Biological and morphological aspects of Drepatelodes Draudt, 1929, the genus sister to all other Apatelodidae (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite their relatively high abundance in the Neotropics, so far only a few studies investigated the immature stages of the Apatelodidae. Still, the information available belongs to a few of the typical genera of the family, e.g. Apatelodes and Olceclostera, leaving the natural history of all other described genera mostly unexplored. Here we investigated the immature stages of the Drepatelodes friburgensis(Bombycoidea: Apatelodidae), a representative of the genus sister to the remainder of Apatelodidae, aiming to contribute to a broader view of the biological aspects of this neglected Neotropical family and provide new insights into the evolution of Bombycoidea. Additionally, we present a redescription of the male and the first description of the female of D. friburgensis. Drepatelodes friburgensis shows dome-shaped eggs, covered by scales arranged in radial bands. The larvae are ornamented with two conspicuous fleshy processes (on A3 and A8). The imago has a short proboscis and M3 and CuA1 fused in the hindwing. These characters alone have not been reported for Apatelodidae and may have importance in helping to understand the evolution of the group, here we discussed these characters in an evolutionary context for the family and its relationships within the Bombycoidea.