Phormoestes palmettovora Heppner 1982

Phormoestes palmettovora

ADULT MALE (Figure 17).—3.3–4.0 mm forewing length.

Head: Vestiture silvery gray, with white eye border on frons. Labial palpus silvery gray, small. Antenna thickened, dark gray, slightly more than ½ wing length.

Thorax: Dark gray vestiture. Patagia silvery gray. Venter gray. Legs silvery gray with white stripes on tarsal segments.

Forewing: Silvery gray on basal , midwing vertical fascia, and much of apical , with occassional green or purple iridescence; areas between silver regions are iridescent black, with curved white line bordering basal silver area; straight white vertical line almost bordering midwing silver area; two white costal marks near apex; one white tornal mark. Fringe black, with an outer layer of silvery gray. Ventral side lustrous gray.

Hindwing: Color uniform lustrous gray. Fringe silvery gray, becoming white along anal margin. Ventral side lustrous gray.

Abdomen: Color silvery gray dorsally and ventrally.

Male genitalia (Figure 38): Tegumen and vinculum fused, strongly sclerotized. Saccus a small narrow, articulated appendage. Uncus a strongly sclerotized triangular projection coming to a blunt apex. Socius absent. Gnathos strongly sclerotized, with 2 upwardly curved lateral arms fused to blunt apex with fine dorsal dentations. Valva simple, narrow-oblong with setal field on apical , slightly curved upward to rounded apex. Anellus convex, rounded with dorsal notch and a straight ventral edge. Aedeagus (Figure 39) narrow, elongate, without phallobase. Cornutus not evident.

FEMALE (Figure 18).—Similar to male.

Female Genitalia (Figure 40): Normal ovipositor, with setaceous papilla analis. Apophyses subequal in length, somewhat stout. Ostium (Figure 41) a simple opening with a scerotized cup; no sterigma evident. Ductus bursae membranous, narrow, gradually merging into bursa. Ductus seminalis from midpoint between ostium and widest area of bursa. Corpus bursae simple, elongate-ovate, without signum.

LARVA and pupa as described for the genus.

TYPE.—Holotype , USNM 100235.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Florida: Archbold Biological Station, Highlands Co., 3 Apr 1959, R.W. Hodges, USNM slide 77146.

PARATYPES (31, 6).—Florida: Alachua Co.: Gainesville, no date (), A. Peterson, ex Sabal palmetto, FSCA. San Felasco Hammock, Alachua, 2 May 1977 (), G.B. Fairchild and H.V. Weems, Jr., FSCA. Gulf Co.: 2 mi (3.2 km) E McNeils, 18 Mar 1974 (), J.B. Heppner, JBH. Highlands Co.: Archbold Biological Station, 29 Mar 1959 (), R.W. Hodges, USNM; 7 Apr 1963 (), S.W. Frost, USNM; 14 Apr 1979 (), H.V. Weems, Jr., and S. Halkin, FSCA; 2 May 1975 (2 ), 9 May 1975 (), J.B. Heppner, JBH. Levy Co.: Cedar Key, 5 May 1981 (, ), 6 May 1981 (24 ), on Sabal palmetto flowers, J.B. Heppner, JBH. Sarasota Co.: Siesta Key, 25 Apr 1953 (), C.P. Kimball, CPK.

DISTRIBUTION (Figure 2).—Known only from Florida.

FLIGHT PERIOD.—March to May.

HOST.—Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges (Palmae).

BIOLOGY.—Alvah Peterson was the first to rear this species and in doing so to discover the species. Unfortunately he did not publish anything on the biology. The larvae are found boring within the minute flower pods of the sabal palm inflorescence. Thus, this feeding behavior would appear to enforce a reduced period of adult activity per year, since the palms only bloom from spring to early summer. Indeed the collection records for adults are only from March to early May. After sufficient feeding, the larvae apparently take one of the hollowed out flower pods and form a pupal case, having a flap on the distal end, and transport this case to the ventral side of one of the large palm leaves. The pupal case (Figure 54) is attached to the midrib of one of the many leaflets of the palm leaf. Although thus far not confirmed, it would appear that larvae (or pupae) overwinter in the pupal case and adults of the first generation emerge the following March, when the palms are again producing inflorescences. It is conceivable that over the period from March until May and possibly to early July, there could be two, perhaps even three generations, but this remains uncertain. However, freshly emerged adults have been taken in each of the three months from March until May.

ADULT.—Small moths, 3.8–5.0 mm forewing length.

Head (Figure 7): Vertex and frons vestiture smooth. Labial palpus short, slightly upcurved, relatively smooth scaled; segments subequal. Haustellum scaled at base. Maxillary palpus (Figure 8) minute, 1-segmented with long distal seta. Pilifer large. Eye moderate. Ocellus small. Antenna filiform. Caudal end of head (Figure 11) with tentorial bridge subtending large ovate upper opening from small subquadrate lower opening, with prominent occipital condyli.

Thorax: Normal. Legs with normal tibial spurs.

Forewing (Figure 14): Shape elongate, with somewhat pointed apex; evenly rounded tornal and anal margins. Pterostigma not very prominent, small, from Sc to R3. Sc to wing length. R1 to ¾ from base; R2 separate; R3 stalked with R4 directly at their base; R5 free, to apex. Chorda absent. Cell ¾ wing length, with vestigial median vein present. Median veins evenly spaced. CuA1 and CuA2 divergent; CuA2 from near end of cell. CuP present at tornal margin. A1+2 with moderate basal fork; A3 vestigial.

Hindwing: Shape elongate, with pointed apex and slight convexity along anal margin. Sc to ¾ from base. Radius to near apex. Cell to wing length, with vestigial vein slightly evident. M1 to apex, near to Rs at end of cell; M1 to M3 evenly spaced. CuA1 and CuA2 divergent, with CuA2 from near end of cell. CuP present at tornal margin. A1+2 fork ½ length of vein, A3 almost subequal to A1+2 in length; A4 short.

Abdomen: Normal. Coremata present beneath 8th sternite and with opening for eversion on intersegmental membrane between sternites 7 and 8.

Male Genitalia: Tegumen fused to vinculum. Saccus vestigial. Uncus present. Gnathos a blunt point with a recurved surface and strong lateral arms. Socius absent. Valva simple. Anellus a projected half-tube supporting aedeagus, without lateral process. Aedeagus very long, narrow, with apical denticious spines. Cornutus absent.

Female Genitalia: Ovipositor very long, with strongly sclerotized and sharp papilla analis. Apophyses very long and stout. Ostium simple, without a sterigma; 8th tergite with strong bladelike posterior projection. Ductus bursae membranous. Corpus bursae simple. Signum of small spines at ductus juncture with bursa.

Larva and pupa unknown.