Maria Alma Solis

United States Department of Agriculture | USDA · Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée), the tomato fruit borer, is reported from Oaxaca, Mexico.

This study is the first report of the stalk borer Diatraea impersonatella (Walker) on sugarcane in Honduras. A total of 167 larvae were collected from sugarcane crops in the Department Francisco Morazán, Municipality Villa de San Francisco, Honduras, during November 2022 to January 2023. The larval specimens were reared with the objective of obtain...

The identity of Syllepte Hübner, 1819–21 is revised by designating a neotype from Neomabra Dognin, 1905, rev. syn., for the type species S. incomptalis Hübner, 1819–21 because the original type material is lost, and we consider it to be congeneric with Syllepte. We redescribe Syllepte based on S. incomptalis and S. nitidalis (Dognin, 1905), rev. co...

Only three fossils in the Pyraloidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) have been confirmed to date, two adults and one larva. The first confirmed larva, in the subfamily Pyraustinae (Crambidae), was described from Baltic amber. Recently, another pyraloid larva from Dominican amber has come to our attention. We describe this second confirmed larval fossil as P...

A survey of the Phycitinae (Pyralidae) of the Sierra Tarahumara region in northwestern Mexico recorded 35 species, including 32 previously described species and three new species in the genera Cuniberta Heinrich, Sciota Hulst, and Caristanius Heinrich. The new species are described, and images of the genitalia and antenna of one species are provide...

This is a book review of a wondrous story about a mayfly nymph named Maggie who is searching for great tasting algae to be able to produce the best eggs. Ephemeroptera, or mayflies, have nymphs or immatures that live entirely in water, then develop wings in two stages and lay many eggs. Mayfly adults have short life spans, 90 minutes to 3 days.

Introduction: Species of Mesochorus are found worldwide and members of this genus are primarily hyperparasitoids of Ichneumonoidea and Tachinidae. Objectives: To describe species of Costa Rican Mesochorus reared from caterpillars and to a lesser extent Malaise-trapped. Methods: The species are diagnosed by COI mtDNA barcodes, morphological inspec...

For the first time, genera of leaf mining Tischeriidae of the global fauna are reviewed and four new genera are described: Coptotrichoides Diškus & Stonis, gen. nov., trophically associated with Sapindaceae from Central and South America; Rytietia Diškus, Xu & Dai, gen. nov., trophically associated with Annonaceae from East and South East Asia; Paf...

El reciente descubrimiento de larvas como minadores del tallo y pecíolo en plantas de malanga Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta Schott (Araceae) en Costa Rica impulsó el estudio de Cacographis Lederer en Centroamérica. Los adultos fueron criados e identificados como Cacographis osteolalis (Lederer, 1863), la polilla del taro (término acuñado en es...

Abstract.—Three species of Lineodes Guenée were discovered feeding on four solanaceous host plants in Peru: L. integra Zeller on tomato (Solanum lycopersi-cum L.), L. undulata Walsingham on aji (Capsicum baccatum L.) and sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), and L. vulcanalis Landry on wild tobacco (Nicotiana glauca Graham). Lineodes integra, the most...

The use of DNA barcoding has revolutionised biodiversity science, but its application depends on the existence of comprehensive and reliable reference libraries. For many poorly known taxa, such reference sequences are missing even at higher-level taxonomic scales. We harvested the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History...

In this study the aim was to resolve the taxonomy of several species of Argyria Hübner (Pyraloidea, Crambinae) with previously unrecognised morphological variation. By analysing the DNA barcode (COI-5P) in numerous specimens, the aim was to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between species, to provide better evidence for synonymies, and to cir...

This is the first report of Cacotherapia angulalis (Barnes and McDunnough) (Pyralidae: Galleriinae) feeding on Planococcus ficus Ben-Dov (Pseudococcidae), the vine mealybug, in Mexico. Field samples were from three low-input agricultural vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot y Nebbiolo), located in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Several species...

Salmwood (Cordia alliodora (Ruiz and Pav.) Oken) (Boraginaceae) is used as a shade plant for cacao and coffee agroforestry systems in Colombia. In 2016 these trees were severely defoliated by insects on a farm in northeastern Colombia. One hemipteran and one lepidopteran were found to be associated with the damage, and one hymenopteran was found to...

Almost all the type specimens of Cacotherapia Dyar (Pyralidae: Galleriinae) are located at The National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (USNM). The type specimens and their labels were photographed, and original descriptions were reviewed to investigate the status of primary type specimens. The locality of the typ...

Recent developments in museomics enable genetic information to be recovered from previously unusable collection specimens and thus to answer complex taxonomic questions. Here we apply museomics to a taxonomic problem involving several species of Argyria Hübner (Pyraloidea, Crambinae), with previously unrecognized morphological variation. By analysi...

The use of DNA barcoding has revolutionized biodiversity science, but its application depends on the existence of comprehensive and reliable reference libraries. For many poorly known taxa, such reference sequences are missing even at higher-level taxonomic scales. We harvested the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History...

This study identifies the number of named and described species of three monotrysian, plant-mining lepidopteran families worldwide: Nepticulidae and Opostegidae (Nepticuloidea), and Tischeriidae (Tischerioidea). At the end of 2021, we estimated that a total of 1000 Nepticulidae species, 197 Opostegidae species, and 170 Tischeriidae species have bee...

Rheumapteramochica (Dognin, 1904) (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae) is reported from Chile for the first time. It was described from the western slopes of the Andes of southern Peru more than 100 years ago, and was recently rediscovered in Chile after larvae were collected and reared on the shrub Sennabirostrisvar.arequipensis (Meyen ex Vogel...

Macadamia fruit with insect damage (n 5 1614) were sampled at five farms in Guatemala during 2017. Infested fruit yielded 220 adult moths: 57.27% Gymnandrosoma aurantianum (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), 41.36% Catarata sp. (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae), and 1.36% Deoclona sp. (Lepidoptera: Autostichi-dae). These are the first records of these lepidopt...

Diatraea postlineella Schaus, 1922, that we call the Guatemalan sugarcane borer, was described from Quirigua, Guatemala, based on one male specimen; the host was unknown. Recently, more specimens of D. postlineella from Guatemala were discovered and reared on sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). Based on these specimens, morphological and molecula...

Four new species of trumpet leaf-miner moths (Tischeriidae) are described from the Neotropics: Coptotriche serjaniphaga Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Serjania Mill. (Sapindaceae), Astrotischeria mystica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Verbesina L. (Asteraceae), A. yungasi Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Oyedaea DC. (Asteraceae...

People often talk about the world’s largest Lepidoptera, such as the magnificent Ornithoptera alexandrae in Papua New Guinea or the giant Thysania agrippina in Central and South America. The species can reach almost 28–30 centimeters in wingspan. But what about the smallest Lepidoptera in the world? We recently published an article to answer this q...

We describe a new genus, Manitischeria Diškus & Stonis, gen. nov., and five new species: Manitischeria selindica Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., M. namibiensis Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov. from Africa, and M. brachiata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., M. symbolica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., and M. baryshnikovae Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. from South East Asia. We...

The world’s smallest moths in Lepidoptera (Insecta) and the complexity in making such a determination are examined and discussed. The forewing length and wingspan of 650 species were measured and the same data were retrieved from published papers to determine which species and family have the smallest moths in the world. The minimal recorded forewi...

We provide diagnostics for eight species groups of Oriental Pseudopostega Kozlov (Lepidoptera: Opostegidae) and a pictorial key for their identification. We designate three new species groups, P. frigida and P. strigulata groups, and the P. auritella group for two Palaearctic species, and rename the P. nigrimaculella group as the P. matrona group....

Members of the Lamiaceae, or mint family, are used worldwide for medicinal, culinary and/or magical-religious purposes, as well as in pesticides and as ornamental plants. Very little is known about nepticulids, or pygmy moths, as leaf miners of Lamiaceae, but they may be an important component of South American diversity and potential pests of econ...

Three new genera are described: Michener (Proteropinae), Bioalfa (Rogadinae), and Hermosomastax (Rogadinae). Keys are given for the New World genera of the following braconid subfamilies: Agathidinae, Braconinae, Cheloninae, Homolobinae, Hormiinae, Ichneutinae, Macrocentrinae, Orgilinae, Proteropinae, Rhysipolinae, and Rogadinae. In these subfamili...

Based on morphological characters, Guyanymphula cayennensisHeppner, 2015, new synonym, the type species, is synonymized with Cryptocosma perlalisLederer, 1863, the type species. As a result, GuyanymphulaHeppner, 2015, new synonym, and Cryptocosma Lederer (1863) are subjective generic synonyms because they are not based on the same type specimen, an...

We list 102 currently known Opostegidae species from the Americas, designate one new species group, and revise and provide pictorial diagnostics for the twelve Pseudopostega Kozlov species groups. Five new species are described: Neopostega dondavisi Stonis and Remeikis, new species, Pseudopostega cucullata Stonis and Vargas, new species, Pseudopost...

A new crambid moth, Haimbachia spartina Solis and Canepuccia, new species is described from Argentina and images of the adults and their genitalia are provided. The larvae were discovered feeding on species of saltmarsh cordgrass or Spartina Schreb. (Spartinaceae). This is the first description and illustration of a Haimbachia Dyar larva. Twelve sp...

We describe a new genus, Dishkeya Stonis, gen. nov., and a new species, Dishkeya gothica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., discovered feeding on Gouania lupuloides (L.) Urb., Rhamnaceae. We discuss the diagnostics of Tischeria Zeller and Dishkeya gen. nov.; the latter is characterized by the absence of a juxta, the presence of a pseudognathos, and well-de...

Seven new species of Tischeriidae are described from the Neotropics: Astrotischeria jociui Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (feeding on Wissadula excelsior (Cav.) C. Presl., Malvaceae), A. atlantica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (feeding on Baccharis spicata (Lam.) Baill., Asteraceae), A. cornuata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (host plant unknown), Paratischeria...

Archernis humilis (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) has previously been recorded only from India, and nothing has been reported about its biology or immatures. It was recently discovered during surveys for biological control agents against Paederia foetida L. (Rubiaceae) or skunk vine, and this represents the first report of the food plant. Archern...

A new crambid, Eoreuma insuastii Solis and Osorio-Mejia, new species, is described from Colombia. The larvae were discovered feeding on young stalks of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) grown for brown sugar loaf, or “panela.” We provide images of larvae and pupae, as well as damage to sugarcane young stalks for field identification, and describe a...

We examine five Tischeriidae species from the collection of the National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Washington, D.C. We discovered among the holdings and describe two new species from Arizona, U.S.A: Astrotischeria bucera Remeikis and Stonis, new species and Astrotischeria tucsonica Remeikis and Stonis, new species. Host plants of both speci...

We list all 56 currently known Acalyptris Meyrick species from North and South America, designate five new species groups, and provide pictorial diagnostics for all nine revised species groups of the American fauna. We describe seven new species: A. marmor Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., A. barbudo Stonis & Remeikis, sp. nov., A. jareki Stonis & Diškus,...

We describe a new pest of guava ( Psidium guajava L.), Hesperolyra guajavifoliae Stonis & Vargas, sp. nov. , that was recently discovered in western Colombia. Hesperolyra van Nieukerken is a small, Neotropical genus of pygmy moths (Nepticulidae). We re-examine and document the complex morphology of the male genitalia of the generic type species, H....

Prickly pear cactus pads of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) (Cactaceae) are cultivated in Mexico for fresh consumption. We report that Loxomorpha flavidissimalis (Grote) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), the cactus webworm, was observed recently in farms in Morelos and has expanded its distribution south from its previously known distribution of northern to cent...

Abstract.—A new crambid, Sufetula anania, sp. n., is described from Costa Rica. We describe and illustrate the eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. This is the first report of Bromeliaceae as a host for Crambidae, specifically in the roots of pineapple (Ananas comosus (Linnaeus)), although the larvae also were found on surrounding weeds. The general morp...

Japanese privet is widely planted as an ornamental and shade tree in Mexico. In 2017 we discovered lepidopterous larvae causing severe defoliation on ornamental privet in Saltillo, Mexico. It was preliminarily identified as Palpita sp. using external morphology. Larvae were reared to obtain adults, and then identified as P. quadristigmalis Guenée (...

The genus Simplimorpha Scoble is recognized for the first time from South America. We describe a subgenus, Myrtinepticula Stonis & Diškus, subgen. nov., for three new species from the southern Andes (Chile and Argentina): Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) cercaria Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. (M.) nielseni Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. (M.) sapphire...

Pygmy moths (Nepticulidae) associated with Asteraceae are poorly known and very rare worldwide. Recently, we discovered many leaf-mining nepticulids in South America feeding on Asteraceae. We review all known records of Asteraceae-feeding Nepticulidae, which in the Neotropics (including the Andes and Patagonia) previously included only Stigmella Sc...

We describe two new species of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from the Western Hemisphere that feed on Fabaceae: Stigmella mimosae Diškus and Stonis, new species, on Mimosa albida Willd. Caesalpinioideae), and Acalyptris minimus Diškus and Stonis, new species, on Centrolobium ochroxylum Rose ex Rudd. (Faboideae). Centrolobium ochroxylum is an economic...

The identifications of known fossils currently placed in the lepidopteran superfamily Pyraloidea are critically re-examined. Of the eleven fossils examined, only three are confirmed to show morphological characters supporting placement in the superfamily. These fossils include a crambid larva in Baltic Amber, Baltianania yantarnia, Solis gen. n. et...

We describe one new genus (Brachinepticula Stonis & Diškus, gen. nov.) with two new species (B. plurilobata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., B. elongata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.), and one species with uncertain taxonomic position (Johanssoniella bina Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.). We also provide diagnostic characters and an updated annotated catalogue...

Two new species of aquatic acentropines, Petrophila anna, new species, and Petrophila cornvillia, new species, are described and illustrated from northcentral Arizona, U.S.A. Both species were initially found in Oak Creek which traverses both Coconino and Yavapai counties, but were observed most frequently at and below Red Rock Crossing in Coconino...

Pyraloid moths in the subfamily Acentropinae have developmental stages that are aquatic, they live and breathe underwater during all or part of their life cycle. We discovered and describe the previously unknown larvae of Usingeriessa onyxalis (Hampson) (Crambidae) reared on Hygrophila polysperma (Roxb.) T. Anderson (Acanthaceae) and Eleocharis sp....

We provide diagnostic characters for the genus Glaucolepis Braun, re-examine the type series of the type species of the North American G. saccharella Braun, describe two new species from Chile and Argentina (G. flagellata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. and G. pseudoflagellata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.), and provide the first photographic documentati...

Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the navel orangeworm, is an important pest of a wide variety of fruits and their seeds. We discovered and report for the first time A. transitella feeding on Sapindaceae in wild populations of U. speciosa (Endl.) in northeastern Mexico. We provide photographs of the plant, the adult, and the l...

The sugarcane stem borers Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) and D. indigenella Dyar & Heinrich are common pests of sugarcane crops in Colombia’s Cauca river valley (CRV). In 2012, however, D. tabernella Dyar was recorded for the first time in northern CRV and just 1 year later, D. busckella Dyar & Heinrich was detected, also for the first time, in c...

Pygmy moths (Nepticulidae) are a peculiar, specialized family of primitive (monotrysian) leaf-mining Lepidoptera (Figs 1–7) with worldwide distribution. For a long period of time, South America, though vast and with a hugely diverse biota, was comparatively unexplored regarding the collection and study of pygmy moths (for the history of research se...

Astudy of insects associated with the guarumo de pava tree, Pourouma bicolor Martius (Urticaceae), in Panama resulted in the discovery of a new phycitine moth genus and species, Vorapourouma basseti, new genus, new species (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), described herein. The immatures were collected by beating vegetation using the Fort Sherman Canopy Cr...

Siamusotima disrupta Solis, n. sp., is a stem-boring musotimine from China. It was discovered in the stems of several Lygodium Sw. species (Lygodiaceae) during exploration for biological control agents of Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br., the Old World climbing fern. This is the second report of a stem-boring pyraloid larva with a unique, cup-li...

Diatraea lineolata and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) are moths with stemboring larvae that feed and develop on economically important grasses. This study investigated whether these moths have diverged from a native host plant, corn, onto introduced crop plants including sorghum, sugarcane, and rice. Diatraea larvae were collected fr...

We record the first Nepticulidae species found to feed on Baccharis L. (Asteraceae). Despite the high species richness of Baccharis in the Western Hemisphere, no nepticulid has ever been recorded feeding on Baccharis. In this paper we describe six new Stigmella Schrank species feeding on Baccharis: S. emarginatae Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. bipar...

Baccharis L. is among the largest, if not the largest, genus in the family Asteraceae with 354–500 species distributed throughout the Western Hemisphere (Stegelmeier et al. 2009; Heiden 2013; Malagarriga Heras 1977). Most Baccharis species occur mainly in the warm temperate and tropical regions of the New World, predominantly in South America, but...

The European pepper moth Duponcheliafovealis Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is reported for the first time in South America, in the State of Paraná, Brazil. D.fovealis causes damage to strawberries and weakens the plants. Three natural enemies controlling D.fovealis were found and identified as Apanteles sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Hyaliodocori...

We confirm reports from the 20th century literature that Loxomorpha flavidissimalis (Grote, 1878), the cactus webworm, occurs in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, and we report and verify for the first time that it occurs in the state of Tamaulipas as an herbivore of the cultivated cactus Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. var. Copena V-1 (green...

The genus Diatraea Guilding is one of the most economically important groups of moths in the Western Hemisphere. The larvae are stem borers that feed on species of Poaceae, or grasses, such as sugarcane, corn, rice, and sorghum, as well as many other native grasses. Interest in this group has risen considerably since sugarcane and other grasses hav...

Distribution of Diatraea species by country based on Box (1931) and the USNM collection.

An annotated check list of Pyraloidea of North America north of Mexico is presented, including 861 Crambidae and 681 Pyralidae with 1542 total species. It includes all new species described, tropical species with new records in the United States, and species introduced from Europe and Asia since 1983. The Notes section provides the seminal citation...

A new species, Diatraea mitteri Solis, that had been residing cryptically as Diatraea crambidoides (Grote), feeding on eastern gama grass (Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L., is described. D. crambidoides occurs in the southern United States and Mexico and is an economic pest of corn (Zea mays L.). It has been reported to also feed on sorghum (Sorghum b...

Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a major pest of fruits in the family Solanaceae in the Western Hemisphere. The objectives of this study were to determine whether life zone or host plant explained morphological variation in females, and if so, if there was evidence of sexual selection driving diversification in this sp...

Diatraea species are grass borers that are distributed in the Western Hemisphere and feed on major crops such as sugarcane, sorghum, corn, rice, and minor grasses that are being investigated for conservation and biofuel potential such as gama grass. A cryptic, new species, previously thought to be D. crambidoides (Grote), feeding on gama grass has...

The sugarcane borer moth, Diatraea saccharalis, is widespread throughout the Western Hemisphere, and is considered an introduced species in the southern United States. Although this moth has a wide distribution and is a pest of many crop plants including sugarcane, corn, sorghum and rice, it is considered one species. The objective was to investiga...

More than half a million specimens of wild-caught Lepidoptera caterpillars have been reared for their parasitoids, identified, and DNA barcoded over a period of 34 years (and ongoing) from Area de Conservación de Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica. This provides the world's best location-based dataset for studying the taxonomy and host relat...

Diatraea tabernella is recorded for the first time in the Cauca River Valley of Colombia. Even though there has been no information on the status of D. tabernella in Colombia for almost a century, its recent appearance creates concern about its potential economic importance by virtue of its abundance and distribution in the northern region of the C...

Recent studies in the Glaphyriinae have shed light on this taxonomically challenging subfamily in the Pyraloidea. A recent molecular higher-level study showed that the traditional taxonomic concept of the Glaphyriinae should be expanded to include the Evergestinae and Noordinae. Studies on the host plants of the biologically diverse group showed th...

AbstractA Ph.D. dissertation completed by E.D. Cashatt in 1968 entitled “Revision of the Chrysauginae of North America” does not meet the criteria of publication so the new taxa described therein are not available per the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. In order to validate the taxa proposed in that document we formally describe and...

The Neotropical genus Schacontia Dyar (1914) is reviewed and revised to include eleven species. Schacontia replica Dyar, 1914, syn. n. and Schacontia pfeifferi Amsel, 1956, syn. n. are synonymized with Schacontia chanesalis (Druce, 1899) and eight new species are described: Schacontia umbra,sp. n., Schacontia speciosa,sp. n., Schacontia themis, sp....