On some basic concepts of the evolution of psychid-moths from the points of view of the comparative ethology and morphology(Fifteenth Anniversary (1960) Commemorative Publication)
1962 Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 120-143
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1962 Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 120-143
In this paper, the author discussed the basic problems on the phylogeny of psychid-moths from the point of views of comparative morphology and ethology. If we intend to have correct understanding of the phylogenetical relation and the factors of evolution, we must investigate the comparative studies on the habits besides the studies of comparative morphology. The author mainly investigated the degeneration of the body structures and differentiation of the habits of adult females of psychid-moths. Females of psychid-moths in Japan are separable into four groups morphologically and ethologically. α-group: Wings and legs are well-developed and functional. Having very long apophyses anteriores and posteriores, female can stretch her ovipositor long. At emergence, female pupa moves toward the posterior opening of the larval case, protrudes the anterior half of the body, then the adult insect emerges. Adult female is a rather moveless creature and often does not leave the larval case. Female lays eggs in the slits on rock and mosses, or sometimes in the larval case. Japanese genera belonging to the α-group are Diplodoma and four undescribed genera, one of which is very closely related to Narychia. β-group: Wings are degenerated into a minute membranous process which has no wing veins. Therefore, this organ completely lacks the function of flight. Legs are well-developed but short and the function of walking is extremely reduced. Female slowly climbs up and down on the lateral side of the larval case, or only hangs at the posterior opening of the case. At emergence, female pupa moves toward the posterior opening of the case from which she protrudes the anterior half of her body, and the adult insect emerges. Adult female does not leave her larval case, and rests on the lateral side of the case until male comes to copulate. After copulation female inserts her ovipositor into the slit between the larval case and protruded pupal skin, and lays eggs in the case. Japanese genera belonging to the β-group are Taleporia, Solenobia and an undescribed genus. γ-group: Wings are degenerated into a minute membranous process which has no wing veins. Therefore, this organ completely lacks the function of flight, or it is completely obliterated. As the legs are short and lack the function of walking, female hardly hangs at the posterior opening of the larval case. As apophyses anteriores and apophyses posteriores are very long, the stretched length of ovipositor is the longest among all the groups. At emergence, female pupa does not protrude the anterior half of her body from the posterior opening of the larval case. Therefore, the adult female molts in the larval case, then comes out of the case. In the subgroup γ_1, adult female completely draws out herself from the case, while in the subgroup γ2, the female draws her body untill the sixth or seventh abdominal segment is protruded out of the case, therefore the posterior extremity of body is hidden in the case. After copulation, female inserts her ovipositor into the posterior opening of the larval case, and fills the empty pupal skin in the case with eggs, Japanese genera belonging to the γ-group are Fumea, Proutia, Bruandia and Bacotia. δ-group: Wings are completely obliterated. Legs are degenerated into the minute simple process which is lacking the terminal claws. In some genera, the degenerated legs still retain incomplete segmentation. Ovipositors degenerated into a knob-like process, and apophyses anteriores and apophyses posteriores are very short, thus making the ovipositor unstretched. At emergence, female pupa does not move toward the posterior opening, therefore the adult female molts in the larval case. Female often protrudes the anterior half of her body from the posterior opening of the case. At copulation, male inserts his abdomen into the posterior opening of the female case, and stretches the abdomen between the pupal skin and
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