Darwin's moth from St. Paul's Rocks: a new species of Erechthias (Tineidae)

Abstract. A small brown moth, first recorded from St. Paul's Rocks by Charles Darwin and then subsequently on five occasions, is described as a new species, Erechthias darwini , from adults of both sexes, pupae and larvae. Apparently endemic to the Rocks and occupying a habitat less than 2 ha in extent in the central Atlantic, it belongs to a group with a predominantly Indo-Pacific distribution. Its closest relative is a pantropical 'introduced species and its existence calls into question the assumption that this and several other Erechthiinae are recent introductions into Africa and the New World. larvae of the new species have been collected from seabird nests where they probably feed on seaweed. Eleven genera are synonymized with Erechthias and three new synonymies established within the genus.