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Journal of
HE LePIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY
Volume 15 1961 Number 2
THE GENUS ITHOME IN NORTH AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO (WALSHIID^E)
by Ronald W. Hodges
Several factors have combined to create confusion concerning the generic names Ithome and Eriphia. Each was proposed with one included species, Ithome unimaculella and Eriphia concolorella. Later, Chambers (1878) described albalineella and nigrilineella and placed them with reservation in Eriphia; and in 1879 he stated that unimaculella was congeneric, not conspecific, with Perimede erransella Chambers. Riley (1891) incorrectly interpreted Chambers' statement concerning unimaculella with the result that he treated unimaculella as a synonym of P. erransella. Barnes and McDunnough (1917) indicated that Eriphia Chambers was preoccupied, and they placed it as a synonym of Ithome; however, they cited unimaculella as a synonym of P. erransella. It is difficult to understand their lapsus in removing the type of Ithome from the genus. Braun (1919) cleared up this supposed synonymy by indicating the characters of each genus, Ithome and Perimede, and by pointing out that Chambers had said that the two species were congeneric, not conspecific. Also, though not stated, she inferred that unimaculella and concolorella are congeneric. Forbes (1923) concurred with Barnes and McDunnough that Ithome is the valid name, even though it is a junior synonym of Eriphia, because Eriphia is a junior homonym; and he included unimaculella in Ithome; however, in 1931 he reversed his position, without giving an explanation, and used Eriphia as the valid name.
Braun (1923) placed albalineella in Tanygona, leaving three species, concolorella, nigrilineella, and unimaculella, in Ithome; and McDunnough (1939) followed this arrangement. Forbes (1931) said that concolorella and unimaculella are conspecific. I have examined Chambers' specimens
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of concolorella and unimaculella and confirm his statement that they are conspecific. E. nigrilineella has been removed (Hodges, in press) to a new genus in the Cosmopterigidas. In this paper I. quinquepunctata (Forbes) is recorded from Florida, and three new species are described, bringing the number of species of Ithome for our fauna to five.
An additional point should be mentioned: Forbes (1931) stated that Eritarbes Walsingham is a synonym of Eriphia. The venation of Eritarbes is close to that of Ithome but not close enough to warrant the synonymy without study of the male and female genitalia.
The known larvae of species of Ithome feed on the flowers of members of the Leguminosae and Polygonaceae. Namba (1956) illustrated the larva and pupa and presented the life history of I. concolorella, which has probably been introduced into the Hawaiian Islands.
A full definition of the Walshiidae will appear later (Hodges, in press). The genera of Walshiidae occurring in the United States and Canada are Walshia, Stilbosis, JEaea, Chrysopelia, Ithome, Ferimede, Periploca, Amauro gramma, and Sorhagenia.
I wish to thank the following persons and institutions for allowing me to study specimens under their care (the letters in brackets are used to designate the present location of specimens): Dr. Annette F. Braun [AFB]; Mr. M. O. Glenn [MOG]; Mr. C. P. Kimball [CPK]; Dr. A. B. Klots [ABK]; Dr. P. J. Darlington, Jr., Museum of Comparative Zoology [MCZ]; and Dr. J. F. G. Clarke, United States National Museum [USNM]. Specimens in the Cornell University Collection are indicated by [CU] and those in my collection by [RWH].
Ithome Chambers
(Fig. 1)
Type: (unimaculella Chambers, 1875) ~ concolorella Chambers, 1875. Monotypic.
Ithome Chambers, 1875, Can. ent. 7: 93. Chambers, 1879, Can. ent. 11: 9 (as synonym of Perimede). Chambers, 1878, Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. terr. 4: 151 (referred to Laverna). Barnes & McDunnough, 1917, Check list of the Lepidoptera of Boreal America: 152. Braun, 1919, Ent. news 30: 262. Forbes, 1923, Mem. Cornell univ. agric. exp. sta. 68: 329. Fletcher, 1929, Mem. dept. agric. India, ent. ser. 11: 119 (as synonym of Mompha). Forbes, 1930, Scientific survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands 12: 110. Forbes, 1931, Jour. dept. agric. Porto Rico 4: 358 (as synonym of Eriphia). McDunnough, 1939, Mem. so. California acad. sci. 2: 63. Namba, 1956, Proc. Hawaiian ent. soc. 16: 95.
Eriphia Chambers, 1875, Can. ent. 7: 55; not Eriphia Latreille, 1817; not Eriphia Meigen, 1826; not Eriphia Herrich-Schaeffer, 1856. Chambers, 1875, Can. ent. 7-94. Chambers, 1877, Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. 3: 137, 141. Chambers, 1878, Bull.
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U. S. geol geog. surv. ten. 4: 95. Chambers, 1878, Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. ten. 4: 140. Chambers, 1880, Jour. Cincinnati soc. nat. hist. 2: 204, fig.41 (illustration misleading). Riley, in Smith, 1891, List of Lepidoptera oj Boreal America: 108. Dyar, 1902 [1903], Bull. U. S. natl. mus. 52= 540 (Busck notes that Eriphia is probably a synonym of Mompha). Kearfott, in Smith, 1903, Check list of the Lepidoptera of Boreal America: 118. Barnes & McDunnough, 1917, Check list of the Lepidoptera of North America: 152 (as synonym of Ithome). Braun, 1919, Ent. news 30: 263 (as synonym of Ithome?). Forbes, 1923, Mem. Cornell univ. agric. exp. sta. 68: 329 (as synonym of Ithome). Fletcher, 1929, Mem. depL agric. India, ent. ser. 11: 85 (as synonym of Mompha). Forbes, 1931, Jour. dept. agric. Porto Rico 4- 358. McDunnough, 1939, Mem. so. California acad. sci. 2: 63 (as synonym of Ithome).
Description: Head smooth-scaled; tongue moderate in length, scaled; maxillary palpus short, folded over base of tongue; labial palpus recurved, reaching beyond vertex, second segment longer than third, third segment smooth-scaled or slightly rough-scaled; antenna two-thirds length of forewing, pecten of one seta present, scape twice as long as wide, simple; ocelli visible. Metathoracic tibia with long dorsal scales. Forewing: lanceolate, apex acute; 12 veins present; lb furcate basally;
2 from before end of cell, weak basally, curved dorsally then running parallel with 3;
3 and 4 distant basally; 6, 7, and 8 stalked; 10 opposite 2; 11 from one-half of cell. Hindwing: linear, apex acute; a series of scales on costal margin at one-fourth; lb simple, weak; 3 and 4 distant; 4 and 5 connate; 6 and 7 stalked to five-sixths. Male genitalia: valvse symmetrical or asymmetrical; processes arising from base of valvae or absent; vinculum with narrow dorsal arms; aedeagus ankylosed; tegumen narrow, an irregular sclerotized band connecting pedunculi; subscaphium a narrow sclerotized band; uncus present; gnathos and socii absent. Female genitalia: bursa copulatrix lightly sclerotized; signa two or absent; ductus bursse membranous; apophyses anteriores and posteriores heavily sclerotized.
Ithome is a tropical American genus which has few representatives in the United States, and of these only concolorella is known to occur as far north as Ohio- The other species are recorded from Texas to Florida along the Gulf of Mexico.
Key to Species of Ithome Based upon Maculation
1. Apex of antenna buff-white, base fuscous ........................................ 2
Shaft of antenna concolorous....................quinquepunctata (Forbes)
2. Scales of vertex and occiput of head concolorous ........................ 3
Scales of vertex and occiput pale distally ........................................ 4
3. A costal and a dorsal buff-white spot at three-fourths on
forewing .................................................... concolorella (Chambers)
A costal buff-white spot at three-fourths on fore wings; dorsal spot, if present, at two-thirds .................................... ferax Hodges
4. Most scales of vertex pale-tipped............................ lassula Hodges
Few scales of vertex pale-tipped; vertex sometimes buff
............................................................................................ edax Hodges
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4. I. ferax
5. I. edax
6. I. quinquepunctata
Fig. 1 — Ithome, venation; figs.2-6 — male genitalia of Ithome, ventral aspect: fig.2 -7. concolorella (Chambers); fig.3 — I. lassula Hodges; fig.4 — I. ferax Hodges; fig.5 -J. edax Hodges; fig.6 — I. quinquepunctata (Forbes).
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Key to Species of Ithome Based upon Male Genitalia
1. Valvar symmetrical ................................................................................ 3
Valvae asymmetrical .............................................................................. 2
2. Saccular region of left valva produced, forming a lobe
(Fig.6) .................................................... quinqaepunctata (Forbes)
Saccular region of left valva not produced (Fig.2 ................
........................................................................ concolorella (Chambers)
3. Uncus simple (Fig.3) ........................................................................ 4
Uncus bifid (Fig.4) ........................................................ ferax Hodges
4. Accessory processes of right valva equal in length; apex of left
accessory process simple (Fig.3) ........................ lassula Hodges
Dorsal accessory process of right valva shorter than ventral one; apex of left accessory process expanded (Fig.5) ........edax Hodges
Key to Species of Ithome Based upon Female Genitalia
1. Lamella antevaginalis produced posteriorly (Fig.9) .... ferax Hodges Lamella antevaginalis not defined (Figs.l, 10) ............................ 2
2. Ductus bursae slender (Fig.7) ........................................................ 3
Ductus bursae broad, becoming wider posteriorly (Fig. 11)
............................................................................................. edax Hodges
3. Ostium bursae a circular opening (Fig.8) .................................... 4
Ostium bursae an irregular opening (Fig.10) ............ lassula Hodges
4. Ostium bursae at posterior two-thirds of seventh sternum;
ductus bursae sclerotized before ostium bursae (Fig.8) ........
.................................................................... quinquepunctata (Forbes)
Ostium bursae at middle of seventh sternum; ductus bursae not sclerotized (Fig.7) .................................... concolorella (Chambers)
Ithome concolorella (Chambers)
(Figs. 2, 7, 12)
Eriphia concolorella Chambers, 1875, Can. ent. 7: 55. Chambers, 1875, Can. ent. 7: 94. Chambers, 1877, Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. 3: 137, 141. Chambers, 1878, Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. terr. 4: 95. Chambers, 1878, Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. terr. 4: 140. Chambers, 1880, Jour. Cincinnati soc. nat. hist. 2: 204, fig. 41. Riley, in Smith, 1891, List of Lepidoptera of Boreal America: 108. Dyar, 1902 [1903], Bull U. S. natl. mus. 52: 540. Kearfott, in Smith, 1903, Check list of the Lepidoptera of
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9. I. ferax
Female genitalia of lthome spp., ventral aspect: fig.7 — I. concolorella (Chambers); fig.8 — I. quinquepunctata (Forbes); fig.9 — 1. ferax Hodges; fig. 10 —7. lassula Hodges; fig.11 — 7. edax Hodges.
Boreal America: 118. Forbes, 1923, Mem. Cornell univ. agric. exp. sta. 68: 319, fig. 193. Fletcher, 1929, Mem. dept. agric. India, ent. ser. 11: 85. Forbes, 1931, Jour. dept. agric. Porto Rico 4: 359.
lthome concolorella, Barnes & McDunnough, 1917, Check list of the Lepidoptera of North America: 152. McDunnough, 1939, Mem. so. California acad. sci. 2: 64. Namba, 1956, Proc. Hawaiian ent. soc. 16: 95.
lthome (?) concolorella, Forbes, 1923, Mem. Cornell univ. agric. exp. sta. 68: 329.
lthome unimaculella Chambers, 1875, Can. ent. 7: 94. Braun, 1919, Ent. news 30: 262. Forbes, 1923, Mem. Cornell univ. agric. exp. sta. 68: 329. Fletcher, 1929, Mem. dept. agric. India, ent. ser. 11: 119. McDunnough, 1939, Mem. so. California acad. sci. 2: 63.
Perimede unomaculella [sic~\, Chambers, 1879, Can. ent. 11: 9 (misspelling). Barnes & McDunnough, 1917, Check List of the Lepidoptera of North America: 152 (as synonym of erransella) (misspelling).
"lthome unomaculella [sic], Cham. = Perimede unomaculella [sic], Cham., and referred to Laverna, q. v." Chambers, Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. terr. 4: 151 (misspelling) (the combination Laverna unimaculella does not occur in this work).
Perimede (Laverna) unomaculella [sic], Chambers, 1880, Jour. Cincinnati soc. nat. hist. 2: 199 (misspelling).
Laverna unomaculella [sic], Riley, in Smith, 1891, List of Lepidoptera of Boreal America: 106 (misspelling) (as synonym of erransella).
Mompha unomaculella [sic], Dyar, 1902 [19031, Bull. U. S. natl. mus. 52: 542 (misspelling) (as synonym of erransella).
Eriphia unimaculella, Forbes, 1931, Jour. dept. agric. Porto Rico 4: 359 (as synonym of concolorella).
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Fig. 12. Habitus of Ithome concolorella (Chambers).
Description: Tongue fuscous-buff basally, ochreous distally. Maxillary palpus fuscous-buff. Labial palpus dark fuscous, base and apex of third segment buff-white, three to five buff-white dots on anterior surface of third segment. Face fuscous on lower third, buff-white on upper two-thirds and on anterior part of vertex, a few fuscous-black scales before each eye; posterior portion of vertex and all of occiput fuscous-black. Antenna fuscous-black, apical ten to twelve segments buff-white. Thorax fuscous-black. Legs fuscous on outer surface, buff to fuscous-buff on inner surface; metathoracic tibia with a buff-white annulation at middle and apex, outer tibial spurs shining buff-white in some lights; apices of first four segments and all of fifth segment of metathoracic tarsus buff-white. Forewing fuscous-black, a buff-white spot on costal and dorsal margins at three-fourths distance from base to apex of wing, a buff-white spot on fold at one-third distance from base to apex of wing; cilia concolorous with wing apically, pale fuscous-buff dorsally. Hindwings fuscous, cilia pale fuscous. Abdomen fuscous in male, last segment ocbreous; fuscous-buff in female. Male genitalia: as in figure 2 (R. W. H. slide 878). Female genitalia: as in figure 7 (J. F. G. Clarke slide 10495). Alar expanse: 5-7 mm.
Food plant: Prosopis chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz and Acacia farnesiana (L.) in the Hawaiian Islands, no hosts recorded for the continental United States.
Types: Of concolorella, LECTOTYPE, PRESENT DESIGNATION,
male, bearing following labels: 1) Type, 1356. 2) Tex. 3) Chambers. 4) 98. 5) male Genitalia Slide 875, Ronald W. Hodges. In Museum of Comparative Zoology. Of unimaculeUa9 LECTOTYPE, PRESENT DESIGNATION, male, bearing following labels: 1) Type, 1520. 2) Tex. 3) Chambers. 4) 102. 5) male Genitalia Slide 878, Ronald W. Hodges. In Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Specimens examined: ARIZONA: 9c? d\ 4? 9, Madera Canyon, 4880 feet, Santa Rita Mountains, Santa Cruz Co., August 4-October 10, 1959 (R. W. Hodges), [CU, RWH]; 1 9 , same locality except for elevation, 5600 feet, October 14, 1959 [RWH]; 19, Madera Canyon, 4000
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feet, Santa Rita Mountains, Pima Co., August 9, 1959 (R. W. Hodges), [RWH]; 4dV, same locality, but elevation 4400 feet, October 6-12, 1959 [CU, RWH]; lcf, 1$, Pefia Blanca Canyon, Santa Cruz Co., August 7 & 11, 1959 (R. W. Hodges), [RWH]. FLORIDA: 3dV, Siesta Key, Sarasota Co., March 15-28, 1952 & 1960 (C. P. Kimball), [CPK]. LOUISIANA: ltf, Schriever, June 17, 1917 [CU]. MISSISSIPPI: 4d cf, Biloxi, June 13, 1917 [CU]; 2tf d\ Bay St. Louis, June 17, 1917 [CU]. NORTH CAROLINA: 6tf d\ 6? 2, Highlands, 3865 feet, Macon Co, July 18-August 25, 1958 (R. W. Hodges), [CU, RWH]. OHIO: lcf, 1$, Cincinnati, July 22 & September 23, 1903 (Annette F. Braun), [AFB]. TENNESSEE: 6dd, 12 9 2, Monteagle, 2000 feet, June 22-August 7, 1930 and 1931 (A. G. Richards, Jr.), [ABK, CU]. TEXAS: Id, Corpus Christi, May 14, 1943 (W. M. Gordon), [CU]; 1 $ , Victoria, June 24, 1917 [CU].
Ithome quinquepunctata (Forbes), new combination (Figs. 6, 8)
Eriphia quinquepunctata Forbes, 1931, Jour. dept. agric. Porto Rico 4: 361.
Description: Maculation as for concolorella except as follows: upper part of face pale fuscous; apex of scape of antenna buff, shaft gray-buff. Male genitalia: as in figure 6 (R. W. H. slide 656). Female genitalia: as in figure 8 (R.W.H. slide 657). Alar expanse1 6-7 mm.
Food plant: Coccoloba uvifera (L.) Jacq.
Type: in Cornell University Collection.
Type locality: Puerto Real, Vieques Is., Puerto Rico.
Specimens examined: FLORIDA: 6rf J, 4 9 9 , Ramrod Key, reared ex Coccoloba uvifera, emerged March 3 & April 6, 1945 [USNM]; 16 c? d\ 12$ $, Siesta Key, Sarasota Co., January 3-December 20, 1951-1957 (C. P. Kimball), [CPK, RWH].
ITHOME EDAX Hodges, new species
(Figs. 5, 11)
Description: Maculation as for concolorella except as follows: occiput sometimes buff-white with fuscous scales above each eye, and some scales of vertex and occiput pale-tipped. Male genitalia: as in figure 5 (R.W.H. slide 10013). Female genitalia: as in figure 11 (R. W. H. slide 10015). Alar expanse: 6-7 mm.
Food plants: Byra ebenus (?).
HOLOTYPE: male, Brownsville, Texas, ex Ebony blossoms (Byra ebenus?), emerged June 7, 1944 (R.W.H. slide 10013), [USNM].
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PARATYPES: TEXAS: 3tf d1,11 9 9 , same data as holotype [USNM, RWH]; 9tf d, 4 $ 9 , Corpus Christi, May 8 & 14, 1943 (W. M. Gordon), [CU, RWH].
1. edax may be separated from I. lassula as follows: the dorsal accesory process of the right valva passes over the aedeagus in edax; in lassula the same process is parallel with the ventral one and does not pass over the aedeagus. The aedeagus of edax tapers gradually to the apex, whereas in lassula it is broad almost to the apex. In the female genitalia edax has no signa; lassula has two signa.
IT HOME LASSULA Hodges, new species (Figs. 3, 10)
Description: Maculation as for concolorella except as follows: third segment of labial palpus slightly rough-scaled; head fuscous, apices of scales on vertex and occiput gray-buff; apex of scape of antenna buff; forewing with dorsal buff-white spot anterior to costal one or obsent; abdomen fuscous with purple reflections. Male genitalia: as in figure 3 (R.W.H. slide 10021). Female genitalia: as in figure 10 (R.W.H. slide 10023). Alar expanse: 6-8 mm.
Food plant: Leucaena glauca (L.) Bentham.
HOLOTYPE: male, Key West, Florida, ex flowers of Leucsena glauca, emerged April 19, 1945 (R.W.H. slide 10021), [USNM].
PARATYPES: FLORIDA: 5cT cf, 10$ 9, same locality as holotype, emerged March 16-April 17, 1945 [USNM, RWH]; 1J\ Homestead, March 31, 1959 (D. O. Wolfenbarger), [CPK].
I. lassula may be separated from 7. edax as indicated under edax.
ITHOME FERAX Hodges, new species (Figs. 4, 9)
Description: Maculation as for concolorella except as follows: face fuscous-buff; forewing with dorsal buff-white spot, if present, anterior to costal one; abdomen fuscous, last segment ochreous. Male genitalia: as in figure 4 (R.W.H. slide 637). Female genitalia: as in figure 9 (R.W.H. slide 638). Alar expanse: 7-10 mm.
Food plant: unknown.
HOLOTYPE: male, Siesta Key, Sarasota County, Florida, February 29, 1960 (C. P. Kimball), [Cornell University Type No. 3828].
PARATYPES: FLORIDA: 5d<f, 6$ 9, same locality as holotype, January 4-April 12, 1960 (C. P. Kimball), [CPK, RWH]; 2d<?, St. Petersburg, March 16 & 23, 1960 (A. K. Wyatt), [MOG].
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I. ferax may be distinguished from 7. concolorella by the valvee of the male genitalia being symmetrical; in concolorella the valvar are asymmetrical. In the female genitalia the lamella antevaginalis is present in ferax; it is absent in concolorella.
The illustration of the female genitalia (Fig. 9) would lead one to believe that a difference exists between ferax and the other species of Ithome because the genitalia are fully extended. It is almost impossible to obtain a preparation of this nature because the orifice at the posterior extremity of the eighth abdominal segment is small and does not allow the other segments to pass. It seems to me, however, that the normal, extended position of all five of the species is much the same as is shown for ferax.
Acknowledgements
Grateful acknowledgement is made to trie Grace H. Griswold Fund of the Department of Entomology of Cornell University for assuming the cost of engraving.
The specimens of 7. concolorella from Highlands, North Carolina, were collected during the summer of 1958 when the author was assisting Dr. J. G. Franclemont. The collecting was done under the auspices of a grant from the Penrose Fund of the American Philosophical Society.
Literature Cited
Barnes, Wm. & McDunnough, J., 1917. Check list of the Lepidoptera of Boreal
America, vii + 392 pp. Herald Press, Decatur, Illinois. Braun, Annette F., 1919. Notes on Cosmopterygidse, with descriptions of new genera
and species (Microlepidoptera). Ent. news 30: 260-264. .............., 1923. Microlepidoptera: notes and new species. Trans. Amer. ent. soc.
49: 115-127. Chambers, V. T., 1878. Descriptions of new Tineina from Texas, and others from
more northern localities. Bull. U. S. geol. geog. surv. ten. 4: 79-106.
................, 1879. Micro-Lepidoptera. Can. ent. 11: 5-10.
Forbes, William T. M., 1923. The Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states.
Mem. Cornell univ. agric. exp. sta. 68: 1-729. ................, 1931. Supplementary report on the Heterocera or moths of Porto Rico.
Jour. dept. agric. Porto Rico 4: 339-394. Hodges, Ronald W., in press. A revision of the Cosmopterigidae of America north of
Mexico, with a definition of the Momphidae and Walshiidae (Lepidoptera:
Gelechioidea). McDunnough, J., 1939. Check list of the Lepidoptera of Canada and the United
States of America, part 2, Microlepidoptera. Mem. so. California acad. sci.
2: 1-171. Namba, Ryoji, 1956. Descriptions of the immature states and notes on the biology of
Ithome concolorella (Chambers) (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterygidae), a pest of
Kiawe in the Hawaiian Islands. Proc. Hawaiian ent. soc. 16: 95-100. Riley, C. V., in Smith, John B., 1891. List of the Lepidoptera of Boreal America.
v + 124 pp. Amer. Ent. Soc, Philadelphia.
Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., U. S. A. (Present address: Div. of Insects,U.S. National Museum, Washington 25, D.C., U.S.A.)