Uresiphita geographicalis Guenée

Taxonomy

The holotype of Samea geographicalis Guenée, 1854: 197 is from the East Indies [Java]. [Treated as Pyrausta in LepIndex]. Comb. n. to Ategumia Amsel, 1956, (Munroe 1989: 203.) based on specimens from Hawaii.

• syn. Botys adipalis Lederer, 1863: 475, pl. 11, fig.16. TL Amboina. The holotype is in the BMNH.
• syn. Botys abipalis [sic] Lederer, 1863: 376 (Orig. misspel.) is in the BMNH. TL Amboina. Comb. n. to Ategumia Amsel (Munroe 1989: 203.);
• syn. Samea cuprinalis Moore, 1877: 615 (LepIndex) TL S. Andaman Is. (Port Blair) as a ssp.;
• ms. syn. Botys notatalis Walker [1866] 1865: 1437 (LepIndex) TL Myssol. Type in Oxford U.M.N.H.;
• syn. Bochoris nigromarginalis Caradja, 1925: 339. TL China (Lienping) as a ssp. The type is in Muzeul Naţional de Istorie Naturală 'Grigore Antipa, Bucureşti [Bucharest];
• syn. Ategumia chosokeiialis Strand, 1922) [as ssp. nigromarginalis Caradja] (Wang & Spiedel, 2000: 254). TL Taiwan (Chosokei);

nec syn. Ategumia adipalis kwantungialis (Caradja, 1925: 339-340, pl. 1 fig. 37) TL China (Lienping) is a different species [missident.] and is probably a Hemopsis.

Although listed as syn. in the LepIndex, Mimorista marginalis (Warren, 1896b: 114-115). TL. India (Meghalaya, Khasi Hills). Shaffer (1970 unpubl. (note on LepIndex card) considered this a good sp and we treat it as such in this work.

Three sspp. are recognised but others may be surmised.

• nominate ssp., geographicalis; India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hawaii.
• ssp. cuprinalis; Sri Lanka, India.
• ssp. nigromarginalis Caradja, 1925; China, Taiwan;

The A. geographicalis nigromarginalis morphotypes are larger than cuprinalis types. Specimens from the Indian area resemble ssp. nigromarginalis but most Malaysian specimens are closer to the ssp. cuprinalis type.

Detailed systematic work needs to be carried out on this sp. and its genus. There is considerable variation over its range, and the wing shapes vary which strongly suggests that it could well prove to be a species complex.

Description

A delicate yellow moth with brown wing margins and looped brown postmedian lines. FW and HW subcosta are fulvous. The orbicular and reniform stigmas are thin scaled and outlined with brown. See the similar Ategumia marginalis (Warren 1896), Ategumia sp. 1., and Ategumia fatualis (Lederer, 1863: 376, 475, pl. 11 fig. 15) T. L. Indonesia, (Java).

Life History

Unverified sources suggest A. matutinalis Guenée, 1854 was introduced to Hawaii around 1969 (although researchers thought they were introducing Samea ebulealis) to control Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae) soapbush or Koster's Curse a noxious weed originally from the American Neotropics, Later A. adipalis and Botys [Ategumia] fatualis Lederer, 1863 was also tried to control another introduced weed Melanostoma malabathrium (Melastomataceae) (Indian [Straits] rododendron (Senduluk)).

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]
• Guenée, A. (1854) Deltoïdes et pyralites. In Boisduval, J.A. & Guenée, A., Hist. nat. des Insectes (Spec. gén. Lépid.) Vol. 8, 448pp. + 10 pls., Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret: Paris.
• Lederer, J., (1863) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7: 243-280, 331-502, pl. 2-18.
• Walker ([1866 Jan 13]1865) List Spec Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. 34, (Suppl. 4): 1121-1533.
• Meyrick, E. (1932 [1930-1936]), Exot. Microlepidopt. 4, 1-642, Privately published, [Taylor & Francis], London.
• Amsel, H. G. (1956) Microlepidoptera venezolana, Boln Ent. venez. 10, 1-336.
• Munroe, E. G. (1989) Changes in classification and names of Hawaiian Pyraloidea since the publication of Insects of Hawaii, Volume 8, by. E. C. Zimmerman (1958) (Lepidoptera). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers, 29: 199-212.
• Heppner, J.B. & Inoue, H. [eds.] (1992) Lepidoptera of Taiwan. 1 (2): Checklist. Gainesville, Florida: Assoc. Trop. Lepid: 276 pp..
• Wang, HsiauYue. & Speidel, W (2000) Guide Book to Insects in Taiwan (19). Pyraloidea (Pyralidae, Crambidae). Shu Shin Books, Taipei, Taiwan: pp 295.
• Moore, F. (1877b) The Lepidopterous Fauna of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Proc. zool. soc. Lond: 580-632, pls. 58-60.
• Warren, W. (1896b) XVI New species of moths from the Khasia Hills, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 6, (18): 107-119.
• Caradja, A. (1925b) Euber Chinas Pyraliden, Tortriciden, Tineiden nebst kurze Betrachtungen, zu denen das Studium dieser Fauna Veranlassung gibt Acad. Romana Mem. Sect. Stiint. ser. iii, 3 (7): 257-383, figs.