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Research Project: Systematics of Moths Significant to Biodiversity, Quarantine, and Control, with a Focus on Invasive Species

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) of Panamá: new records and an annotated checklist of species

Author
item CORRO CHANG, PATRICIA - Universidad De Panama
item BIDZILYA, OLESKSIY - National Academy Of Sciences Of Ukraine
item Metz, Mark
item LANDRY, J.F. - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item HEPPNER, JOHN - Florida Museum Of Natural History

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2020
Publication Date: 1/29/2021
Citation: Corro Chang, P., Bidzilya, O., Metz, M., Landry, J., Heppner, J. 2021. Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) of Panamá: new records and an annotated checklist of species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 123(1):55-74. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.1.55.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.1.55

Interpretive Summary: Fewer than 70 species of twirler moth are known from Panama, a country with diverse habitats and flora typical of the Neotropics. Recent collecting efforts in Panama have resulted in the discovery of 11 species previously unknown to occur in the country and several new species of twirler moths. This work documents the next stage of taxonomic and diversity study, an update to the inventory (a.k.a, a checklist) of what is known from Panama. This checklist will facilitate the description of new species and the identification of known species of twirler moths. The updated checklist is annotated with references to scientific literature, and a map of Panama showing all known occurrences of twirler moths is included. This information will be useful for all scientists with an interest in twirler moth diversity and biology, applied entomologists who need to identify Neotropical twirler moths, and moth enthusiasts.

Technical Abstract: A survey for Gelechiidae in Panamá resulted in 28 species, including eleven new distribution records, which suggests a needed update to the current checklist for the country. One of the new distribution records is for Anacampsis phytomiella Busck so the male genitalia are described for the first time. An update to the gelechiid checklist requires that the species Iphimachaera picticollis (Walsingham, 1912) is reclassified in Depressariidae and removed from Gelechiidae. A map of all collecting sites, present and historical, and an updated checklist of the 78 species of Gelechiidae of Panamá is provided with indications of type depository, type locality, and records from the literature.