Donald R. Davis

Curator of Lepidoptera

National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Institution

Washington, D.C. 20560-0127

davisd@si.edu

Research Interests

My research program for several years has focused on understanding the biodiversity, biogeography, phylogeny, and classification of the primitive Lepidoptera consisting of the suborders Zeugloptera, Dacnonypha, Monotrysia, and the superfamilies Tineoidea and Gracillarioidea of the "suborder" Ditrysia. Although considerable progress has been made over the last few decades, much confusion still remains, with more than 80% of the described taxa unrecognizable from the existing literature and a majority (50-99%) of the world's fauna remaining to be discovered. In reconstructing a modern classification of the lower Lepidoptera, I am relying heavily on biological features, both immature and adult morphology (including ultrastructural details), fossil evidence (however inadequate), and biogeography.

Another major interest of mine concerns the biosystematics of leaf-mining Lepidoptera. In this program I hope to make major contributions with regard to (1) the co-evolution of the species involved and their hosts; (2) the biology of individual species; (3) revisionary treatments of major plant-mining groups; and (4) the evolutionary history of this interesting behavior through the major groups of Lepidoptera. This research is of greatest importance to agriculture, forestry, and horticulture for the early detection and biocontrol of serious plant pests.

Major portions of the above research programs will be published in seven volumes in the Moths of North America (MONA) faunal series, of which I also serve on the editorial board. MONA, which will treat the biology, distribution, and systematics of all estimated 14,000 species of North American moths, is the most comprehensive faunal survey ever attempted. Twenty four volumes of this proposed 150 volume series have been published, and many more are in the final stages of completion.

Current Research Projects

World Monographs of the families Arrhenophanidae and Epipyropidae.

Revisions of the families Acrolophidae, Gracillariidae, Nepticulidae, and Tineidae of North America (for Moths of North America, north of Mexico series)..

Revision of New World Adelidae

Recent Publications

1995 A revision of the genus Ogygioses (Palaeosetidae). Invertr. Taxon. 9: 1231-1263. (D.R. Davis, O. Karsholt, N. P. Kristensen, E. S. Nielsen). 80%

1996 Neotropical Tineidae, VI: Prosetomorpha falcata, a new genus and species of Setomorphinae: (Lepidoptera: Tineioidea) from Colombia associated with curculionid galleries in stems of Solanum. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 98(2): 173-187.

1996 Taxonomy, morphology, and biology of Lyonetia prunifoliella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae), a leafminer of apple. Ann. Ent. Soc Amer., 89(3): 334- 345. (J.J. Schmitt, M. W. Brown, and D. R. Davis) 50%

1996 A revision of the South African family Prototheoridae (Lepidoptera: Hepialoidea). Scandinavica Entom. 27: 393-439, 122 figs.

1997 Neopseustidae. In J. B. Heppner (Ed.), Lepidopterorum Catalogus (New Series): 7: 1-8, 6 figs., 1 map.

1998 A world classification of the Harmacloninae, a new subfamily of Tineidae (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea). Smithsonian Contr. Zool. 597: 1-81, 345 figs., 8 maps.

1998 A Revision of the Genus Lamyristis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) and Proposal of a New Related Genus Acoremata from Southeast Asia. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 100(1): 114-125.

1998 Ochsenheimeriidae. In J. B. Heppner (Ed.), Lepidopterorum Catalogus (New Series): 48: 1-12, 6 figs., 1 map.

1998 Biology of yucca moths, p. 122-133, 9 figs., 1 table. In: T. Hirowatari (ed.), Biology of Lepidoptera [in Japanese].

1999 The Monotrysian Heteroneura, p. 65-90, 112 figs. In N.P. Kirstensen (Ed.), Handbook of Zoology, Part 35, (Lepidoptera, vol. 1).

1999 Tineoidea, p. 91-107, 46 figs. In N.P. Kristensen, Handbook of Zoology, Part 35, (Lepidoptera, vol. 1). (D.R. Davis and G.S. Robinson). 80%

1999 Gracillarioidea. p. 107-117, 21 figs. In N.P. Kristensen, Handbook of Zoology, Part 35, (Lepidoptera, vol.1).

2000 A Hidden Past: the Hypermetamorphic Development of Marmara arbutiella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer., 93(1): 59-64. (Wagner,D.W., J. L. Loose, T. D. Fitzgerald, J. A. De Benedictis, and D.R. Davis). 5%

2000 Tineoidea and Gracillarioidea, p. 469-482, figs 25.1- 25.21. In J. L. Bousquets et al (Eds.), Biodiversidad, Taxonomia, y Biogeografía de Artrópodos de México: Hacia una Sintesis de su Concocimiento. Vol. 2.

In Press

Brachygyna incae, a New Genus and Species of Psychidae from Peru with Atypical Larval Biology (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea). J. of Trop. Lep. 12 ms. p, 5 plates.

Davis, D. & G. Deschka. Biology and Systematics of the North American Phyllonorycter leafminers on Salicaceae, with a synoptic catalogue of the Palearctic species (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). 214 pages, 44 plates (451 figs), 6 maps, 5 tables. Smithsonian Contrib. Zool. 90%

Davis, D. & D. Wagner. Biology and Systematics of the Neotropical Genus Eucosmophora (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). Trop. Lep., 85 ms. p., 182 figs. 70%

Guillen, M., D. R. Davis, and J. M. Heraty. Biology and systematics of a new, polyphagous species of Marmara (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) infesting grapefruit in the southwestern United States. Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington. 30 ms. p., 33 figs., 3 tables. 30%