Introduction

The genus Yponomeuta Latreille, 1796 comprises of around 80 species (DUGDALE et al., 1999: 122), 9 of which are present in Europe (RENNWALD, 2018). Normally Yponomeutidae are phytophagous and have a wide, mainly palaearctic, distribution. The genus is represented in all major eco regions except South America and Antarctica (ULENBERG, 2009). Species from this genus are frequently considered as pests with larvae feeding communally on the foodplant by enveloping the tree with a large silken web, sometimes covering the entire tree or shrub (CARTER, 1984).

In the Maltese Islands a total of seven species within the Yponomeutoidea have been recorded so far, including three Yponomeutidae (SAMMUT, 2000): Yponomeuta padella (Linnaeus, 1758), Zelleria oleastrella (Millière, 1846) and Yponomeuta evonymella (Linnaeus, 1758) being the latest addition to the Yponomeutidae species of the Maltese Islands (SEGUNA, 2007).

Material

MALTA: (162 exemplars) Qormi 14-17-XI-2017, coll. A. Sciberras. All specimens were recorded at a garden cente where it is being assumed that the species has been imported. (Figure 1).

Distribution

The species is naturally found throughout Kenya and Tanzania with the type locality being Zanzibar in Tanzania (ZELLER, 1877). This is the first record for Malta and Europe. Even though the larvae of most Yponomeuta species feed on Celastraceae (ULENBERG, 2009), apparently this species lives on trees of the genus Elaeodendron (GARDNER, 1957). In fact it was confirmed that at least two garden centres (one at Qormi and another one at Burmarrad) have imported plants from this genus in the past which substantiates further the hypothesis that this moth was importaed accidentally.

The species is new both to the Maltese and the European lepidopterofauna. We propose the Maltese name Bahrija Griza tat-Tikek, after a transliteration of the scientific name.

Figure 1.
Left. Yponomeuta morbillosus (Zeller, 1877) - MALTA, Qormi, November 2017. Right. Silken webbuilt by Yponomeuta morbillosus (Zeller, 1877) - MALTA, Qormi, November 2017.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Ms. Tina Schulz for the identification of the species and to Dr Antonio Vives for the Spanish abstract.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CARTER, D. J., 1984.– Pest Lepidoptera of Europe with Special Reference to the Beitish Isles, Dr. W. Junk Publishers.

DUGDALE, J. S., KRISTENSEN, N. P., ROBINSON, G. S. & SCOBLE, M. J., 1999.– The Yponomeutoidea: 119130.– In N. P. KRISTENSEN (ed.). Handbook of Zoology. Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies, 1: 491 pp. Walter & Gruyter, Berlin, New York.

GARDNER J. C. M., 1957.– An annotated list of East African forest insects: 34 pp. EAAFRO For Tech Note 7, Gov’t Printer, Nairobi.

RENNWALD, E., 2018.– Yponomeutidae of Europe. Available from https://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl? Yponomeutidae_Europa (accessed 31st March 2018)

SAMMUT, P., 2000.– Kullana Kulturali. 12 - Il-Lepidoptera: X + 246 pp. Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza, Malta. SEGUNA, A., 2007.– Yponomeuta evonymella (Linnaeus, 1758). A new record for the Lepidopterofauna of the Maltese Islands (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae).– SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología, 35(139): 283-284.

ULENBERG, S. A., 2009.– Phylogeny of the Yponomeuta species (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutidae) and the history of their host plant associations.– Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, 152(2), 187-201. DOI: 10.1163/22119434900000275

ZELLER, P. C., 1877.– Exotische Microlepidoptera.– Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae, 13(1-4): 3-493, 6

Notas de autor

jonagius@msn.com