LIFE HISTORY OF ANTAEOTR1CHA SP. 
(LEPIDOPTERA: OECOPHORIDAE: STENOMATINAE) 
IN PANAMA* 
By Annette Aiello 
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute 
P. O. Box 2072, Balboa, Panama 
The subfamily Stenomatinae (Oecophoridae) is a New World 
microlepidopteran group of approximately 35 genera and more 
than 1200 species. Its range is from the United States through 
Argentina; South America is especially rich in species. Little is 
known of the biology of these moths, but those that have been 
studied include leaf miners, stem borers, and seed eaters. The genus 
Antaeotricha Zeller, of similar range, comprises more than 400 
species, many of which are leaf tiers. 
Three individuals of Antaeotricha sp. near fractilinea (Walsing- 
ham) (Figure 1) were reared from larvae collected 29 March through 
4 April 1980 on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Two 
additional individuals were preserved, one in its final instar, the 
other as a pupa. 
The larvae had constructed tubes (Figure 2) of silk, frass, and cast 
head capsules, on the undersides of the leaves of Mascagnia nervosa 
(Malpighiaceae). 
At the time of collection two of the three larvae were in their final 
instar and these pupated five days later. The third individual, 
probably a first instar judging from its small size and tiny tube, 
molted the day after collection. Due to the uncertainty regarding 
instar number, letters instead of numbers are used to refer to instars. 
Mascagnia nervosa is a liana which grows into the canopy of the 
BCI forest. Seedlings are found frequently around the edges of 
clearings and in tree falls. Antaeotricha larvae were common on the 
older leaves of plants 10-30 cm tall and bearing three to eight leaves 
each; some leaves supported as many as four larval tubes, although 
one or two were most common. Possibly Antaeotricha attacks 
leaves of this plant in the forest canopy as well. 
Head capsule widths (Table 1) ranged from 0.18 mm (instar A) to 
1.38 mm (final instar). Instar durations for the larva collected as 
instar A were: 5(B), 4(C), 4(D), 3(E), 5(F), and 8(G) days. 
♦Manuscript received by the editor September 14, 1981. 
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