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Eilema rungsi (Toulgöet, 1960) a new species of Arctiinae for the Maltese Islands (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Arctiinae)

Eilema rungsi (Toulgöet, 1960) una nueva especie para Malta (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Arctiinae)

Introduction

Eilema rungsi (Toulgöet,1960) is the smallest member of the genus, with a wingspan of 16-22 mm. So far this species has been recorded in Europe from the coastal areas of Portugal, Spain, the Baleares, Italy and Greece, and elsewhere from Morocco. Adult moths are on the wing between April and October (FIBIGER et al., 2011).

Material examined: Malta, 1 ♂, Żebbug, 8-XI-2020, at light [18W Actinic light], Catania leg.

Discussion: The subtribe Lithosiina is represented in the Maltese archipelago by four taxa including the newly recorded species. Eilema caniola (Hübner, [1808]), which was first recorded by VALLETTA (1973) is a common, widely distributed species with two generations per year. The second species is Eilema marcida (Mann, 1859) which was erroneously determined as Eilema pygmaeola (Doubleday, 1847). Eilema marcida also has two broods per year. It is on the wing from mid-May to mid-June and again midJuly to mid-September. (PRZYBYŁOWICZ & SAMMUT, 2011). Lithosia quadra (Linnaeus, 1758) has been recorded from two specimens, a male from Mellieħa collected in 1976 by L. Cassar (SAMMUT, 2000) and another male from Naxxar collected in 1996 by A. Seguna. Lithosia quadra (Linnaeus, 1758) is not known to breed in Malta (PRZYBYŁOWICZ & SAMMUT, 2011). Eilema rungsi (TOULGÖET, 1960) is the fourth species in this subtribe to be recorded in the Maltese Islands.

Eilema rungsi (Toulgöet,1960) was first discovered in 1953, when Charles Rungs and Thami Benmessaoud captured a small series from Merdja Bokka (Morocco). Hervé De Toulgöet, described the species based on these specimens in 1960. The epithet “rungsi” is given in honour of Charles Rungs. Later in 1977, Paolo Parenzan discovered this species in Brindisi which is in the extreme South-Eastern part of the Italian Peninsula (PARENZAN, 1977). In a forthcoming paper, SCALERCIO et al. (2020) refer to recent new records of E. rungsi in Calabria, Italy between August and November of 2019. DERRA & HACKER (1983) collected a specimen from central Greece, which they described as Pelosia helleníca. However, this taxon is now considered a synonym of Eilema rungsi. (FIBIGER et al., 2011). Eilema rungsi is also known from Spain and Portugal. (GÓMEZ et al., 2020).The early stages and food plants of E. rungsi are not yet known although it is suggested they are marshy and halophilous plants.

I would like to thank Dr. Łukasz Przybyłowicz for confirming the species, Dr. Stefano Scalercio for his data from Calabria Italy, Mr. Paul Sammut for his help in reviewing the draft of this paper and Dr. Antonio Vives for providing the Spanish translation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DERRA, G. & HACKER, H., 1983.– Pelosia hellenica sp. n. eine neue Lithosiinae - Art aus Griechenland (Lepidoptera, Lithosiinae).– Entomofauna, 4(20): 253-260.

FIBIGER, M., GYALA, M. L., RONKAY, G., RONKAY, L., SPEIDEL, W., VARGA, Z., WAHLBERG, N., WITT, T. J., YELA, J. L., ZAHIRI, R. & ZILLI, A., 2011.– NoctuidaeEuropaeae XIII. Lymantrinae and Arctiinae, including Phylogeny and Checklist of the Quadrifid Noctuoidea of Europe.– In T. J. WITT & L. RONKAY: 448 pp. Entomological Press, Søro.

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PRZYBYŁOWICZ, L. & SAMMUT, P., 2011.– Eilema marcida (Mann, 1859) - A new species for Malta with remarks on other members of the Lithosiinae (Arctiidae).– Nota lepidopterologica, 33(2): 253-259.

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