Adults are winged and able to fly in most Lepidoptera species. However, adults of some species are unable to fly, since their wings are reduced or absent. In the moth family Geometridae (geometrid moths), wing reduction is restricted to females. The aim of this study is to provide the first record of flightless females for a South American genus of the tribe Boarmiini of the geometrid moth family through the description of a new species from the arid Andes of northern Chile. Analysis of DNA sequences was used to confirm that males and females examined in this study are conspecific. This contribution provides a new opportunity to improve the understanding of the evolution of wing reduction in geometrid moths.

Read more here: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/11/1003

Citation: Vargas, H. (2022): Flightless Females in the Neotropical Moth Genus Cataspilates Warren (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Insects, 13: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13111003.