Sannino et al. The pupa of Ochropleura leucogaster 9 The pupa of Ochropleura leucogaster (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) Luigi Sannino, Bruno Espinosa, Adriana Balbiani Abstract. Pupal morhology of Ochropleura leucogaster (Freyer, [1831]) is described and illustrated. Integument strongly rugose on head, thorax and forewings. Antennae and mesothoracic legs terminating at the same level, maxillae a little beyond, metathoracic legs visible beyond the maxillae. Cremaster with two main lyre-shaped spines and four finer hooked bristles. Riassunto. La crisalide di Ochropleura leucogaster (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) La morfologia pupale esterna di Ochropleura leucogaster (Freyer, [1831]) è stata descritta e illustrata. Il tegumento è fortemente rugoso su capo, torace e pteroteche. Le cheratoteche e le podoteche mediane terminano allo stesso livello, mentre le maxilloteche giungono poco oltre i due pezzi precedenti; le podoteche posteriori sono visibili oltre l’apice delle maxilloteche. Il cremaster reca due robuste spine lirate e quattro spinette accessorie più sottili, uncinate. Key words: Ochropleura leucogaster, pupa, description Introduction Material and methods Ochropleura leucogaster (Freyer, [1831]) was recently found feeding on tobacco plants at the Tobacco Research Institute farm at Scafati. Very little work appears to have been done on this insect. The literature reveals only little information concerning the bionomics (Wolfsberger, 1966; Teobaldelli, 1976; Forster & Wohlfahrt, 1980; Fiumi & Camporesi, 1988; Sannino et al., 2001). Among the various authors who have studied the morphology (Calle, 1982; Fibiger, 1990; Sannino et al., 1995; Beck, 1999), the contribution of Patoèka (1996) on the pupal morphology is worth mentioning. In spite of that, there are some characteristics of pupa which can be further investigated in order to make it even easier to distinguish this species from the many other ones present on tobacco crops. Pupae utilized for study were derived from insects reared in the laboratory. The laboratory cultures originated from larvae collected in the tobacco field at Scafati (Salerno province, Southern Italy) and reared on a semi-synthetic diet according to Sannino et al. (1995). On the whole, about 50 pupae were examined during the investigation. Most of them were removed from the insect-rearing boxes immediately after formation and followed to the adult emergence to record the chromatic changes. Where necessary, some specimens were sectioned and mounted on slide. Part of the examined specimens was fixed in KAAD solution and deposited in the Experimental Tobacco Institute collection. Description Luigi Sannino,1° ricercatore, Istituto Sperimentale per il Tabacco, Scafati, Italia Adriana Balbiani, Collaboratore tecnico, Istituto Sperimentale per il Tabacco, Scafati, Italia Bruno Espinosa, Dipartimento di Entomologia e Zoologia Agraria, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Portici, Italia Body length mm 13.5-16; body width 4.5-6 mm. Dark brown with the caudal margin of A3-6 tending to reddish. Integument strongly rugose on head, thorax and forewings; slightly rough on the other cephalo-thoracic appendanges. Il Tabacco, 9, 2001: 9-11 leucogaster.p65 9 29/11/2001, 20.07 10 Il Tabacco, Abdomen generally rough and strongly punctate (fig. I). On A1, punctation is arranged along a narrow subcaudal margin and on sides. On A2-8 it is spread all over the segment surface, but on A2-7 it becomes gradually denser moving towards the cephalic margin of the dorsomedial area. On A9, punctation is distinctly rarer than the previous segments while on A5-8 it is visible on the ventral side as well. Thoracic spiracles very narrow, reduced to slit-like openings with margins thickened. Abdominal spiracles elliptical, very narrow (ratio length/width 5-6/1) and prominent (fig. II, 3); those of A8 completely closed (nonfunctional). Labium very long (1.9-2.2 mm), lanceolate (fig. II, 1). Prothoracic femora exposed and long (ratio length/width 7-8/1) (fig. II, 1). Antennae and mesothoracic legs terminating at the same level, maxillae a little beyond (fig. II, 2). Metathoracic legs visible beyond the maxillae and extending to the posterior end of forewings (fig. II, 2). Hindwings terminating to the caudal margin of A4. Cremaster finely rugose, provided with two main lyre-shaped spines (0.5-0.6 mm) with blunted tips, and four finer hooked bristles (0.250.30 mm), two on sides and two in subdorsal position (fig. II, 4). 9 Figure I - Ochropleura leucogaster (Freyer) – Pupa, dorsal view. (A1-8, abdominal segments; FW, forewing; HW, hindwing; T2, mesothorax; T3, metathorax). Fig. I - Ochropleura leucogaster (Freyer) – Crisalide, vista dal dorso. (A1-8, segmenti addominali; FW, pteroteca anteriore; HW, pteroteca posteriore; T2, mesotorace; T3, metatorace). Bibliografia BECK H., 1999 - Die Larven der Europäischen Noctuidae. Revision der Systematik der Noctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Vol. I Text: pp. 859; Vol. II Zeichnungen: pp. 447. – Verlag Eitschberger, Marktleuthen. CALLE J. A., 1982 - Noctuidos Españoles. - Min. Agric., Pesca y Alimentación, Fuera de Serie n. 1. – Madrid, pp. 430. FIBIGER M., 1990 - Noctuidae Europaeae. 1. Noctuinae I. Entomological Press, Sorø, pp. 208. FIUMI G., CAMPORESI S., 1988 - I Macrolepidotteri. - La Romagna Naturale, 1. Amministrazione Provinciale di Forlì, pp. 263. FORSTER W., WOHLFAHRT T. A., 1980 - Die Schmetterlinge Mitteleuropas. 4. Eulen (Noctuidae). - Franckh’sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart, pp. 329. PATOÈKA J., 1996 - Die puppen der mitteleuropäischen Eulen: Cuculliinae, Heliothinae, Ipimorphinae, leucogaster.p65 10 Hadeninae, Agrotinae. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). – Nova Supplementa Entomol., Berlin 8: 3-232. SANNINO L., Espinosa B., Balbiani A., 1995 – Morfologia comparativa negli stadi preimmaginali di lepidotteri del tabacco. 2. Larve. – Boll. Lab. Ent. agr. “Filippo Silvestri” 50 (1993): 23-91. SANNINO L., ESPINOSA B., BALBIANI A., 2001 – Lepidotteri delle ortive e del tabacco. – Calderini Edagricole, Bologna, pp. 323. TEOBALDELLI A., 1976 - I Macrolepidotteri del Maceratese e dei Monti Sibillini (Appennino Umbro-Marchigiano). (Primo contributo alla conoscenza del Lepidotteri delle Marche). - Note ed Appunti Sperim. di Entom. Agr., Perugia, 16: 81-346. WOLFSBERGER J., 1966 - Die Macrolepidopteren-Fauna des Gardaseegebietes. - Mem. Mus. Civ. St. Nat. Verona, 13 (1965): 1-385. 29/11/2001, 20.07 Sannino et al. The pupa of Ochropleura leucogaster 11 Figure II - Ochropleura leucogaster (Freyer), Pupa – 1. Labium, base of maxillae and protoracic femora. 2. Caudal end of cephalothoracic appendages. 3. Abdominal spiracle. 4. Dorsal view of cremaster. (A, antenna; F1, prothoracic femora; FW, forewing; L, labium; L1, prothoracic leg; L2, mesothoracic leg; L3, metathoracic leg; MX, maxilla). Fig. II - Ochropleura leucogaster (Freyer), Crisalide – 1. Labioteca, base delle maxilloteche e femori protoracici. 2. Apice delle appendici cefalotoraciche. 3. Spiracolo addominale. 4. Cremaster, vista dorsale. (A, cheratoteca; F1, teca dei femori protoracici; FW, pteroteca anteriore; L, labioteca; L1, podoteca anteriore; L2, podoteca mediana; L3, podoteca posteriore; MX, maxilloteca). leucogaster.p65 11 29/11/2001, 20.07