Belvosia

Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830

Belvosia is a of (: ) in the tribe Goniini. The genus contains over 100 distributed across the New World from Canada to Argentina. Belvosia species are of , with females laying microtype on foliage that are ingested by feeding . A 2023 revision described 33 new species from Rica, bringing the total from 72 to 107 species.

Belvosia semiflava by (c) Tom Kennedy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Kennedy. Used under a CC-BY license.

Belvosia unifasciata by (c) Dan MacNeal, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dan MacNeal. Used under a CC-BY license.

Belvosia canadensis by (c) Mathew* Zappa, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Mathew* Zappa. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Belvosia: //bɛlˈvoʊziə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Belvosia are distinguished from other Goniini by morphological characters detailed in the 2023 revision, which provides a to North and Mesoamerican species. The was previously divided into Brachybelvosia and Belvosiomimops, now synonymized. Species-level identification requires examination of specimens using the provided key.

Images

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical forests including rain forest, dry forest, and cloud forest. In Rica, occurs in Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern part of the country.

Distribution

New World exclusively. Ranges from Canada through the United States, Mexico, Central America (including Rica and Panama), and throughout the Neotropical Region in South America to Argentina. locality for B. bicincta is the West Indies.

Host Associations

Lepidoptera: Erebidae - reared from wild-caught specimens
Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae - reared from wild-caught specimens
Lepidoptera: Noctuidae - reared from wild-caught specimens
Lepidoptera: Notodontidae - reared from wild-caught specimens
Lepidoptera: Saturniidae - reared from wild-caught specimens
Lepidoptera: Sphingidae - reared from wild-caught specimens; includes Hyles lineata

Life Cycle

Females lay microtype on foliage of . Eggs are ingested by feeding , hatch, and burrow through the wall to develop within the host body. Multiple eggs may be ingested by a single host. The larva kills the host during and pupates within the host's pupal case.

Behavior

biology involves passive transmission: are not actively deposited on but fortuitously ingested during feeding. Extensive inventory work in Rica reared more than 750,000 wild-caught to document these associations.

Ecological Role

of ( ), contributing to regulation of lepidopteran . Involved in tri-trophic interactions among parasitoids, their lepidopteran , and host .

Human Relevance

Potential agent for pests. One has been documented as a of the -lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata), a whose caterpillars occasionally damage .

Similar Taxa

DrinoAnother of Goniini that are of ; distinguished by morphological characters in identification
WinthemiaGoniini with similar biology on ; differs in morphological details and associations
Compsilura with lifestyle; distinguished from Belvosia by taxonomic and morphological features

More Details

Taxonomic Revision

A 2023 revision by Fleming & Woodley in Data Journal described 33 new from Rica, synonymized Brachybelvosia and Belvosiomimops with Belvosia, proposed three new combinations, and established several new synonymies. The study provided data for all new species.

Rearing Methods

All described in the 2023 revision were reared from wild-caught through an ongoing inventory program at Area de Conservación Guanacaste spanning more than 750,000 specimens.