s aA "- 1--,It :MUSEUM THE AMERlICAN MUSEUM c-4m PI&*ES AT 7#H TEET : iEWYORK.N; NX.d* US.A. -;- 00 NUMBR 25M4 OC,TOBER 18,- 1974 FREDERICK H. RINDGE A Revisio.n of the MothGeus Antmomyia (Lepildoptera, Geometridaci - u* .I.t U r A Revision of the Moth Genus Animomyia (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) FREDERICK H. RINDGE Curator, Department of Entomology The American Museum of Natural History AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NUMBER 2554, pp. 1-23, figs. 1-23 ISSN 0003-0082 Issued October 18, 1974 Price. $1.45 Copyright © The American Museum of Natural History 1974 ABSTRACT Pearsall (1910), showing admirable prescience, The genus Animomyia is revised for the first believed that the females of this genus would un- time. Until now the females have been unknown. doubtedly prove to be wingless; they are here They are described for smithii; the members of described for the first time. Due to the presumed this sex are flightless as they have greatly reduced wingless females, Pearsall placed this genus next wings. One of the three species now ascribed to to Coniodes Hulst. Hulst's genus belongs in the the genus is placed in synonymy (increscens Dyar Bistonini, which is distinguished by (among other under morta Dyar). Seven species (dilatata, sta- characters) male antennae with pectinations tuta, arenae, hardwicki, turgida, nuda, and mi- naked and basal, more or less reduced palpi, the nuta) and one subspecies (smithii magna) are de- tongue weak and not functional, and the cremas- scribed as new. Keys and photographs are pre- ter of the pupa ending in two spines (Forbes, sented for the males of all species. Relationships 1948, p. 21). Animomyia has terminal, scaled with other genera are discussed; the genus is placed in the Nacophorini. The genus is restricted pectinations on the male antennae, elongate pal- in its distribution to xerophytic areas from pi, a vestigial tongue, and a pupa with the cre- southern California to western Texas, Nevada, master ending in eight small setae. Consequently Utah, and Colorado, extending south into the I think it unlikely that Animomyia should be Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California; placed in the Bistonini. Its actual relationships there is an apparently geographically isolated spe- are unclear. The male genitalia have valves that cies that occurs in the sand dunes area of south- are similar in shape and structure to those of western Saskatchewan. Gabriola (Rindge, 1974), a member of the Nacophorini. The genitalic structures of Animo- INTRODUCTION myia lack the prominent paired processes of the The genus Animomyia has never been revised. anellus that are characteristic of that tribe, but Only four names have been placed in it, three have posterolateral sclerotized areas in the man- being on the specific level and the other in the ica that might represent these processes if they subspecific category. The females heretofore were greatly reduced. A similar type of reduction have been unknown and undescribed. The tribal has occurred in the South American genus Den- placement of the genus has not been reviewed in tinalia Heimlich (Rindge, 1973). Accordingly, I more than half a century. It is the purpose of the am placingAnimomyia in the Nacophorini. present paper to reviseAnimomyia, to describe all Flightless females, with their greatly reduced the species and the females where known, and to wings, heretofore have not been known in the discuss the placement of the genus on a tribal Nacophorini. It is known that there is a progres- basis. sion within this tribe from having the sexes with Dyar (1908), when describing Animomyia, wings and bodies of approximately the same size was "quite in doubt about the proper family ref- (the South American genus Salpis Mabille), to erence of this genus." He thought it might be a having the females with slightly longer wings and member of the Lymantriidae (Liparidae); it was heavier bodies than do the males (the North so listed by Barnes and McDunnough (1917, p. American Gabriola Dyar), to markedly longer 96). Dyar also believed an alternative position wings and much heavier bodies (the North would be in the Ennominae of the Geometridae American Phaeoura Hulst). In the first group the and wrote, "it looks like the Lithosian genus males (in collections) slightly outnumber the fe- Nudaria" (Dyar, 1908, p. 54). Pearsall (1910), on males; in Gabriola the sex ratio is about 5 to 1; the other hand, had no doubts about the family for some species of Phaeoura the ratio is at least of his Graefia, as it was definitely placed in the 25 to 1 (Rindge, 1961, 1971, 1974). This Geometridae. McDunnough (1917, p. 233) trans- progression could indicate a reduced capacity for ferred Animomyia to the Geometridae, and flying; the females of some species of Phaeoura placed Graefia as its synonym. are so heavy-bodied that it is indeed doubtful if 3 4 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES they do much flying. One result of the reduced Department of Agriculture, for the National Mu- capacity for flying would be a decreasing need seum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; for functional wings. If the wings are not used, Dr. J. A. Powell of the University of California, they could begin to atrophy, thus leading to a Berkeley, for the California Insect Survey; Mr. A. continued progression of wing reduction, re- Blanchard of Houston, Texas; and Mr. R. H. Leu- sulting in flightless females, such as those found schner of Manhattan Beach, California. in Animomyia. I also thank Ms. Marcia Annenberg for making During the course of this study I have exam- the two drawings. ined 509 specimens (505 males and 4 females), including the primary types of all the described GENUS ANIMOMYIA DYAR names. In addition, I have studied 41 genitalic Animomyia Dyar, 1908, p. 53. Barnes and dissections; all but two of these were prepared McDunnough, 1917, p. 96. McDunnough, by me. I also made 33 slides of antennae and legs 1917,p.233;1938,p.166. from every named population. Graefia Pearsall, 1910, p. 330. Barnes and More than half of the specimens are to be McDunnough, 1917, p. 119. McDunnough, found in two collections: the American Museum 1917, p. 233 (placed as synonym of Animom- of Natural History with 176, and the Natural His- yia). tory Museum of Los Angeles County with 99. Diagnosis. The males can be recognized by The next largest collection is the National Mu- their antennae, with the increasing length of the seum of Natural History with 67. segments posteriorly and by the very long pecti- All the photographs in this revision were nations extending to the end of the antennae, by taken by me. Whenever possible, material from the fore tibia either having a very long and very the collection of the American Museum of Natu- slender process or lacking it entirely, and by the ral History was used; some of the adults and geni- presence of two pairs of spurs on the slender talia are from other collections and this is specifi- hind tibia. Both the abdomen and wings are rath- cally noted. The following abbreviations have er densely covered with hairlike scales in addi- been used: tion to the normal flattened scales. The male gen- AMNH, the American Museum of Natural His- italia are recognized by the very large, heavily tory sclerotized gnathos, the sclerotized areas postero- CNC, the Canadian National Collection laterally in the anellus, and by the slender, LAM, the Natural History Museum of Los Ange- sharply curved aedeagus. The females have les County greatly reduced wings and are flightless; the hind MCZ, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Har- vard University tibia has the upper pair of spurs reduced to a USNM, the National Museum of Natural History, single one, which may be covered by scales, or is Smithsonian Institution absent. The species of the genus are found in the arid and semiarid areas of the southwestern Acknowledgments United States, Saskatchewan and in Sonora and Baja California, Mexico. I acknowledge with thanks the cooperation Male. Head, tongue absent; palpi elongate, and aid of the following colleagues who have slender, porrect, extending beyond front by half allowed me to study the types and specimens in to entire diameter of eye; antennae of from 27 to their charge: Dr. P. H. Arnaud, Jr., of the Califor- 34 segments, basal segments as long as wide, nia Academy of Sciences; Dr. W. C. McGuffin of more or less increasing in length posteriorly, with the Department of the Environment, Canadian some terminal segments up to 0.5 mm. in length, Forestry Service, for the Canadian National Col- bipectinate to end with very long pectinations, lection; Dr. J. M. Burns of the Museum of Com- up to 3.1 mm. in length, with pectinations arising parative Zoology, Harvard University; Mr. J. P. medially at base and posteriorly at middle and Donahue of the Natural History Museum of Los distal portions of antennae, shaft thickly covered Angeles County; Dr. D. C. Ferguson of the Sys- with long scales, pectinations scaled, with double tematic Entomology Laboratory, United States row of elongate, very slender setae ventrally, and RINDGE: ANIMOMYIA 5 without terminal seta. Thorax above without manica; juxta elongate, widest medially; saccus tufts; legs long and slender, all tarsi without incomplete anteriorly; aedeagus slender, curved spines except for small, weak pair at end of each medially between 45 and 60 degrees; vesica segment; fore tibia either with extremely long varying from being simple, having minutely spic- and thin process four-fifths length of tibia, ulate band, and with or without small patch or arising near anterior end of segment and ex- row of very small cornuti. tending to, or just beyond, end, or with process Female Genitalia.