Research Training Program

Tsitsi McPherson
University of Guyana
Turkeyen Campus
Greater Georgetown, Guyana

John Brown, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
USDA, Department of Entomology

"Science is a giant jig-saw puzzle; this summer we've figured out one more tiny piece"

As is often the case in the study of insects, determining both the phylogenetic relationship and evolutionary history of a specimen can be difficult. This research project is such an example. The study of moths in the Chilean/Argentine region dates mack to the late 1800s when an entomologist received a small brown moth that he determined was Sericoris erebina. Approximately 50 years later, a specimen similar to that described in the late 1800s was collected, but when described, placed in a different genus. In 1983, both specimens were re-examined. It was determined that they had been misidentified; they were placed in a new henus, Rebinea. In 1999, an entomologist was sent a specimen from Chile. Reviewing the existing data he determined that it was a new species and named it Eliachna chileana. The purpose of this research was to attempt to clarify the relationship within the genus Rebinea, to determine whether the two existing species should be unified into one. Additionally, the 1999 specimen, Eliachna chileana, was re-examined. As presently defined, Rebinea is represented by a single species, R. erebina (Butler 1883), while Eliachna is represented by three species; E. chileana Razowski 1999, Eliachna sp. nov Brown and McPherson, Eliachna sp. nov Brown and McPherson. Both Rebinea and Eliachna are known from south central Chile and southern Argentina, in areas ranging in elevation from 50m to 1700m, along coastal and mountainous areas. Rebinea and Eliachna appear to be sister groups based primarily on similarities between male genitalia.