AMERICAN MUSEUM Novitates PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CENTRAL PARK WEST AT 79TH STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10024 Number 2938, 41 pp., 93 figs. April 24, 1989 Euchontha Walker and Pareuchontha, New Genus (Lepidoptera; Dioptidae) a Revision, Including Description of Three New Species, and Discussion of a Male Forewing Modification JAMES S. MILLER' ABSTRACT The dioptid moth genus Euchontha Walker is oplastis Felder in collections, and two new species, revised. In it are included six species, one ofwhich, P. albimargo and P. wormsi, from Ecuador and E. moyobamba, is new and one of which was de- Peru. Adults and genitalia are figured for all species. scribed in the genus Hadesina Warren. They occur Evidence of a sister-group relationship between from central Colombia south to northern Bolivia. Euchontha and Pareuchontha is presented. A These taxa are arranged in two species groups, the modification of the male forewing, found in these frigida and ciris groups. Euchontha castrona War- genera, is described based on scanning electron ren is removed from the genus and placed incertae microscopy; its distribution among other dioptids sedis. The new genus Pareuchontha is described, is listed. Presence of the forewing modification and in it are placed P. grandimacula (Dognin), a supports monophyly of a clade that includes 95 Peruvian and Bolivian species formerly in Sten- species in 11 genera. INTRODUCTION During a visit to the British Museum (Nat- in those specimens led to the research de- ural History) in March 1987, I found that the scribed here. late Baron C.G.M. de Worms had curated My ongoing study of generic relationships the entire collection of moths in the Diop- among Dioptidae identified a species, for- tidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) during the merly in Stenoplastis Felder, that shares apo- 1940s. In addition, he had separated those morphic characters with Euchontha. For this taxa he thought were undescribed, usually at- species, a new species found in material tempting to associate each with a genus. loaned by the Los Angeles County and Car- Among this material were specimens which negie Museums, and a new species from the he considered to represent two new species American Museum collection, I have pro- in the genus Euchontha Walker. My interest posed the genus Pareuchontha. I Kalbfleisch Curatorial Fellow, Department of Entomology, American Museum of Natural History. Copyright ©D American Museum of Natural History 1989 ISSN 0003-0082 / Price $4.90 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 2938 therefore unjustified. However, the precise relationship between "dioptids" and noto- dontids requires further research. I will ad- dress the monophyly and phylogenetic po- sition of dioptids in a future study, but have for this paper followed the usage of recent authors (e.g., Stehr, 1987; Holloway et al., 1987) in retaining the family name Diopti- dae. MATERIALS AND METHODS Morphological terminology follows Forbes (1923), Ehrlich (1958), and Hodges (1971). For males I use the term genitalia to refer to the ninth segment and its appendages, where- as terminalia is used as a more inclusive term, referring to the genitalia plus the eighth ab- dominal segment, which functions to clasp the female (Miller, 1988). Genitalic terms fol- low Klots (1970) and Miller (1987a, 1988). Wing veins are named in accordance with the scheme of Common (1979; see also Miller, '3A 2A 1987a). Wing scale morphology is described Fig. 1. Right wings of Euchontha frigida using the nomenclature of Davis (1986). For I have used the (Walker), female (slide # JSM-235, AMNH). A - descriptions of maculation, anal veins. C - costal vein. CuA - cubital veins. wing regions named by Forbes (1948) and dc - discal cell. M - medial veins. R - radial veins. Klots (1951). Dissection techniques and Sc - subcostal vein. preparation ofmaterial for scanning electron microscopy follow previously described methods (Miller, 1987a). The first part ofthis paper describes a male Acronyms for collections are as follows: forewing modification that occurs in Eu- American Museum of Natural History, New chontha and Pareuchontha. I discuss the trait's York (AMNH); British Museum (Natural distribution among dioptids, and its phylo- History), London (BMNH); California Acad- genetic implications. The second part of the emy of Sciences, San Francisco (CAS); Car- paper includes generic revisions of Euchon- negie Museum ofNatural History, Pittsburgh tha and Pareuchontha, with descriptions and (CMNH); Cornell University Insect Collec- keys to the species. I recognize two species tions, Ithaca (CU); Natural History Museum groups in Euchontha, the ciris group (four ofLos Angeles County, Los Angeles (LACM); species) and the frigida group (two species). Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- I also present evidence that Euchontha and bridge (MCZ); National Museum of Natural Pareuchontha are sister-genera. History, Washington (USNM); Zoologisches Dioptidae has been recognized as a family Museum fur Naturkunde der Humboldt- since Walker (1865), but Minet (1983, 1986) Universitait, Berlin (ZMH). has proposed that the group be considered a During the course of this study I was able tribe of the Notodontinae (Notodontidae). to examine all holotypes for both Euchontha Minet's theory was based on scanty evidence and Pareuchontha, including those described (Miller, 1987a), but may ultimately prove to as subspecies and forms. be at least partially correct; data are accu- mulating that suggest that the Notodontidae ACKNOWLEDGMENTS are paraphyletic with respect to the Dioptidae (S. Weller, personal commun.; J. Miller, un- I thank the following individuals and their pub. data). Family status for the latter is institutions for the loan of specimens: A. 1989 MILLER: EUCHONTHA WALKER AND PAREUCHONTHA 3 Watson, M. Honey, and I. Kitching (BMNH), tion; there have been no studies showing wing J. Rawlins and Chen Young (CMNH), P. Ar- stridulation in the Dioptidae. He was perhaps naud and D. Wagner (CAS), J. Liebherr and basing his theory on the observation that wing R. Hoebeke (CU), J.G. Franclemont (CU), J. stridulation occurs in males of some Noc- Donahue (LACM), D. Bowers (MCZ), B. tuidae. The best documented occurrence, re- Poole (USNM), H.J. Hannemann, and W. cently discussed by Matthews (1987), is in Mey (ZMH). It is a special pleasure to ac- the Heliothinae. In some species, the male knowledge the kindness and hospitality ofDr. forewing costa beyond the discal cell is greatly Hannemann and Dr. Mey during my visit to swollen, forming a "blister," and the sub- Berlin (April 1988). costal and radial veins behind it are sinuate. Photographs ofEuchontha adults were tak- This modification is associated with sound en by V. Krantz (USNM). Redescriptions of production (Cook, 1930; Forbes, 1912; He- holotypes at the BMNH were aided by color bard, 1922); Heliocheilus males produce a photographs taken with the help of Marcus buzzing sound that attracts both sexes to mat- Matthews (BMNH). I thank Andrew Simon ing aggregations (Matthews, 1987). A similar (AMNH) for assistance with scanning elec- male forewing structure occurs in some Agar- tron microscopy. istinae (Noctuidae) (Common, 1979; Han- This research was supported by a nemann, 1956). Kalbfleisch Curatorial Fellowship from the An alternative explanation for the function American Museum of Natural History, and of these dioptid wing modifications is that by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Smith- they are involved with male pheromone pro- sonian Institution (1986). A visit to the Brit- duction. Swollen wing veins are sometimes ish Museum (March 1987) was made possible associated with androconia in Lepidoptera, through the generous support of the Ernst occurring, for example, in the male hind wing Mayr Fund, Museum of Comparative Zool- anal veins of Battus (Papilionidae: Troidini) ogy. (Miller, 1987b), and in the hind wing alar I appreciate the critical reviews of Fred organs of some Danainae (Nymphalidae) Rindge (AMNH), John G. Franclemont (CU), (Ackery and Vane-Wright, 1984). The swell- and Bob Poole (USNM). Michael Schwartz ings possibly serve to transport or synthesize and Gary Stonedahl (AMNH) provided help- male pheromone (Boppre, 1984), to be dis- ful suggestions during preparation of the seminated by the scent scales. manuscript. Until behavioral research has been done, it is impossible to determine whether the THE MODIFIED MALE FOREWING dioptid male forewing modification is strid- ulatory or androconial. Forbes noted that in some dioptids, the I term the region beyond the discal cell in forewing discal cell is "shortened, M, and M2 which veins Ml and M2 are swollen, bordered then thickened with a more or less distinct anteriorly by R25 and posteriorly by CuA + stridulatory organ" (1939: 319). The amount M3, the "forewing fascia." In Euchontha of discal cell reduction varies (figs. 1, 2); species, veins R2-5 and M3 are sinuate around among those dioptids with a small cell, that the fascia (fig. 2A). Located between M1 and ofEuchontha is the smallest, whereas Pareu- M2 is what I call the "forewing fold" (figs. chontha, Brachyglene, and Zunacetha exhibit 2A, 3-6, 8-13, 14, 24, 25). Like the vein more typical reduction. The distoposterior thickenings, it extends from just beyond the angle ofthe discal cell is often acute. In males, discal cell to a point approximately halfway veins M, and M2 are thickened from just be- out on the wing. It is a groove on the wing's yond the discal cell to a point approximately dorsal surface, and forms a well-defined, lon- halfway out on the wing (fig. 2). The veins gitudinal ridge ventrally. In some species this protrude from the wing's ventral surface (figs. ridge has a depression along its midline (figs. 3,5, 15), and in some ciris group species seem 9, 13). to form two longitudinal pockets (e.g., fig. 5). The scales in the forewing fascia of Zu- Forbes' reference to the function of this nacetha annulata Guerin are closely spaced modification was almost certainly specula- on both wing surfaces, but ventrally there is 4 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO.