009 (MNNC); two females Azapa, Arica, Chile, September (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) de Chile. Neotrop Entomol 37: chingoyo 167-168. Eupithecia 2008, H.A. Vargas coll., reared from larva on Pluchea chingoyo, August 2008; one female Azapa, Arica, Chile, Vargas HA, Parra LE (2004) Una nueva especie de Curtis February 2008, H.A. Vargas coll., reared from larva on (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) del extremo norte de Chile. Rev Chil , January 2008. Hist Nat 77: 485-490. 626 Neotrop Entomol 40(5): 625-627 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil Vargas First Host Plant Record for Pero obtusaria Eupithecia Chrismopteryx undularia Vargas HA, Parra LE (2005) Descripción de una nueva especie de Vargas HA, Mielke OHH, Casagrande MM, Parra LE (2010) Curtis (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) de la Pampa del Imaturos de (Blanchard) (Lepidoptera, Tamarugal, Chile. Neotrop Entomol 34: 215-219.Macaria mirthae Geometridae). Rev Bras Entomol 54: 519-528. Vargas HA, Parra LE, Hausmann A (2005) : una nueva especie de Ennominae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) de Chile. Neotrop Entomol 34: 571-576. Neotrop Entomol 40(5): 625-627 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil 627.