MORPHOLOGY AND ETHOLOGY OF THAUMETOPOEA HELLENICAAND THAUMETOPOEA MEDITERRANEA(LEPIDOPTERA NOTODONTIDAE THAUMETOPOEINAE)

Abstract

Thaumetopoea hellenicaand Thaumetopoea mediterraneawere recently described from Central Greece andPantelleria Island (Italy), respectively. In this paper, we reported some information on their morphology, biological cycleand ecology. T. hellenicaand T. mediterraneaare closely related to T. pityocampa differing mainly ingenetic characters.Morphologically, the three species resemble each other, and can be mainly differentiated by observing wing patterns, can-thus, and the male and female genitalia. Some data on egg batches, mature larvae, pupae, flight period, host plants andcolonized environments were reported.