Russian Entomol. J. 18(2): 117121 © RUSSIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL JOURNAL, 2009 The Eariadinae and Chloephorinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea, Nolidae) of Israel: distribution, phenology and ecology Eariadinae è Chloephorinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea, Nolidae) Èçðàèëÿ: ðàñïðåäåëåíèå, ôåíîëîãèÿ è ýêîëîãèÿ V.D. Kravchenko1, Th. Witt2, W. Speidel2, J. Mooser3, A. Junnila4 & G.C. Müller4 Â.Ä. Êðàâ÷åíêî1,Ò. Âèòò2, Â. Øïàéäåëü2, Äæ. Ìîçåð3, Ý. Äæàííèëà4 , Ã.Ê. Ìþëëåð4 1 Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 2 Museum Witt, Tengstr. 33, D-80796 Munich, Germany. 3 Seilerbruecklstr. 23, D-85354 Freising, Germany. 4 Department of Parasitology, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University Hadassah- Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. KEY WORDS: Lepidoptera, Israel, Levant, Nolidae, Eariadinae, Chloephorinae, phenology, ecology, host- plants. ÊËÞ×ÅÂÛÅ ÑËÎÂÀ: Lepidoptera, Èçðàèëü, Ëåâàíò, Nolidae, Eariadinae, Chloephorinae, ôåíîëîãèÿ, ýêîëîãèÿ, êîðìîâûå ðàñòåíèÿ. ABSTRACT: The distribution, flight period and âèä, Microxestis wutzdorffi (Püngeler, 1907), ñîáðàííûé abundance of six Israeli Eariadinae and eight Chloe- 80 ëåò íàçàä, íå îáíàðóæåí çà âðåìÿ ðàáîòû phorinae species (Noctuoidea, Nolidae) are summa- Èçðàèëüñêî-Ãåðìàíñêîãî Ïðîåêòà ïî èçó÷åíèþ Lepi- rized. Seven species are new records for Israel: Earias doptera. Äëÿ âñåõ âèäîâ ïðèâîäÿòñÿ äàííûå ïî biplaga Walker, 1866, Earias cupreoviridis (Walker, ÷èñëåííîñòè, ðàñïðåäåëåíèþ, ôåíîëîãèè è ýêîëîãèè. 1862), Acryophora dentula (Lederer, 1870), Bryophilop- Äëÿ ïÿòè âèäîâ âïåðâûå óêàçàíû êîðìîâûå ðàñòåíèÿ. sis roederi (Standfuss, 1892), Nycteola revayana (Sco- poli, 1772), Nycteola columbana (Turner, 1925) and Nycteola asiatica (Krulikovsky, 1904). Three species, Introduction E. biplaga E. cupreoviridis and N. revayana, are re- corded for the first time from the Levante. Only one The Nolidae is a family that has changed in its species, Microxestis wutzdorffi (Püngeler, 1907), col- coverage several times during the past. Classical Nol- lected some 80 years ago, was not found within the idae, which are now systematisated as the subfamily survey of the Israeli-German Lepidoptera Project. The Nolinae of the family Nolidae were traditionally placed distribution, abundance, phenology and ecology of the within the Bombyces, as a family of its own. Some 14 species are summarized and discussed and for five authors have transferred the traditional Nolidae (or species, new host plant records are given. Nolidae in the strict sense) to Noctuidae, but this trans- fer was never clearly established until Speidel et al. ÐÅÇÞÌÅ: Ïðèâîäÿòñÿ îáîáù¸ííûå äàííûå î [1996] gave 4 autapomorphies for a noctuid group ðàñïðîñòðàíåíèè, ïåðèîäàõ ë¸òà è ÷èñòåííîñòè øå- consisting of Camptolominae, Chloephorinae, Sarro- ñòè âèäîâ Eariadinae è âîñüìè âèäîâ Chloephorinae thripinae and Nolinae. The most important characters (Noctuoidea, Nolidae), ðàñïðîñòðàí¸ííûõ â Èçðàè- are the construction of the cocoon with a vertical exit slit ëå. Ñåìü âèäîâ âïåðâûå ïðèâîäÿòñÿ äëÿ ôàóíû Èç- and the concordant male genitalic musculature. The ðàèëÿ: Earias biplaga Walker, 1866, Earias monophyly of this group is generally accepted in the cupreoviridis (Walker, 1862), Acryophora dentula literature now, but its placement within the Noctuoidea (Lederer, 1870), Bryophilopsis roederi (Standfuss, 1892), was subject to considerable disagreement. The group Nycteola revayana (Scopoli, 1772), Nycteola columbana has variously been regarded as a family of its own (Turner, 1925) è Nycteola asiatica (Krulikovsky, 1904). (Nolidae in the wide sense) separate from the Noctuidae Òðè âèäà E. biplaga E. cupreoviridis è N. revayana, [e.g. Fibiger & Hacker, 2005] or again as a subfamily of âïåðâûå óêàçàíû äëÿ ôàóíû Ëåâàíòà. Ëèøü îäèí Noctuidae, however with the Noctuidae in a very broad 118 V.D. Kravchenko, T. Witt, W. Speidel, J.Mooser, A.Junnila & G.C. Müller sense including also Arctiinae and Lymantriinae which light UVB tubes). Traps were moved on a daily basis are traditionally separate families [Lafontaine & Fibig- [Müller et al., 2005a]. Additionally an intensive network er, 2006]. Both systematizations differ, concerning the of permanent light traps (220V 20W Black light UVB & Nolidae, only in the rank: in the 2005 publication, UVC tubes) was maintained. Traps were also relocated Nolidae is given the rank of a family, whereas in 2006, on an annual basis. From year to year, 1034 traps were it is given subfamily status, and the contained subfami- operated [Müller et al., 2006]. lies are downgraded to the rank of tribes. Both recent systematizations are based on studies of Mitchell et al., Faunistic survey the most recent and comprehensive one published in 2006, where the Noctuidae were found to be polyphyl- etic, and the quadrifine part of them were ostensibly Subfamily Eariadinae related to Lymantriidae and Arctiidae forming the so 1. Earias insulana (Boisduval, 1833) called LAQ-clade (Lymantriidae-Arctiidae-Quadri- GENERAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERN: Palaeotropi- finae). This clade cannot be morphologically substanti- cal. Wide spread in the Tropics and Subtropics of the Old ated or can only weakly be substantiated, and is in major World. conflict with most of the traditionally used morpholog- DISTRIBUTION IN THE LEVANT: Israel, Lebanon, ical characters. The polarity of the evolution shown in Syria and Jordan. the phylogenetic trees furnished by Mitchell et al. [2006] DISTRIBUTION IN ISRAEL: common and wide spread is undidactically unclear to the reader, as no out-group in all climatological zones. In the semi-arid and arid zones, has been recorded or determined. Thus, phylogenetic they are concentrated in oases and settlements. relationships of Noctuoidea are not clearly resolved or HABITAT: in Israel generally a ubiquitous species. In demonstrated. We conclude, therefore, that all new the temperate region, they are found in all kinds of open habitats, especially at low and medium elevations, in the systematizations seem to be premature. The different semi-arid and arid regions, concentrated in natural and agri- approaches to a new system actually create a situation cultural oases. where nobody can know what is meant with terms like PHENOLOGY: in Israel multivoltine, with the highest Noctuidae and Nolidae, independent from the fact rate of occurrence from May to June and from August to which phylogenetic hypothesis will finally prove to be October. most likely. It would have been wise to retain the old HOST-PLANTS: mainly Malvaceae. The larvae prefer to classification until a new, well supported, system can be feed on buds, flowers and seed pods. In many African coun- introduced. In systematics, we decided here provision- tries, they are known as the spiny boll-worm a pest of ally to follow the publication of Fibiger & Hacker okra, cotton, hibiscus, and to a smaller extent also rice and [2005]. maize. In Israel, this is a known pest of cotton and occasion- ally domesticated hibiscus species. In natural habitats, larvae Worldwide, the Nolidae (s. l.) may contain about were so far only observed to feed on Malvaceae like Malva 1700 species [Heppner, 1991]. In Europe, 35 species nicaensis, Lavatera punctata [Avidov & Harpaz, 1969; Riv- are known; 21 species Nolinae, 9 species Chloephori- nay, 1962] and Malvella sherardiana (L.) Jaub. & Spach, nae, and 5 species Eariadinae [Fibiger & Hacker, 2005]. Alcea galilaea, Zohary and Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet The most commonly known species of the subfamily are (unpublished data of the authors). the cotton pests of genus Earias, like the Spiny boll- 2. Earias syriacana Bartel, 1903 worms: E. insulana and E. biplaga. The other species are often scarce and localized. GENERAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERN: endemic of The Israeli Nolidae s.str. (Nolinae) have already the Levant. DISTRIBUTION IN THE LEVANT: Israel, Lebanon, been treated [Müller et al., 2005b] and the rest of Syria and Jordan. Nolidae s.lat. is studied here. DISTRIBUTION IN ISRAEL: rare, restricted to the north- ern part of the Temperate zone especially the Upper Galilee Material and Methods and the Golan Heights. HABITAT: in Israel this is a sylviculous species, mainly in scattered park forests, especially if dominated by Quercus Within the Israeli-German project for the study of sp., to a smaller extent also in forest clearings, along forest the Israeli Lepidoptera fauna, intensive collecting was edges and in forested grasslands. conducted from 19862007. This project was a joint PHENOLOGY: in Israel probably bivoltine, with the effort of The Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, highest occurrence in May and October. the Nature Reserves and Park Authority of Israel, the HOST-PLANTS: in Israel, larvae were observed in early Zoologische Staatssammlung Munich in Germany and June on flowers of M. nicaensis (Malvaceae) and Atractylis Museum Witt, Munich Germany [Kravchenko et al., comosa Cass. Compositae (Asteraceae) (unpublished data of 2007a, 2007b]. Lepidoptera were collected during a the authors), elsewhere unknown. period of 21 years totaling about 3300 nights of collect- 3. Earias chlorophyllana Staudinger, 1892 ing using mobile light traps powered by generator (250 GENERAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERN: Pan-Eremic. Watt bulbs HQL & ML) and about 1750 nights of In northern Africa, they are distributed from Morocco to collecting using mobile light trap systems powered by Libya, from Southeastern Turkey and the Levant to Turkmen- batteries (12Volt 8 Watt & 20Watt, 6 Volt 4 Watt Black istan, the Arabian Peninsula