Calamotropha paludella Hübner

Taxonomy

Tinea paludella Hübner, 1796-1838 [1825]: pl. 68 figs 452-453. T.L. Europe.

- Syn.

• Calamotropha paludella afghanistanica Bleszynski, 1959 a: 114, pl. 3 fig. 5. T.L. Afghanistan, Sarobi, 1100 m. Syn. n. (Bleszynski 1961e: 152);
• Chilo paramattellus Meyrick, 1879 a: 178. T.L. Australia, N. S. W., Paramatta. Syn. n. (Bleszynski 1961e: 152);
• Chilo obtusellus Stainton, 1856: 33, frontispiece fig. 5 T.L. England, Horning Fen. (Globiz);
• Chilo parramattellus Meyrick, 1879 a: 178. T.L. Australia, Parramatta. (Globiz);
• Conocrambus calamosus Hampson, 1919 a: 443. TL [South Africa], Transvaal, Lydenburg. Syn. n. (Bleszynski 1961 e: 152);
• Crambus carpherus Hampson, 1898: 159. T.L. [South Africa] Transvaal, Pretoria. Syn. n. (Bleszynski 1961 e: 152);
• Crambus paludellus ab. digitatus Osthelder, 1937: 101. T.L. Turkey, Taurus Mountains, Kahramanmara? ('Marasch'). (Globiz);
• Crambus paludellus ab. durandi D. Lucas, 1931: 95, 96. T.L. France, Vendée, marais de l'Allerie, près d'Olonne. (Globiz);
• Crambus paludellus ab. griseostrigata Doets, 1950: 163. T.L Holland, Kortenhoef. (Globiz);
• Crambus paludellus ab. nivellus Rebel in Rothschild, 1914b: 49. T.L. Serbia, Kopinovo. (Globiz);
• Crambus typhivorus Meyrick, 1932: 344. T.L. Pakistan, Punjab, Faisalabad [Lyallpur]. (Globiz). Syn. n. (Bleszynski 1961 e: 152);
• Calamotropha [Crambus] paludella purellus (Leech, 1889b: 108, pl. 5 fig. 7). T.L. [Japan, Hokkaido], Hakodate. Bleszynski (1965: 146-147, pl. 6 fig. 77a, pl. 46 fig. 77a, pl. 95 fig. 77a) as a ssp.;
• Calamotropha inouei Bleszynski, 1959 b: 275, pl. 36 genitalia fig. 2. T.L. Japan, Honshu, Yokohama. Syn. n. as a syn. of Calamotropha [Crambus] paludella purellus (Leech, 1889b) (Bleszynski 1961e: 152);
• Crambus angulatus Shibuya, 1928: 133, pl. 2 fig. 9. T.L. Japan, Hokkaido, Sapporo. Syn. n. as a syn. of Calamotropha [Crambus] paludella purellus (Leech, 1889b) (Bleszynski 1961 e: 156);
• Crambus chionostola Hampson, 1919 a: 290. T.L. [Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Is.], Alor I.. Syn. n. as a syn. of Calamotropha [Crambus] paludella purellus (Leech, 1889b) (Bleszynski 1961e: 156);
• Crambus flaviguttellus Wileman & South, 1917: 148. T.L. [China, Taiwan], Formosa, Tainan, sea level. Syn. n. as a syn. of Calamotropha [Crambus] paludella purellus (Leech, 1889b) (Bleszynski 1961e: 155);
• Crambus purellus f. aurifusalis Caradja, 1927: 424. T.L. China, Tianjin [Tientsin]. Syn. n. as a syn. of Calamotropha [Crambus] paludella purellus (Leech, 1889b) (Globiz);
• Crambus purellus var. aurofusalis (Caradja, 1938: 91). Syn. n. as a syn. of Calamotropha [Crambus] paludella purellus (Leech, 1889b) (Globiz).

It is the TS of Calamotropha Zeller, 1863b: 8, 9. by subsequent designation (Shibuya, 1928: 45).

Description

A very variable sp. hence the extensive synonymy. The FW may vary from from whitish to dark grey-brown. Typically it has pale brown forewings with an indistinct angulated postmedian fascia broken into diffuse darker spots. The venation may be accentiated by darker scales. There is a variable sized dark spot near the middle of the FW. The hindwings are pale (off-white) Both wings usually show darker neural spots on the anterior temenae. The genitalia are illustrated in Slamka (2008). See Slamka ((2008:18,159, Pl. 2 figs 10a-10f [habitus]); 163, Pl. 2 fig. 10 [male genitalia]; 192, Pl. 31 fig. 10 [female]) The sexes are similar to each other, except the females are paler, and the male is usually larger. In its natural posture, the moths wraps its wings around its body. ANIC specimen BIOUG18348-E08 has been DNA barcoded. (Ratnasingham & Hebert 2007)

Life History

Foodplants: Typha angustifolia, T. latifolia, (Typhaceae) Phragmites spp. (Poaceae). The slender larva mines the leaves, stems and upper rootstock of Typha spp.. Oviposiiton at the leaf margin. From here the larva bores into the leaf tissue, and makes a descending mine that contains much brown frass. The larva hibernates in the lowest part of the mine or in a cavity gnawn in the rootstock. In seasonal climatic zones after Winter it mines again in the, by now, dead leaf or in the stem. Pupation internal.

References

• Hübner, J. (1796-1838) Zuträge zur Sammlung exotischer Schmettlinge [sic] bestehend in Bekundigung einzelner Fliegmuster neuer oder rarer nichteuropäischer Gattungen, Vols 1-12, Augsburg. [In German]
• Ratnasingham, S. & Hebert, P.D.N. (2007) Barcoding - BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data System (www.barcodinglife.org), Molecular Ecology Notes (Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.: 10 pp.