Review of Lophomyra Schaus, 1911 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae): a new combination and re-descriptions of species newly associated with ferns (Polypodiaceae).

Paul Z Goldstein,Winnie Hallwachs,Benjamin Proshek,Tanya Dapkey,Daniel H Janzen

doi:10.3897/zookeys.788.21235

Abstract

Lophomyra Schaus, 1911 (Noctuidae) is the smaller of two noctuid genera originally described by Schaus that include species recently associated with ferns (Pteridophyta), in this case Polypodiaceae, as larval food plants. Following an examination of type material and reared specimens accompanied by DNA barcode data, Lophomyra is revised to include L.tacita Schaus, 1911, L.santista (Jones, 1914), and L.commixta (Schaus, 1914), comb. n., the last of which is transferred from Chytonidia Schaus, 1914 (= Leucosigma Druce, 1908). Lophomyra is characterized based on adult and larval morphology, especially that of the male genitalia. Structures associated with the valvae are discussed with reference to dissected and in situ images. Larvae of L.commixta and L.tacita are described from images, and the recorded food plants of both species are discussed in the context of known New World noctuid pteridivores.

Highlights

Lophomyra Schaus, 1911 is one of two noctuine genera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae) described by Schaus with larvae recently discovered feeding on fern foliage (Pteridophyta) at Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica
No sister-group relationship between Lophomyra and Leucosigma is indicated by analyses of COI barcode data, there are as yet insufficient data to determine whether their shared associations with ferns are independently derived or a function of common ancestry
As is certainly the case for Leucosigma, there remain a number of cryptic species of Lophomyra yet to be described

Summary

Introduction

Lophomyra Schaus, 1911 is one of two noctuine genera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae) described by Schaus with larvae recently discovered feeding on fern foliage (Pteridophyta) at Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica. Because of their age and toxicity, ferns and their associated herbivore faunas have been of interest to plant-insect biologists for decades. Sampling of Lepidoptera larvae during the last four decades in ACG (Janzen and Hallwachs 2016) have identified numerous pteridivorous caterpillars, most of them apparent fern specialists and several of which are species new to science. Our primary purpose is to better diagnose Lophomyra, effect the transfer of commixta from Chytonidia Schaus, 1914 (=Leucosigma Druce, 1908), and figure the larvae of two species while characterizing their host plants at ACG

Materials and methods

Discussion