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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370795
Research Project: Systematics of Moths Significant to Biodiversity, Quarantine, and Control, with a Focus on Invasive Species

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: A new species of Colonanthes Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) from Panamá and the placement of the genus in Litini Bruand (Gelechiinae)

Author
item CORRO CHANG, PATRICIA - Universidad De Panama
item Metz, Mark

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/13/2020
Publication Date: 5/11/2020
Citation: Corro Chang, P., Metz, M. 2020. Universidad de Panamá, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado. Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas con énfasis en Entomología, Panamá; Agricultural Research Service - Systematic Entomology Lab. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 122(2):291-298.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.122.2.291

Interpretive Summary: The habitat near the Panamá Canal has been a subject of US biological study since before construction through modern times. Familiarity with the insect species in that area informs research on the natural fauna within the United States, but also creates a catalog of potential invasive species that might “stow away” on commercial vessels in route to our borders. This research reports the discovery of a new species in a genus of leaf-tier moths known only from South America, extending the distribution of the genus north by 1000 km. We also discuss the morphological features present in the new species that help place it among a tribe of species that occur worldwide, thus providing information towards understanding the relationships among the thousands of species of leaf-tier moths. This information will be helpful to scientists working on leaf-tier moths and anyone trying to identify and classify species of leaf-tier moths.

Technical Abstract: We diagnose and describe Colonanthes korytkowski new species from Panamá and discuss the placement of the genus in Litini Bruand, 1859 (Gelechiinae). The genus was represented by a single species, Colonanthes plectanopa Meyrick, 1923, described from two male specimens collected at Manaus, Brazil and Yurimaguas, Peru. We also include the first female description of a species in the genus and expand the distribution of the genus north by over 1000 km.