Research Article |
Corresponding author: Yu-Feng Hsu ( t43018@ntnu.edu.tw ) Academic editor: Erik J. van Nieukerken
© 2020 Zong-Yu Shen, Yu-Feng Hsu.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Shen Z-Y, Hsu Y-F (2020) The fern-feeding genus Cuprina Sinev, 1988 (Lepidoptera, Stathmopodidae), new for Taiwan, with descriptions of two new species. ZooKeys 915: 117-126. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.915.46980
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Two new species of Stathmopodidae are described from Taiwan: Cuprina atayalica Shen & Hsu, sp. nov., reared from larvae on Microsorum brachylepis, and C. insolita Hsu & Shen, sp. nov., reared from larvae on Tectaria subtriphylla and T. harlandii. Diagnostic characters for both species are provided. Larval host plants and the biology of the immature stages of both new species are documented.
ferns, host plants, immature biology, spore-feeding
The Stathmopodidae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) represent a widespread group of moths which can be recognized by the characteristic rosettes of long and rigid bristles on the segments of the hind leg (
The collecting efforts of stathmopodid moths mainly relied on light traps, so knowledge is one-sided. We tried to investigate the hostplant associations of stathmopodid moths in Taiwan, using the comprehensive work for the Japanese fauna (
Of the stathmopodid moths discovered from this survey, two species appear to conform to the diagnosis of the genus Cuprina Sinev, 1988, which is known from Far East Russia (
All adult moths were reared from immature stages collected from their host plants. Genitalia slides were prepared following procedures given by
Cuprina Sinev, 1988: 122. Type species: Cuprina fuscella Sinev, 1988, by monotypy.
According to
Holotype. ♀, Taiwan: Taoyuan, Fuxing, Lalashan, ca. 1500 m, 13 Mar 2018, reared from Microsorum brachylepis, emg. 22 Apr 2018, Y. F. Hsu, C. W. Huang, C. J. Chang Coll. Paratypes. 1♂, Taiwan: New Taipei City, Shuangxi, Yingtzailing, ca 1000 m, 29 Dec 2017, reared from M. brachylepis, emg. 11 Feb 2018, Z. Y. Shen, Y. Y. Lu, C. J. Chang Coll. (
This species can be distinguished from congeneric species by the following characters in genitalia: costa considerably thicker than in the others and basal sclerotized structure in aedeagus not developed. This species can be separated from sympatric C. insolita by coloration of abdomen in ventral view: fuscous scales extending ventrad and visible in fourth and fifth abdominal segment in this species, but not extending ventrad and invisible in C. insolita.
Male (Figs
Specimens of Cuprina species. 1, 2 C. atayalica sp. nov., paratype male, Taiwan: New Taipei City, Shuangxi, Yingtzailing 3, 4 C. atayalica sp. nov., holotype female, Taiwan: Taoyuan, Fuxing, Lalashan 5, 6 C. insolita sp. nov., paratype male, Taiwan: New Taipei City, Xindian, Hemeishan 7, 8 C. insolita sp. nov., female holotype, Taiwan: New Taipei City, Xindian, Hemeishan. Scale bar: 5 mm.
Female (Figs
Male genitalia (Gen. Prep. ZYS-0009,
Female genitalia (Gen. Prep. ZYS-0090,
The specific name is derived from the name Atayal, referring to the indigenous people who live in the region of the type locality.
Microsorum brachylepis (Baker) T. Nakaike, 1981 (Polypodiaceae)
Larva (Fig.
Larvae were found in January and May. They construct tunnel-like shelters on the underside of the host plant leaves (Fig.
Known only from Taiwan.
Holotype. ♀, Taiwan: New Taipei City, Xindian, Hemeishan, ca. 150 m, 29 Apr 2018, reared from Tectaria harlandii, emg. 20 May 2018, Z. Y. Shen Coll. Paratypes. 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype, emg. 17 May 2018, Z. Y. Shen Coll. (1♂, Gen. Prep. ZYS-0026,
This species may be distinguished from other congeneric species by the presence of peculiar specialized clavate setae at the base of the cucullus. The ventral side of the abdomen has the same color pattern as C. atayalica, but they can be distinguished by the visibility of fuscous scales in fourth and fifth abdominal segment.
Male (Figs
Female (Figs
Male genitalia (Gen. Prep. ZYS-0026,
Female genitalia (Gen. Prep. ZYS-0091,
The species name is the feminine form of the Latin adjective insolitus, for uncommon or unusual, referring to the peculiar clavate setae on the inner surface of the valva not found in any other known stathmopodid moth.
Tectaria subtriphylla (Hook. & Arn.) Copel., 1907 and T. harlandii (Hook.) C. M. Kuo, 2002 (both Tectariaceae).
Larva (Fig.
Immatures of Cuprina species 15 larval damage by C. atayalica sp. nov. on Microsorum brachylepis 16 larva of C. atayalica sp. nov. 17 the pupa of C. atayalica sp. nov. 18 larval damage by C. insolita sp. nov. on Tectaria harlandii 19 larva of C. insolita sp. nov. 20 pupa and cocoon of C. insolita sp. nov. Scale bars: 1 mm.
Larvae were found in March and September. Larvae associated with T. harlandii construct tunnel-liked shelters (Fig.
Known only from Taiwan.
The larval host plants of Cuprina atayalica and C. insolita belong to the families Polypodiaceae and Tectariaceae, respectively. These families were previously not recorded as hosts utilized by species of Cuprina (
This study was financially supported by Taroko National Park Headquarters (1079007). We express our cordial thanks to Chih-Wei Huang, Cheng-Jui Chang, Guang-Yao Chen, and Yi-Yang Lu (all