An annotated catalogue of the Phaegopterina (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini) of state of Maranhão, Brazil.

Phaegopterina moths comprise approximately 750 species recorded in Brazil. In the Cerrado, there are 254 recorded species, while in the Amazon region there are 469. In this study we present an annotated catalogue of species distribution for the Phaegopterina subtribe, recorded in the state of Maranhão for 11 municipalities. After examining the material and reviewing the bibliography, we developed a catalogue containing 119 species within 59 genera of Phaegopterina, of which 26 species are newly recorded for Maranhão, Brazil. The continuous inventory of Arctiinae for Maranhão will contribute to the identification and understanding of the diversity of Lepidoptera present in the region between the Cerrado and Amazon biomes.

First record of Utetheisa pulchella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) in Brazilian Amazon: implications for conservation.

The crimson speckled moth, Utetheisa pulchella (Linnaeus, 1758), is recorded in Brazilian Amazon for the first time. A moth (male) was collected with light trap in a multiple cropping area, in Mojuí dos Campos municipality, Pará State, Brazil. This record expands the area of occurrence and distribution of this rare species in the Neotropical Region. In addition, the occurrence of U. pulchella in the Amazon was unexpected, since this species is generally associated with open ecosystems and drier climates.

Arctiini Leach, [1815] (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) of the Brazilian Amazon. III - Subtribe Ctenuchina Kirby, 1837 / Arctiini Leach, [1815] (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) da Amazônia Brasileira. III - Subtribo Ctenuchina Kirby, 1837

Abstract: The Ctenuchina moths comprise 874 New World species. Here we provide a list of Ctenuchina species from the Brazilian Amazon. The list was produced from specimens deposited in the most important Brazilian collections and from literature data. Nearly 31% (273) of the New World Ctenuchina species were recorded, including 28 new occurrences for the Brazilian Amazon. Santarém and Belém were the municipalities with the highest number of species records, with 139 and 88, respectively. The high number of Ctenuchina records in the Amazon is underestimated because this subtribe has never been sampled in the vast majority of the biome. This is a worrying scenario because the Amazon has the world highest absolute rate of forest reduction. To suggest efficient conservation policies for the Arctiinae fauna of Amazon, it is urgent to intensify the sampling effort in this biome.

Resumo: As mariposas Ctenuchina compreendem 874 espécies no Novo Mundo. Neste trabalho, nós apresentamos uma lista das espécies de Ctenuchina que ocorrem na Amazônia brasileira. A lista foi produzida através de observação de espécimes depositados nas mais importantes coleções brasileiras e também através de dados da literatura. Aproximadamente 31% (273) das espécies de Ctenuchina que ocorrem no Novo Mundo foram registradas, incluindo 28 novas ocorrências para a Amazônia brasileira. Santarém e Belém foram os municípios com maior número de espécies registradas, com 139 e 88, respectivamente. Embora o número de registros de Ctenuchina seja considerado alto na Amazônia, este valor é subestimado visto que a fauna nunca foi amostrada na imensa maioria do bioma. Este cenário é preocupante, pois a Amazônia possui a maior taxa absoluta de redução florestal do mundo. A fim de podermos sugerir políticas de conservação eficientes para a fauna de Arctiinae da Amazônia, é urgente que se intensifique o esforço de coleta neste bioma.

Fast Census of Moth Diversity in the Neotropics: A Comparison of Field-Assigned Morphospecies and DNA Barcoding in Tiger Moths.

The morphological species delimitations (i.e. morphospecies) have long been the best way to avoid the taxonomic impediment and compare insect taxa biodiversity in highly diverse tropical and subtropical regions. The development of DNA barcoding, however, has shown great potential to replace (or at least complement) the morphospecies approach, with the advantage of relying on automated methods implemented in computer programs or even online rather than in often subjective morphological features. We sampled moths extensively for two years using light traps in a patch of the highly endangered Atlantic Forest of Brazil to produce a nearly complete census of arctiines (Noctuoidea: Erebidae), whose species richness was compared using different morphological and molecular approaches (DNA barcoding). A total of 1,075 barcode sequences of 286 morphospecies were analyzed. Based on the clustering method Barcode Index Number (BIN) we found a taxonomic bias of approximately 30% in our initial morphological assessment. However, a morphological reassessment revealed that the correspondence between morphospecies and molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) can be up to 94% if differences in genitalia morphology are evaluated in individuals of different MOTUs originated from the same morphospecies (putative cases of cryptic species), and by recording if individuals of different genders in different morphospecies merge together in the same MOTU (putative cases of sexual dimorphism). The results of two other clustering methods (i.e. Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery and 2% threshold) were very similar to those of the BIN approach. Using empirical data we have shown that DNA barcoding performed substantially better than the morphospecies approach, based on superficial morphology, to delimit species of a highly diverse moth taxon, and thus should be used in species inventories.