Ectoparasitic nematodes (Aphelenchoidoidea : Acugutturidae) of Lepidopteraand Blattodea in Guadeloupe

A total of 935 Lepidoptera, primarily moths of the family Noctuidae, were c ollected during two surveys (1985-86 and 1995) in Guadeloupe and examined f or the presence of ectoparasitic nematodes. Noctuidonema Remillet & Silvain , or Vampyronema Hunt (Aphelenchoidoidea: Noctuidonematinae). Nematodes wer e found on 24 of 84 species of Noctuidae, two of four species of Sphingidae and one of ten species of Geometridae. New host records are reported for 1 9 species of Lepidoptera in Guadeloupe and one in the United States. Noctui donema occurred more frequently on the Noctuidae than on other families of Lepidoptera. More infested moths. particularly males, were collected from x erophilic habitats than from mesophilic-hygrophilic habitats, and more were collected during the dry season than during the rainy season. A total of 9 4 Blattodea (Periplaneta americana L.) were collected in 1996-97 From Frenc h Guiana, Guadeloupe, Mexico, and Saint Lucia, and were examined for the pr esence of Acugutturus parasiticus Hunt, on ectoparasite of that species. A. parasiticus, previously known only From P. americana from Saint Lucia, was found again on that island, as well as in Guadeloupe, but not on P, americ ana collected from French Guiana or Mexico. The host list of Insecta (Lepid optera and Blattodea) parasitised by ectoparasitic nematodes of the family Acugutturidae is emended and updated. At present, 69 species of Lepidoptera in 43 genera, 12 sub-families, and six families are known as hosts of Noct uidonema or Vampyronema. With the single exception of Spodoptera litura (F. ) in East Java, all Lepidoptera species reported as hosts: of ectoparasitic nematodes occur in the Americas or the Fiji islands. No systematic search has been conducted for ectoparasitic nematodes on Lepidoptera in tropical A frica or Asia. The importance of these nematodes in the ecology of Lepidopt era and Blattodea is: largely unknown. Noctuidonema diabolia is transferred to the genus Vampyronema as Vampyronema diabolia n. comb.