Feltia submontana (Noctuidae, Noctuinae): Redescription, Taxonomy, Life Cycle, and Spatial Distribution of a Neglected South American Potential Pest Species

Feltia submontana (Köhler, 1961) is redescribed based on specimens from Northwestern Argentina and Central and Southeastern Brazil. Taxonomic comments, photographs of the adults, characters of taxonomic importance, and illustrations of structures of the labial palpus, legs, and male and female genitalia are provided. The species is compared with similar-looking and supposedly closely related species, such as F. hispidula (Guenée, 1852) and F. lilacina (Zerny, 1916). The species, originally described for Argentina, is reported for Brazil for the first time. Most Brazilian specimens come from the "Cerrado" but also from Southeastern Atlantic Forests. The life cycle of F. submontana specimens collected in Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil, is described; the species probably has only a single generation per year and imagines are on the wing in the late autumn and early winter months; the last instar prepupa and pupa pass through aestival diapause. The abundance of F. submontana relative to other species of Agrotis Ochsenheimer, 1816, and Feltia Walker, 1856, in the above-cited locality is accessed through 4 years of standardized collecting with light trap; the species is the second most abundant species of these genera in the area, with about one fifth of the captures, second only to A. ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766), with about two thirds of the captures, and about two times more abundant than F. subterranea (Fabricius, 1794); the latter two are regarded as important pest species in South America.

Uncovered Diversity of a Predominantly Andean Butterfly Clade in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: a Revision of the Genus Praepedaliodes Forster (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Satyrini)

The genus Praepedaliodes Forster, 1964, the only representative of the mega-diverse mostly Andean Pedaliodes complex lineage in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, is revised. Prior to this study, four species were known, P. phanias (Hewitson, 1862), P. granulata (Butler, 1868), P. amussis (Thieme, 1905) and P. exul (Thieme, 1905). Here, a further six are described, all from SE Brazil, expanding to 10 the number of species in this genus. Lectotypes are designated for P. phanias, P. granulata and P. amussis. The genus is most diverse in the Serra da Mantiqueira (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais) and in the Serra Geral (Paraná, Santa Catarina) with seven species occurring in both ranges. Praepedaliodes phanias is the most widespread species and the only one found in the western part of the Atlantic Forest; only this species and P. duartei Dias, Dolibaina & Pyrcz n. sp. occurring to near sea level. Other species, P. zaccae Dolibaina, Dias & Pyrcz n. sp., P. francinii Freitas & Pyrcz n. sp., P. sequeirae Pyrcz, Dias & Dolbaina n. sp., P. landryi Pyrcz & Freitas n. sp. and P. pawlaki Pyrcz & Boyer n. sp. are strictly montane and the highest species richness is reached at 1400-1800 m. One species, P. sequeirae n. sp., is a narrow endemic found only at timberline in the Agulhas Negras massif above 2300 m. Immature stages are described for two species, P. phanias and P. landryi n. sp. Molecular data (barcode region of cytochrome oxidase, subunit I) and adult morphology, including male and female genitalia, support the genus as monophyletic, belonging to a predominantly Andean clade of the Pedaliodes Butler, 1867 complex. Morphological evidences, in particular female genitalia comparative analysis, indicate the genera Physcopedaliodes Forster, 1964 and Panyapedaliodes Forster, 1964 as possibly the closest relatives to Praepedaliodes. Molecular data are inconclusive in this respect.

Immature Stages of Six Species of Adelpha Hübner (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae) from Southern Brazil Coastal Forests

Six species of Adelpha Hübner from Balneário Barra do Sul (Santa Catarina) and Morretes (Paraná) were collected as eggs or larvae and reared in captivity, aiming to provide descriptions and photography of the immature stages and imagoes. The species studied were Adelpha radiata radiata Fruhstorfer; Adelpha serpa serpa (Boisduval); Adelpha plesaure plesaure Hübner; Adelpha thesprotia (C. Felder & R. Felder); Adelpha lycorias lycorias (Godart); and Adelpha capucinus velia (C. Felder & R. Felder). Two new records of host plants were provided, Tapirira guianensis Aubl. for A. radiata radiata and Heteropterys for A. capucinus velia. This study provides a summary of host plants and the seasonality of occurrence of immature stages of these species. Data were organized in photographic plates that could be useful for the identification process.