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The Crambine Genera Diatraea and Xanthopherne (Lep., Pyral.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Harold E. Box
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Extract

The present paper is the result of studies begun privately by the writer shortly after his return from South America in February 1930. The subsequent continuation and conclusion of the task was made possible through the authorities of the Imperial Institute of Entomology, to whom, especially the Director, Sir Guy A. K. Marshall, C.M.G., F.R.S., the writer is gratefully indebted for his appointment, in a temporary capacity, at the Farnham House Laboratory, as from 1st August. It was considered that a final revision of the American forms of the groups here considered would be a useful contribution to the West Indian investigations on sugar-cane insects being conducted on behalf of the Institute by Dr. J. G. Myers. At the laboratory the writer found conditions ideal for the prosecution of such work, and he desires to acknowledge his appreciation of the continuous help and encouragement received from the Superintendent, Dr. W. R. Thompson, and his colleagues there, among whom Dr. G. Salt deserves a special word of thanks for his never-failing generosity in offering friendly advice and practical aid, both of which, it must be confessed, have been frequently needed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , April 1931 , pp. 1 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1931

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References

* The details of the Godman-Salvin collection were published in the “ Biologia Centrali-Americana.” It has been found that the various references to Diatraea in that work are for the most part unreliable, owing to inaccurate determinations of the specimens. In the present paper corrections to the Biologia appear wherever necessary.

* “The American Moths of the Genus Diatraea and Allies.”–Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., lxxi, 1927, no. 2691, pp. 1–48. ff. 1–82.Google Scholar

† Hampson (1895) recognised but 3 species ; Dyar (1911) dealt with 18 species and 5 subspecies.

* The quoted sections of this key are taken from the publication of Dyar & Heinrich.

* I have not seen in Diatraea a frons which could correctly be described as “ flat,” though in the smooth rounded forms the convexity may be only slight (figs. 2, a ; 3, a—f). A “ flat ” frons is present in Xanthopherne heinrichi, sp. n. (fig. 4, 1).

Since the term “ tubercle ” has other applications in insect anatomy, I have not employed it in this connection ; the apex of the frons does not bear a separate structure, therefore I have substituted the expressions “ point ” and “ pointed ” for “ tubercle ” and “ tuberculate,” respectively, when describing this sclerite.—H. E. B.

* The two abnormal females were reared from the same batch of eggs by Mr. Urich in Trinidad. The female parent is normal, the entire progeny successfully reared to maturity being as follows : three normal males and three females, one normal and two abnormal. Rearings from known abnormal parents would be most interesting.

* Seven other species are known to the writer in the collections of the British Museum and Tring Museum. They are not described, however, as each is represented by a unique female, generally in poor condition.

* The females of bellifactella and luteella have the oblique lines very faint and indistinct, though they show as short streaks on the veins of a colour slightly darker than the vein linings ; the genitalia, however, should be used for separating the females of these two species.

* This character is based upon one specimen, a female, of muellerella, and a long series of lineolata of both sexes. Dyar & Heinrich state that the former is “ superficially indistinguishable from lineolata, Walker. Separable on details of the genitalia ”

* Reprinted as Circular 16, U.S. Dept. Agric., Bur. Ent. (1891).Google Scholar

* See foot-note, p. 12.Google Scholar

* Chilo comparellus, Felder & Rogenhofer (Reise Novara, Zool., ii (2), 1875, f. 5), from Bogotá (Colombia), has been cited in the synonymy of D. saccharalis by Hampson and subsequent authors, who seem to have been guided by the original figure ; the type is in the Tring Museum and has been examined by the writer. It is not a Diatraea and may possibly belong to Chilo (sens. lat.).

* This reference was latinized by Fabricius (Suppl. Ent. Syst., 1798, p. 439) as follows : “ Act. Soc. Hist. Nat. Hafn. 3, tab. fig.”

* I have not seen a specimen of tabernella in which the term “ beulenförmig ” (pimple-shaped) could be applied to the frons. Possibly Zeller had yet other species before him at the time.—H. E. B.

* The five females (allotype and four paratypes) are associated together by the similarity of their genitalia, which leaves no room for doubt that they are conspecific. The pattern of the fore wing is so variable among certain of them that one might easily be led to believe two distinct species to be represented.

* Crambus impersonatellus, Walk., was erroneously considered a synonym of Diatraea lineolata. Walk., by Hampson (Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1895, p. 953), who has been followed by all authors who have discussed the synonymy of D. lineolata since that date.

* Professor Poulton informs me that Miers made his collections in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro.—H. E. B.

* Crambus impersonatellus, Walker, was considered a synonym of this species by Hampson (1895) and subsequent authors. The type has been examined by the present writer and found to be distinct from lineolata ; it is the same species as that described by Dyar & Heinrich as D. moorella, but Walker's name has priority (see p. 41).

* The writer has found the larvae of Doratoperas atrosparsellus, Walk., in abundance boring in the stems of the giant grass, Gynerium sagittatum, Beauv., in Venezuela.

† These characters are taken from Dyar & Heinrich. Schaus, in his original description, remarks “ minute terminal cinnamon points on interspaces.”