Bernard Landry

Alien Insects: Threats and Implications for Conservation of Galápagos Islands

Abstract Alien species are the principal threat to the conservation of the Galápagos Islands, but little is known about the status of nonindigenous Galápagos insects and their effects on the biota. Currently, 463 alien insect species have probably been introduced to the Galápagos, an increase of 186 unintentional species introductions since an inventory in 1998. Alien insects now constitute 23% of the total insect fauna. Six species are known to be invasive and a threat to the biota: two species of fire ant and two wasps, a scale insect, and an ectoparasitic dipteran. The ecological impacts of the remaining species are unknown, making the prioritization of action for conservation management difficult. Thus, a newly developed and simple scoring system is presented to predict their potential invasiveness based on trophic functional role, distribution in Galápagos, and history of invasiveness elsewhere. An additional 52 species are predicted to be highly invasive. The endemic flora is most at risk because the largest proportion (42%) of the introduced species is herbivores. Plant populations are threatened principally by vectors of plant disease and by phloem and leaf feeders. Introduced predators and parasitoids (17%) may either be affecting, or have the potential to affect, the status of terrestrial invertebrate populations. At least 10% of the species are considered to be negligible threats to Galápagos ecosystems.

Cryptic differentiation in the endemic micromoth Galagete darwini (Lepidoptera, Autostichidae) on Galapagos volcanoes

To gain insight into the early stages of speciation, we reconstructed a DNA-based phylogeny, using combined mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunits I and II: 1008 bp) and nuclear (elongation factor 1-α and wingless: 1062 bp) markers of populations of the moth Galagete darwini endemic to the Galápagos, which belongs to an insular radiation similar in size to that of Darwins finches. Adults of G. darwini were collected in the arid lowlands of 11 of the Galápagos Islands (Baltra, Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Isabela, Pinta, Pinzón, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santiago and Seymour) and the humid highlands of a subset of 5 of them (Fernandina, Floreana, Isabela, Santa Cruz and Santiago). The combined phylogeographic analysis surprisingly revealed that G. darwini populations at higher elevation on the western islands (Fernandina, Isabela and Santiago) represent a distinct lineage from the one in the low arid zones of these same islands. This is the first reported case in the archipelago of genetic cryptic differentiation correlated with elevation on the western Galápagos volcanoes.

Describing new species in the absence of sampled specimens: a taxonomist's own-goal

Abstract. Photographs of individuals of new species have been used recently as a proxy for physical holotypes when specimens could not be or were not sampled. The arguments that have been presented in favour of this practice are discussed and shown to be ill-founded. The absence of physical specimens may be the source of considerable controversy and the effects of describing new species without physical holotypes are considered detrimental to the future of taxonomy and maintenance of scientific collections.

Immature stages of Galagete protozona (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Autostichidae) from the Galapagos Islands: description and notes on biology

The morphology of the larva and pupa of Galagete protozona (Meyrick), an endemic of the Galapagos Islands, is described and illustrated. The immatures were observed feeding within droppings of the land iguana Conolophus subcristatus (Gray) (Iguanidae) on the island of Fernandina in 2005.

A review of the Phycitinae of the Galápagos Islands (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Based on the examination of more than 800 specimens of Phycitinae (Pyralidae) from the Galapagos Archipelago, 12 species are recognized. The new genus Shafferiessa is described to accommodate the two species: S. galapagoensis sp. n. and S. pumila sp. n. Macrorrhinia pinta sp. n. is also added to the number of endemic phycitines. New food plant records are provided for two species. Fundella agapella Schaus, 1923, is treated as a junior synonym of Fundella argentina Dyar, 1919.

Systematics of the Neotropical genus Catharylla Zeller (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae s. l., Crambinae).

Abstract The Neotropical genus Catharylla Zeller, 1863 (type species: Crambus tenellus Zeller, 1839) is redescribed. Catharylla contiguella Zeller, 1872, C. interrupta Zeller, 1866 and Myelois sericina Zeller, 1881, included by Munroe (1995) in Catharylla, are moved to Argyria Hübner. Catharylla paulella Schaus, 1922 and C. tenellus (Zeller, 1839) are redescribed. Six new species are described by Léger and Landry: C. bijuga, C. chelicerata, C. coronata, C. gigantea, C. mayrabonillae and C. serrabonita. The phylogenetic relationships were investigated using morphological as well as molecular data (COI, wingless, EF-1α genes). The median and subterminal transverse lines of the forewing as well as the short anterior and posterior apophyses of the female genitalia are characteristic of the genus. The monophyly of Catharylla was recovered in all phylogenetic analyses of the molecular and the combined datasets, with three morphological apomorphies highlighted. Phylogenetic analyses of the morphology of the two sexes recovered three separate species groups within Catharylla: the chelicerata, the mayrabonillae, and the tenellus species groups. The possible position of Micrelephas Schaus, 1922 as sister to Catharylla, based on both morphological and molecular data, and the status of tribe Argyriini are discussed. The biogeographical data indicate that the chelicerata species group is restricted to the Guyanas and the Amazonian regions whereas the tenellus group is restricted to the Atlantic Forest in the South-Eastern part of Brazil. The mayrabonillae group is widespread from Costa Rica to South Bolivia with an allopatric distribution of the two species. COI barcode sequences indicate relatively strong divergence within C. bijuga, C. mayrabonillae, C. serrabonita and C. tenellus.

The Glaphyriinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, with keys to the Neotropical species of Hellula Guenée.

The Glaphyriinae comprise about 200 species of small to midsized moths distributed mainly in the New World, with a few species of the genus Hellula Guenee, 1854 in the Old World (Munroe & Solis 1998). Hellula includes ten or eleven putatively valid species (Beccaloni et al. 2003, Munroe 1995, Nuss et al. 2006, and present data). Three Hellula species (H. undalis (Fabricius, 1781), H. phidilealis (Walker, 1859), and H. rogatalis (Hulst, 1886)), are serious pests of Brassicaceae, and the latter two are also known to feed on Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae (Munroe 1972, Solis & Adamski 1998, Zimmerman 1958). Two species of Hellula occur in the Galapagos, H. phidilealis and a new species, described below. This paper is part of a series initiated by the first author (BL) to document the Microlepidoptera of the Galapagos archipelago (e.g., Landry & Gielis 1992, Landry 2002, Landry et al. 2006) and the fourth of the series to treat Pyraloidea. We have adopted a concept of family Pyralidae that includes all Pyraloidea taxa (see Landry & Roque-Albelo 2006) although Munroe & Solis (1998) consider that the superfamily consists of two families, the Crambidae and Pyralidae, with the Glaphyriinae included in the Crambidae. Two keys based on external characters and genitalia are presented here for the five described species that occur or could occur in the Neotropical region (H. galapagensis sp. n., H. kempae Munroe, 1972, H. phidilealis, H. rogatalis, and H. undalis), exclusive The Glaphyriinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, with keys to the Neotropical species of Hellula Guenee

Additions to the Cosmopterigidae (Lepidoptera) of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, with description of a new species of Stilbosis Clemens

The European athecate hydroids and their medusae (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria): Filifera Part 3. This study reviews all European hydroids belonging to the filiferan families Hydractiniidae, Rhysiidae, and Stylasteridae. Stylasterids are treated only summarily because a recent, exhaustive monograph is available. Stylactaria claviformis Bouillon, 1965 and Hydractinia calderi Bouillon, Medel, & Pena Cantero, 1997 are both regarded as junior synonyms of Hydractinia proboscidea (Hincks, 1868). Podocoryna corii Stechow, 1929 is regarded as a new junior synonym of H. borealis. Cytaeandrea polystyla Haeckel, 1879 is perhaps a synonym of Turritopsis polycirrha (Keferstein, 1862). Hydractinia areolata Alder, 1862 is selected as type species for the genus Cytaeandra Haeckel, 1879. Clavopsis adriatica Graeffe, 1883a is an indeterminate species, perhaps belonging to Turritopsis dohrnii (Weismann, 1883).

Key to the Paraplatyptilia species of eastern Canada with description of a new species (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae)

Paraplatyptilia atlantica sp. nov. is described as new from northwestern Newfound-land and the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada. A key to the four species of Paraplatyptilia Bigot and Picard known to occur in eastern Canada (east of Manitoba) is provided.