Fruit baits at night attract unusual erebid moths (Lepidoptera) in Trinidad, West Indies, with two taxonomic changes in Erebidae, Herminiinae

Abstract

Several different fruit baits that were ripened, rotting or fermenting were used to attract moth species belonging to the family Erebidae. Several of these species are considered rare or had not been previously reported for Trinidad. Rejectaria olivenca Goldstein has not previously been recorded for the island. Gigia stenogaster (R. Felder & Rogenhofer) and Hemeroblemma mexicana (Guenée) had previously been observed but their presence on Trinidad had not yet been reported in the literature. The first female specimens of Argania pilosa (Druce), Hemeroblemma dolon (Cramer) and Hemeroblemma helima (Stoll) are reported for Trinidad. The first male specimen of Gigia obliqua (Walker) is reported for Trinidad. Bleptina aeatusalis Walker, 1859 is transferred to the previously unpublished new combination Oidemastis aeatusalis (Walker), which is already in use on the internet. Sitophora totafusca Kaye, 1901 reinstated species is removed from the synonymy of S. vesiculalis Guenée, 1854.