Blastobasis Zeller 1855

Blastobasis Zeller, 1855

Blastobasis is the largest genus of Blastobasinae with over 160 species described worldwide. They are distributed throughout all faunal regions of the world, except Antartica, with the majority of species from the New World, including many undescribed taxa from North America (unpublished data). Synapomorphies listed by Adamski and Brown (1989) for Blastobasis include: first flagellomere of male dilated, forming a subconical process with an inner surface bearing palmate sex scales; ventroposterior margin of gnathos unidentate or bidentate mesially; and inner surface of proximal flange overlaid by microtrichiate membrane. These features need reevaluation as they were based primarily on species from the New World. However, the feature of the first flagellomere of the antennal flagellum in the male appears to be a reliable synapomorphy.

Hosts of Blastobasis are varied and include living and decaying plant tissue and decomposing animal matter. In eastern North America and in Europe, Blastobasis glandulella (Riley), feeds within maturing and fallen seeds of Quercus spp. (Fagaceae), (Adamski and Brown, unpublished data), and B. yuccaecolella Dietz feeds within decaying seed pods of Yucca baccata Torrey (Liliaceae), (Adamski and Pellmyr 2003). In addition, at least five species of Blastobasis are known to feed within seed pods of Parkinsonia aculeata L. (Fabaceae) in Mexico (Adamski, unpublished data), and Busck (1925) reported Blastobasis coffeaella feeding within beans of Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae) in Brazil. Dietz (1910) described Blastobasis quaintancella from a small series of moths reared from the fruits of Malus sp. (Rosaceae). And two species of stem-boring Blastobasis are reported from grasses: B. graminea Adamski from Spartina alterniflora Loisel (Poaceae) in Louisiana (Adamski 1999), and B. repartella Dietz from Panicum virgatum L. (Poaceae) in South Dakota and Illinois (Adamski et al., 2010a).

In Europe, Karsholt and Sinev (2004) recorded five species of Blastobasis with host associations. Of them four species were known to feed from living and decaying plant tissue, and one species was reported to feed from decaying insects, in addition to, inducing spongy galls on twigs of Quercus sp. In Africa, Adamski et al., (2010b) reported eight Blastobasis species and documented their fruit associations totaling nearly 60 plant species among 40 plant families.

In the Indo-Asian region, Meyrick (1916) reported Blastobasis spermologa feeding within seeds of Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (Theaceae), and B. ochromorpha (Meyrick 1925) and B. molinda (Meyrick 1925) feeding within seeds of Shorea robusta Gaertner f. (Dipterocarpaceae). Meyrick (1918) also reported Blastobasis transcripta feeding within twigs of Pinus longifolia Salisb. (Pinaceae). In Australia, Turner (1947) reported Blastobasis tanyptera feeding within the fruits of Eugenia paniculata (Gaertner) Britten (Myrtaceae), and Meyrick (1902) reported a rearing of B. sarcophaga from dried animal skins.