FREITAS: Notes on Utetheisa pulchelloides TROP. LEPID. RES., 27(2): 115-116, 2017 115 Scientific Note: Biological notes on Utetheisa pulchelloides (Erebidae) in Tuamotu, French Polynesia André Victor Lucci Freitas Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, CEP 13083-862, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, email: [email protected] Key words: Boraginaceae, Heliotropium, moth, tiger moth The genus Utetheisa s. str. comprises about 20 species of early stages have been provided so far (Harding, 1976, but see usually colorful diurnal moths occurring worldwide, including Comstock, 1966). small oceanic islands and atolls (DaCosta, 2010; Roque- Field observations were made from July 12-14, 2013 in the Albelo & Landry, 2009). Among these, Utetheisa pulchelloides Pearl Beach Resort motu in Tikehau Atol, Tuamotu Archipelago, Hampson, 1907 is a common species occurring on several French Polynesia (15°6’25”S 148°11’57”W), a small reef islands of the Indian Ocean, Indo-Australian and Pacific islet (150 m wide and 300 m long) near Tuherahera village. tropics, Australia, New Caledonia, Norfolk and New Zealand Larvae of Utetheisa pulchelloides were observed feeding on (Holloway, 1977). The immature stages and host-plants of the Heliotropium foertherianum Diane & Hilger (Boraginaceae) species are well known, although no detailed description of (=Argusia argentea (L. f.) Heine), a common shrub growing Figure 1. Natural history of Utetheisa pulchelloides in Tikehau atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. A. General view of a Heliotropium foertherianum shrub growing near the sea. Later instars feeding on leaves (B) and on flower buds (C) of its host plant. A pupa (D) and two empty pupal cases (D, E) attached to leaves of the host plant. 116 TROP. LEPID. RES., 27(2): 115-116, 2017 FREITAS: Notes on Utetheisa pulchelloides from just above the high tide line (Fig. 1a). This host plant is Lowman, M. D. 1984. Grazing of Utetheisa pulchelloides larvae on its also known to be used by other species of Utetheisa in the Indo- host plant, Argusia argentea, on coral cays of the Great Barrier Reef. Biotropica 16: 14-18. Pacific region (Robinson, 1971; Robinson & Robinson, 1974). McFarland, N. 1979. Annotated list of larval foodplant records for 280 After an intensive search, immature stages of U. pulchelloides species of Australian moths. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 33, were found in most of the searched shrubs (30 out of 45 shrubs) Supplement: 1-72. in the northwest side of the motu (they were apparently rare Pande, Y. D. 1972. A Contribution to the Biology of Utetheisa pulchella Linn. or absent in other groups of plants searched in the north and (Lepid., Arctiidae) on Crotalaria burhea. Zeitschrift für angewandte west sides of the islet). Immature stages (larvae and pupae) Entomologie 70: 72-76. were most commonly found on shaded leaves from 40 cm to 2 Robinson, G. S. 1971. The genus Utetheisa Hübner in Fiji with a description m above ground (shaded leaves were also preferred by larvae of a new species (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Entomologist´s Record and in a more detailed study in Australia (Lowman, 1984)). In Journal of Variation 83: 123-130. some plants, up to 30 larvae could be found feeding on leaves, Robinson, G. S., Robinson, H. S. 1974. Notes on the genus Utetheisa (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) in the western Pacific with larval descriptions. flowers and flower buds (Fig. 1b, c). High abundances of Entomologist´s Record and Journal of Variation 86: 160-163. larvae of U. pulchelloides have been previously recorded on Vieira, V. 2012. Primeira citação de Utetheisa pulchella (Linnaeus, 1758) small islands in Australia (Lowman, 1984). Small larvae (< para a ilha de São Miguel, Açores (Portugal) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). 7 mm) were observed grazing on the under surface of leaves SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología 40: 107-112. while larger larvae consumed the entire leaf producing holes Tella, R. de 1955. Dados bionomicos de Utetheisa ornatrix (L., 1758) in the limb (Fig. 1b). Pupae were observed attached by silk (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae). Bragantia 14: 109-115. beds inside leaf shelters made by partially bent green leaves (n = 34) (Fig. 1d, e) (see also Harding, 1976). Although some species of Utetheisa are known to pupate among fallen leaves on the soil surface (Pande, 1972), pupating on plant leaves far from the soil is apparently common in the few reared species of Utetheisa (Tella, 1955; Pande, 1972). This behavior would be advantageous for species such as U. pulchelloides that breed near the sea and on oceanic islands, where high tides could easily kill pupae on the ground. Adults were also locally abundant; 10 to 30 individuals could be recorded flying during a walk in a linear transect of 30 m near the hostplants. It would be interesting to investigate why the immature stages of U. pulchelloides are common on some clusters of plants while being virtually absent on other nearby bushes. Although Lowman (2013) presented some hypotheses, this subject is far from being understood. Finding out which factors explain the small-scale spatial distribution of this species may be an important step for a better understanding of its success in colonization of oceanic islands. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To my wife Graziela C. Chagas for making my dreams of visiting French Polynesia come true. To Rodrigo Cogni and Andrei Sourakov for reading the final version of the manuscript. I also thank the Brazilian CNPq (grant 303834/2015-3) and FAPESP (grants 2011/50225-3). This publication is part of the RedeLep (Rede Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Lepidópteros) SISBIOTA-Brasil/CNPq (563332/2010-7). LITERATURE CITED Comstock, J. A. 1966. Lepidoptera of American Samoa with particular reference to biology and ecology. Pacific Insects Monograph 11: 1-74. DaCosta, M. A. 2010. Phylogeny of Utetheisa s. str. (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae: Arctinae [sic]) with comments on the evolution of colour, hind wing scales and origin of New World species. Invertebrate Systematics 24: 113-130. Harding, J. W. 1976. Utetheisa pulchelloides (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) breeding in Nelson. The New Zealand Entomologist 6: 197-198. Holloway, J. D. 1977. The Lepidoptera of Norfolk Island, their Biogeography and Ecology. Series Entomologica 13. The Hague, W. Junk.