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2020, Entomologist’s Gazette 71: 93–97 doi: 10.31184/G00138894.712.1752
© Pemberley Books
The Spanish endemic Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou, Mironov
& Rietz, 2017 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae): a
contribution to an understanding of its early stages
GARETH EDWARD KING
c/. Arganzuela,12-6°,1,28005 Madrid,Spain
sterrhinae@gmail.com
JOSÉ LUIS VIEJO MONTESINOS
Departamento de Biología (Zoología), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid,c/. Darwin,2,
28049 Madrid,Spain
joseluis.viejo@uam.es
Abstract
The pupa, cephalic capsule and antenna of the recently described Eupithecia gypsophilata
Skou, Mironov & Rietz, 2017 are detailed from exuviae obtained ex larvae from Madrid and
Saragossa (central Spain).
Key words: Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae, Eupithecia gypsophilata, immature stages,
chaetotaxy, Iberian Peninsula
Introduction
The genus Eupithecia Curtis, 1825 is one of the most diverse at a world level,
with 82 taxa of the 134 European species documented from the Iberian Peninsula
(Mironov, 2003; Redondo, Gastón & Gimeno, 2009; Müller et al., 2019). The
biological data of sixty Central European species, especially relating to the early
stages, has been described in great detail by Ratzel (2003). Data referring to the
early stages, as well as the biology of the Iberian fauna, has seen the light of day
in Soria (1987), Gómez de Aizpúrua (1987, 1989) and Gómez de Aizpúrua,
González Granados & Viejo Montesinos (2003, 2005, 2006, 2011). Eupithecia
larvae are feeders on their host-plant’s flowers rather than the leaves, but are also
considered to introduce themselves into pods (Ratzel, 2003); for this reason,
most species are monovoltine, having to coincide phenologically with their food-
plants’ flowering and fruit-bearing season. Nevertheless, other Eupithecia species
are polyphagous as well as being multivoltine, for example, Eupithecia centaureata
([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) (Ratzel, 2003; Mironov, 2003).
Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou, Mironov & Rietz, 2017 (Fig. 1) was recently
described as a taxon distinct from Eupithecia gemellata Herrich-Schäffer, 1861
(Skou, Mironov & Rietz, 2017). These sister species are allopatric with the latter
species being distributed in the Eastern Mediterranean reaching Anatolia
(Turkey) (Mironov, 2003). Eupithecia gypsophilata on the other hand, is endemic
to Spain, especially on gypsum soils (Redondo, Gastón & Gimeno, 2009). King
& Viejo Montesinos (2010) documented three food-plants, for what was then
understood to be Eupithecia gemellata, in the Tagus Valley (Madrid): Gypsophila
struthium L. in Loefl. (Caryophyllaceae), Limonium dichotomum (Cav.) Kuntz
(Plumbaginaceae) and Reseda stricta Pers. (Resedaceae). It is bivoltine (or
polyvoltine) according to Mironov (2003), referring then to E. gemellata,
93
94 Entomologist’s Gazette (2020) Vol. 71
nevertheless, larval data from the Tagus Valley (Madrid, 600 m) from 2004 until
2006 indicate a late first (and perhaps only) generation from August (King &
Viejo Montesinos, 2010). In Redondo & Gastón (1999) Eupithecia gemellata data
from Aragon (NE Spain) indicated a flight period from July until the end of
September. In Müller et al. (2019) E. gypsophilata is mentioned as being
(probably) bivoltine: late June to mid-August; early September to mid-October.
The objective of this brief paper is to describe the pupa, cephalic capsule and
antenna of the L5 larva of E. gypsophilata from exuviae from those images
obtained via Scanning Electron Microscopy.
Fig. 1. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou, Mironov & Rietz, 2017: Xex larva, 17.ix.05, Limonium
dichotomum, Ciempozuelos, Madrid, 600 m, Spain.
Fig. 2. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou,
Mironov & Rietz, 2017: ex larva L5: 15.viii.00,
Ciempozuelos, Madrid: cephalic capsule:
lateral view: stemmata, corresponding setae.
Fig. 3. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou,
Mironov & Rietz, 2017: ex larva L5: 15.viii.00,
Ciempozuelos, Madrid: antenna sc = sensillum
chaeticum, S1 = sensilla styloconica, B1, B2,
B3 = sensilla basiconica, ap = antennal pit.
Entomologist’s Gazette (2020) Vol. 71 95
Fig. 4. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou, Mironov & Rietz, 2017: ex larva: 24.viii.98, Juslibol,
Saragossa, 200 m, Spain Yexuvium pupa.
Fig. 5. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou,
Mironov & Rietz, 2017: exuvium, pupa: cephalic
zone and corresponding append ages (ex larva:
18.ix.04, Ciempozuelos, Madrid, 600m).
Fig. 7. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou,
Mironov & Rietz, 2017: exuvium, pupa:
urites, spiracles (ex larva: 15.viii.00,
Ciempozuelos).
Fig. 8. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou,
Mironov & Rietz, 2017: exuvium, pupa:
cremaster (ex larva: 9.x.04, Ciempozuelos).
Fig. 6. Eupithecia gypsophilata Skou,
Mironov & Rietz, 2017: exuvium, pupa:
pterotecae, urites (ex larva: 18.ix.04).
96 Entomologist’s Gazette (2020) Vol. 71
Abbreviations:
Col. UAM: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid collection.
Col. GEK: first author’s personal collection
Material & methodology
For the images taken with the Scanning Electron Microsope (SEM), material
was arranged on stubs held in place by carbon discs, and latterly bathed in gold
using Quorum Q150TS, with the images themselves taken with Amray 1810
(10 kV) at the Servicio Interdepartmental de Investigación (SIDI), Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) (February 2019).
Material was from a private collection (Col. GEK) including exuviae as a result
of larvae obtained in the field (King & Viejo Montesinos, 2010). The exuviae had
been kept in capsules which at the same had been pinned below the appropriate
specimens (Hausmann, 2001). Terminology related to chaetotaxy follows that
employed in Hinton (1946), Hasenfuss (1963) and Ahola & Silvonen (2005).
Results
Larva. hypognathous; cephalic capsule exuvium L5 (n = 1): Fig. 2: surface smooth; the
stemmata is composed of six ocelli with ocellus 6 distant from the other five in the complex.
The main ocelli (Fig. 2) are composed of ocelli O1 to O5 with seta O1 (lacking in this sample)
proximal to ocellus 3 and ocellus 2; almost in the centre of the complex. Seta O2 is positioned
almost alongside O1; seta O3 is positioned distant from the complex in the lower area of the
cephalic capsule. Setae O3, O2 are of the same length. O1 is the largest ocellus amongst the
stemmata with a difference of ca 10% in relation to the others. Between the five ocelli that form
the main complex these are evenly positioned one from the other with the exception of that
between ocelli 5, 1. Although ocellus 6 is positioned away from the main 5-ocelli complex it is
nearest to ocellus 4. Sub-ocellar setae: SO1, SO2, SO3 are positioned distant from the
stemmata with the exception of SO1 which is half-way between ocelli 6, 4. SO2 is alongside
ocellus 6, whilst SO1 is positioned beneath O4. Of the setal complex A1, A2, A3, one can see
only A1 (Fig. 2) which is positioned relatively near to ocellus 4.
Antenna. Exuvium L5 (n = 1): Fig. 3: The antennae are situated in a pit posterior to the
stemmata (Fig. 2) and are composed of three segments: sensilla styloconica (S1, S2), sensilla
basiconica (B1, B2, B3), as well as the sensillum chaeticum (Rana & Mohankumar, 2017). In
E. gypsophilata the sensilla styloconica can be recognised (Fig. 3) and the three sensilla
basiconica; the sensillum chaeticum protrudes out of the aforementioned pit and is relatively
short and stout.
Pupa. obtect (Fig. 4): Y8 mm (n = 3): shiny ochre, anteriorly; cerotecae not especially
prominent (Fig. 5); pterotecae do not protrude beyond A5 (Fig. 6); urites with rough surface;
slot-shaped spiracles are of a similar size (Fig. 7); cremaster (Fig. 8): prominent hooks are well-
curved; two setae D2 25% longer than setae L1.
Discussion and conclusions
This present paper has analysed the chaetotaxy of the pupa and the cephalic
capsule of a recently-described taxon: E. gypsophilata (Skou, Mironov & Rietz,
2017), in addition to its larval antenna. E. gypsophilata belongs to the graphata
species-group, a complex of twelve species within the Eupithecia genus (sub-genus
Petersenia Schütze, 1958) distributed in the Western Palaearctic with a focus on
the Mediterranean Basin (six species) being associated with the asteraceas and
Entomologist’s Gazette (2020) Vol. 71 97
caryophylaceas where this is known (Schütze, 1958; Mironov, 2003). The early
stages of the other taxa of the graphata species-group should be similarly studied
to contribute to a better understanding of this species group.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Esperanza Salvador Rueda of the Laboratorio de Microscopía
de Barrido y Análisis por Energía Dispersiva de Rayos X, SIDI, Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid (February 2019), without whose help the preparation of
this short paper would have been quite impossible.
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