PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH. 105(2), 2003, pp. 388-396 REDESCRIPTION OF BLASTOBASIS YVCCAECOLELLA DIETZ 1910 (LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIOIDEA: COLEOPHORIDAE: BLASTOBASINI), WITH OBSERVATIONS ON ITS BIOLOGY David Adamski and Olle Pellmyr (DA) Department of Systematic Biology. Entomology Section. National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Institution. Washington. DC 20560-0168. U.S.A. (email:
[email protected]); (OP) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ida-ho. RO. Box 443051. Moscow. ID 83844-3051. U.S.A. (e-mail:
[email protected]) Abstract. — A redescription of the adult of Blaslobusis yuccaecolella Dietz 1910 is giv-en, and for the first time the larva and pupa are described. Observations on the biology of this species are discussed. Photographs of the habilal. host plant, and dried floral parts and seed pods infested by the larva are included. Kc\ Words: Blastobasinae. distribution. Yucca Three blastobasine moths. Holcocera i;i-gantella (Chambers 1876), H. juiradoxa Powell 1976 and Blastobasis yuccaecolella Dietz 1910 are known to feed on Yucca (Agavaceae) in southwestern United States and Mexico. Blastobasis yuccaecolella is known from Texas and from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Adults of this species were first reared from the seed pods of Yucca baccata Torrey in Texas (Dietz 1910). Holcocera gi-gantella and H. paradoxa are known to be sympatric in at least part of their ranges, but it is unknown whether they co-occur with Blastobasis yuccaecolella. Although the Blastobasinae (Coleophor-idae) are treated by Powell (1980) and Pow-ell et al. (1999) as scavengers, several spe-cies feed primarily on living plant tissue. Here we redescribe B. yuccaecolella and for the first time describe the larva and pupa. In addition, the host, habitat, larval habits, and distribution of B. yuccaecolella are dis-cussed. Materials and Methods Larvae of Blastobasis yuccaecolella ranging from second to final instar were collected from the seed pods of Yucca tre-culeaiui Carriere in February. March, and November between 1995-2000 from La-guna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Cameron County (26°15'N. 7°2rW), and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Hi-dalgo County, Texas (26°02'N, 98°05'W). A single specimen was reared from Yucca filifera Chabaud (Agavaceae) in Bano de San Ignacio, near Linares, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (24°52'N, 99°34'W). In addition, a series of specimens used by Dietz (1910) for his original description was examined at the National Museum t)f Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Washington. DC (USNM). All of these latter specimens are labelled as having been collected in 1897 from Yucca baccata in Texas. For SEM study, larvae and pupae were cleaned in 10% alcohol with a camel's hair brush, and dehydrated in increasing concen-trations of alcohol to absolute alcohol. After dehydration, specimens were critical point dried using a Tousimis critical point dryer, mounted on SEM stubs, and coated with gold-palladium (40/60% ). using a Cressing-
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