Tuesday, December 11, 2001 -
D0276

Systematics and biology of fern-feeding musotimines (Pyraloidea: Crambidae)

M. Alma Solis, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, c/o National Museum of Natural History, SI, 10th & Constitution, Washington, DC, Shen-Horn Yen, Imperial College at Silwood Park, Department of Biology, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, England, Donald R. Davis, Smithsonian Institution, Department of Systematic Biology, 10th & Constitution, Washington, DC, Kenji Nishida, Universidad de Costa Rica, Sistema de Estudios de Posgrado en Biologia, Apdo. 1204-1002, Paseo los Estudiantes, San Jose, Costa Rica, and John A. Goolsby, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Australian Biological Control Laboratory, 120 Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia.

Fern-feeding musotimines and their biologies from different parts of the world have been discovered in the past two years. It had been hypothesized in the last century based on one species from Florida that the majority of the members of this subfamily would feed on ferns. Recent independent explorations in Southeast Asia, Australia, and Costa Rica have discovered new genera and species of Musotiminae feeding on ferns. The species from Southeast Asia and Australia are external feeders, and the species from Costa Rica is a leafminer. Some of these species are being tested for the biological control of invasive fern species in the U.S.

Species 1: Lepidoptera Crambidae Undulambia polystichalis
Keywords: Costa Rica, Southeast Asia

The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA