Taxonomic revision of the Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae s. l.) of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Author
Bernard Landry
text
Revue suisse de Zoologie
2016
123
2
315
399
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.155309
b195c5ca-7f2b-4f1b-a9a9-c1095c95d012
0035-418
155309
9ED8B8D5-ADA1-4B53-A1D3-0F75F889A179
Beebea guglielmi
Schaus, 1923
Figs 7, 8
,
95
,
141
Beebea guglielmi
Schaus, 1923
: 46
. ‒
Parkin
et al.
, 1972
: 105
. ‒
Linsley & Usinger, 1966
: 162
. ‒
Linsley, 1977
: 37
. ‒ Perry & de
Vries, 2003
: 145
, 146. ‒
Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015
.
Material examined
Holotype
:
♂
(
USNM
).
Other specimens
:
7 ♀
, 4 of undetermined sex from the
Galápagos Islands
: –
Isabela
: Albermarle, Cawley [sic] M[oun]t[ain] [= Alcedo volcano]. –
Pinta
: Abingdon [no precise locality]. –
Santa Cruz
: Academy Bay; Indefatigable, Charles Darwin Research Station; no precise locality. –
Santa F
é: no precise locality. Deposited in
AMNH
,
BMNH
,
CAS
,
CDRS
, and
MHNG
.
Diagnosis:
Unlike any other Spilomelinae species, either from the
Galápagos
or the rest of the World, by virtue of the large size [
58 mm
wingspan for the
holotype
,
72 mm
for the ‘largest female specimen’ (
Williams, 1930
)], brown wings with darker brown waved transverse lines, labial palpi projecting forward beyond head as much as length of head, and strongly bipectinate male antennae (
Figs 7, 8
).
Biology:
Williams (1930)
reports that larvae feed on
Opuntia
, a genus with 14 species in the
Galápagos
(Jaramillo
Díaz & Guézou, 2015
).
Williams (1930)
also offers a brief description of the solitary and boring mature larva and states that when it is done feeding it spins a cocoon some
33-35 mm
long along one side of the cactus plant, covering it with available material such as cactus spines and lichens for camouflage purposes. Perry & de
Vries (2003)
report that larvae found feeding on
Opuntia insularis
Stewart
in the crater of Darwin volcano on
Isabela
Island
were referable to this species. Moths have been collected in January, February, April, June, and September to December (
Williams, 1930
; Perry & de
Vries, 2003
; museum specimens).
Distribution:
Endemic to the
Galápagos
, it was described from Chatham (=
San Cristóbal
), and apart from the
holotype
I have examined specimens collected on the islands of
Isabela
,
Santa Cruz
, and
Santa Fe
(see also Perry & de
Vries, 2003
).
Williams (1930)
reports it as well from Abingdon, Bindloe,
Daphne Islet, Duncan, James
, and South Seymour islands, now respectively called Pinta,
Marchena, Daphne Minor
(probably), Pinzón,
Santiago
, and Baltra.
Remarks:
I have not been able to collect this species despite several months of work on the islands on which it has been recorded in the past, although it comes to light and that was my favoured method of collecting. Hence, I suspect that it may have suffered a population decline. The specimen examined from Albermarle (=
Isabela
), Cawley [sic] Mountain, was collected by F.X. Williams during the
California
Academy of Sciences Expedition to the
Galapagos Islands
in
1905-06
.
Williams (1930)
refers to Cowley Mountain, on
Isabela
, which is an older name for Alcedo volcano (see for example http://www.galapagos.to/TEXTS/SLEVIN. HTM). I suspect that the food plant of the larvae reported by
Williams (1930)
as
Opuntia
, may also refer to other
Cactaceae
, a family represented by 18 genera in the
Galápagos
(Jaramillo
Díaz & Guézou, 2015
). The male (
Fig. 95
) and female (
Fig. 141
) genitalia are shown here for the first time.