Marasmia trapezalis Guenee 1854

Marasmia trapezalis (Guenée, 1854)

Figs 33, 34, 112, 158

Salbia trapezalis Guenée, 1854: 200.

Marasmia trapezalis (Guenée): Peck et al., 1998: 227. ‒ Causton et al., 2006: 141. ‒ Roque-Albelo & Landry, 2015.

Holotype: ♂ from Sierra Leone without abdomen (BMNH).

Other specimens: 6 ♂, 10 ♀ from the Galápagos Islands: – Isabela: Sierra Negra, 11 km N Puerto Villamil, GPS: S 00° 87.613’, W 91° 00.903’; ± 15 km N P[uer] to Villamil. – San Cristóbal: El Junco, east side, GPS: 654 m elev[ation]., S 00° 53.734’, W 89° 28.727’. – Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Research Station, Barranco, 20 m elev.; low agriculture zone, GPS: S 00°42.132’, W 90° 19.156’; NNW Bella Vista, GPS: 225 m elev., S 00° 41.293’, W 90° 19.665’; Finca Vilema, 2 km W Bella Vista; Los Gemelos. – Santiago: Aguacate [camp], 520 m elev.; Central [camp], 700 m elev. Deposited in CDRS and MHNG.

Diagnosis: The three straight lines of the hindwing, the basal two slightly interrupted (Figs 33, 34), represent a unique diagnostic character with regard to the other Spilomelinae species of the Galápagos. The wingspan based on the Galápagos specimens examined is 19-21 mm.

Biology: The larva is recorded to feed on a wide variety of plants of the family Poaceae, including rice, millet, sugar cane, and sorghum (Robinson et al., 2014). In the Galápagos specimens have been collected from the littoral zone up to about 1000 m in elevation in a diverse range of habitats, and from February until May.

Distribution: Based on BMNH specimens this species is found in the Neotropical region in Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Patterson et al. (2015) record it from Florida, Texas and a few other states of the south east USA. It was described from Sierra Leone and has been recorded widely in Africa (BMNH specimens; De Prins & De Prins, 2015). It is also known from India and Myanmar (Robinson et al., 2014). On the Galápagos the species has been collected on Isabela, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Santiago.

Remarks: Marasmia trapezalis was described from a male from Sierra Leone. The genitalia on the slide preparation of the lectotype of Botys creonalis Walker, 1859 (BMNH), a synonym of M. trapezalis, are identical to those of a dissected female from Sierra Leone, and of those of a female from the Galápagos (Fig. 158). lectotype is designated here for Botys creonalis Walker, 1859, described from Santo Domingo on the basis of two specimens. This female lectotype bears the following labels: 1-‘Type’ [circular, green bordered, typed], 2- ‘St. Dom. / 55.1’ [typed]; 3- ‘ Pyralidae / Brit. Mus. / Slide. / 6402’ [typed in red, except for hand written number in black ink]; 4- ‘Photographed / B. M. Negative’ [typed, except for cross bar]; 5- ‘55. BOTYS CREONALIS.’ [typed, folded]; 6- ‘Lecto/ type’ [circular, marine blue bordered, typed]; 7- ‘ LECTOTYPE / Botys / creonalis / Walker / Des. B. Landry, 2000’ [typed except for name and last two zeros]. The second syntype is designated paralectotype; it is a dissected female (Pyralidae Brit. Mus. Slide. 6404).