Discovery of an unknown species closely related to Pleuroptya harutai (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Spilomelinae) feeding on Styrax obassis (Styracaceae)

Abstract

We found Pleuroptya harutai (Inoue) comprises two different species. The only host plant records so far known for Pl. harutai are in the Sapindaceae, but we found larvae similar to those of Pl. harutai rolling and feeding on the leaves of Styrax obassis (Styracaceae). We also collected larvae from Aesculus turbinata (Sapindaceae), and compared the morphology of adults and mitochondrial DNA sequences with those from S. obassis. Results show that the insects from the two different foodplants constitute separate species. Since the holotype has not been examined, we cannot yet establish which of the two strains is true Pl. harutai. Morphological and molecular differences between the two taxa corresponding to the difference of host plants are provided.