Diasemiopsis ramburialis Duponchel

Taxonomy

The holotype of Hydrocampa ramburialis Duponchel, 1834: 342, pl. 233, fig. 6 from Corsica (Corse) is in the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris.

• syn. Isopteryx melaleucalis Walker, 1859c: 402. T.L. Sri Lanka. Type is in the BMNH. (as syn. Globiz);
• syn. Diasemia reconditalis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1326. T.L. Australia (Sydney). Type is in the BMNH. (as syn. Globiz);
• syn. Diasemia leucophaealis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1326. T.L. Australia (Morton Bay). Type is in the BMNH. (as syn. Globiz);

Lineodes [Diasemiopsis] leodocusalis Walker 1859: 947. TL U.S.A. It is the TS of Diasemiopsis Munroe 1957: 166 and was once considered syn. but Munroe 1983: 73 gives it as a good sp..

The sp. was long considered with the Hydrocampinae [Acentropinae] on account of its overall appearance. Comb. n. and transferred to the Pyraustinae [now partim. Spilomelinae] by Munroe 1957: 166.

Description

A delicate black, grey or brown and white sp. with rather long spindly legs., The FW has a small, square, white spot in the cell and a narrow white zigzag line at the post-median position and another broad, broken, white band post basally. The HW is crossed by two broad white zigzag median and post-median lines. Another partial white line is at the ante-median position. The head, thorax and abdomen are dark grey or brown with the latter having white inter-segmental markings. The genitalia are illustrated by Farahpour-Haghani et al. (2016: figs 7-9) further genitalic illustrations are in Gates-Clarke (1971: figs 72), Guillermet (2009) & Slamka (2013: 105 fig 85, Pl. 37 fig. 159; Pl. 110 fig. 159; Pl. 24 figs 159a, 159b).

Life History

Once thought to feed on Brassica spp. but Farahpour-Haghani et. al. (2016) report it on Azolla filiculoides (Azollaceae). They also give details of its biology and illustrate all its life stages.

References

• Duponchel P. A. J. (1834) In: Godart, J. B. & Duponchel, P.A.J., (1831-1834) Histoire naturelle des Lépidoptères ou Papillons de France. Nocturnes 5 (2). Crevot/Méquignon-Marvis Fils, Paris, 8 (2): 5-402, pls. 211-236.
• Walker, F. (1866 [Aug 4]) List Spec Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. 35, (Suppl. 5): 1534-2040.
• Munroe, E. G.(1957) North American components of the genus Diasemia of authors (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Can. Ent. (Ottawa), 89: 164-170.
• Gates-Clark, J.F. (1971) The lepidoptera of Rapa Island, Smithsonian Contr. Zool. 56, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. iii +282 pp. DOI: 10.5479/si.00810282.56
• Munroe, E. G. (1983) Pyralidae (except Crambinae), 67-85. In R. W Hodges et. al. (eds.) Check List of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico.
• Guillermet, C. (2009). Les Hétérocères, ou papillons de nuit, de l'île de La Réunion, 3. Familles des Pyralidae et Crambidae. Découverte et Partage/ Parc National de La Réunion: 1-552, pls. 1–11. [in French]
• Slamka, F. (2013) Pyraustinae and Spilomelinae. Pyraloidea of Europe 3, Bratislava, 357 pp.
• Farahpour-Haghani, A., Jalaeian, M. & Landry, B. (2016) Diasemiopsis ramburialis (Duponchel) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae s. l., Spilomelinae) in Iran: first record for the country and first host plant report on water fern (Azolla filiculoides Lam., Azollaceae) Nota Lepi. 39 (1): 1-11. DOI: 10.3897/nl.39.6887
• Walker, F. (1859c) Pyralides. In; List Spec. Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. Ser. 4, 17: 255-508.
• Hodges, R.W., Dominick, T., Davis, D.R., Ferguson, D.C., Franclemont, J.G., Munroe, E.G., Powell, J.A. Check list of the Lepidoptera of America North of Mexico, including Greenland. xxiv + 284 pp. E. W. Classey Ltd & The Wedge Ent. Res. Found.