Full Title
Systematics and Ecology of Australian Nymphulinae Moths
Student
John Hawking
Supervisors
Phil Suter (La Trobe University, Wodonga campus) and Marianne Horak (CSIRO/ANIC)
Funding Body
Commonwealth Environmental Research Facilities (CERF): National Taxonomy Hub
Duration
2007 to 2011 (part time)
Outcomes
PhD
Summary
The Pyralidae, is one of largest family in the Lepidopera (Butterflies and Moths) and in Australia contains nearly 300 genera and about 1100 species. One of it’s the subfamilies, the Nymphulinae has become important to organizations conducting biological monitoring program, because larval and pupal stages are aquatic. Presently the larvae of all species are unknown and identification is by a key to voucher species (Hawking 2001).
The subfamily Nymphulinae is represented by 81 presently described species, however, of these only 48 are considered genuine species and the other 33 species are considered synonyms (Shaffer, Nielsen & Horak 1996). A revision of the systematics of the subfamily needs to be undertaken using morphological characters and genetic analysis, to produce dichotomous keys to the adults. The adults also need to be associated with their respective larvae, which will allow the positive recognition of the larval voucher species in the taxonomic key (Hawking 2001) presently used by ecologists. None of the larvae have been formally described, figured or published and this will be possible after the larvae have been associated with their corresponding adult stage. It will be possible to collect material for associating, because I presently have 26 voucher specimens of larvae, with associated collection locations and dates.
The Nymphulinae are considered to have a tropical origin and the distribution of many genera show radiation in Australia. From an examination of the collection sites of specimens in the Australian National Insect collection, Canberra, species of genus Parapoynx are probably more cosmopolitan in their Australian distribution and worldwide, between 40 degrees north and south, whereas, the species of Margarosticha and Eoophyla are restricted to tropical north. The biogeography of the Australian species needs to be investigated and related to studies in Asia and Japan.
Presently the ecology of this subfamily is almost non-existent. Common (1990) reported the known information on this group in half a page. He suggested that the larval stage in many species is associated with vegetation and construct cases, mainly in standing water, however others inhabit stones in streams and construct silk retreats. Presently I can match the voucher larvae with water-body type and many taxa with their specific vegetation type. This needs to be verified and the life histories of each species documented.
