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Title: CATALOG OF THE TYPE SPECIMENS OF GELECHIOIDEA IN THE COLLECTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON, DC

Author
item Brown, John
item Adamski, David
item HODGES, RONALD - RETIRED USDA ENTOMOLOGIST
item BAHR, STEPHEN - A&M UNIVERSITY, TEXA

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2004
Publication Date: 6/10/2004
Citation: Brown, J.W., Adamski, D., Hodges, R.W., Bahr, S.M. 2004. Catalog of the type specimens of gelechioidea in the collection of the national museum of natural history, smithsonian institution, washington, dc. Zootaxa. 510: 1-160

Interpretive Summary: The 'gelechioids' are small moths, many of which are big pests. While some species attack crops such as cotton, potatoes, and tomatoes, others show high potential as biological control agents against invasive weeds such as bull-nettle. These moths are tiny and hard to identify, hence tools for recognizing them and distinguishing them from closely related species are critical. Because the unique name-bearing type specimen of each species is essential for accurate identification, we compiled a list of the type specimens of the superfamily present in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. The list will be valuable to those interested in accurate identifications through comparison with the type specimen. While the primary users will be scientists working on the systematics and/or taxonomy of these moths, the work of these specialists supports all efforts aimed at pest detection, exclusion, and control (such as APHIS personnel at ports-of-entry), and is crucial to successful implementation of biological control programs.

Technical Abstract: The collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., is second only to that of The Natural History Museum (formerly British Museum of Natural History), London, in the number of type specimens of the superfamily Gelechioidea (Lepidoptera). The Smithsonian houses 1,344 gelechioid types: 1,242 holotypes, 48 lectotypes, 1 neotype, 70 species represented by one or more syntypes, and 8 species represented by one or more pseudotypes. Three former curators are responsible for the vast majority of the type specimens: August Busck, J. F. Gates Clarke, and Ronald W. Hodges. We present a list of the species for which a type is deposited in the USNM, organized alphabetically. For each species we provide an abbreviated reference to the original description and label data. This list represents the second contribution to a larger effort to make available information on the Lepidoptera type holdings of the USNM.