Spodoptera marima: a New Synonym of Spodoptera ornithogalli (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with Notes on Adult Morphology, Host Plant Use and Genetic Variation Along Its Geographic Range

Spodoptera marima (Schaus, 1904) and Spodoptera ornithogalli (Guenee, 1852) are noctuid moths recognized for their economic importance in the New World. Historically, they have been considered cryptic species, being supposedly differentiated from each other by the absence of sexual dimorphism in S. marima, subtle differences in coloration on the hindwings and scale tufts of the ovipositor and the shape of male valva. The species are allopatric: North and Central America for S. ornithogalli and South America for S. marima. Previous phylogenetic studies using multilocus DNA sequences including a few specimens of S. marima suggested these species merge into a single clade. Here, we performed a comparative analysis to elucidate further their taxonomic status, using specimens of S. marima from various localities in Brazil. These species were recovered in the phylogenetic analysis as consistently mixed with each other in a major well-supported clade within Spodoptera. The existence of a spatial pattern for genetic structure was not clearly supported when two biogeographic regions (Neotropics and Neartic) were taken in separation; however, an individual-level isolation by distance was significant. The morphological characters traditionally used to differentiate the species were also not consistent. Therefore, we now consider S. marima a new junior synonym of S. ornithogalli. Results on host plant use demonstrated that it is a polyphagous species using more than 200 plants, which may mediate phenotypic variation along its geographical range.