Coelopoeta aurora Kaila, 2024

Kaila, Lauri, 2024, A review of Coelopoetinae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Pterolonchidae), a moth subfamily confined to western North America, with descriptions of seven new species, Zootaxa 5458 (3), pp. 361-384 : 374

Coelopoeta aurora Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 4 , 19, 20 , 32 , 42

Holotype ♂: U.S.A. Colorado, Gilpin County, 2538 Golden Gate Canyon Road ( State highway 46, 2674 m / 8774 ft. a.s.l. at MV light black light, 29.vi.2014 leg. Barbara K. Bartell, don. Barbara K. Bartell DMNS Donation Accession # 2018-119; DMNS ZE.132509, L. Kaila prep. 6374 ( DMNS).

Paratypes: U.S.A. Colorado, 39.841260°N, 105.456411°W Gilpin County, 2538 Golden Gate Canyon Road ( State highway 46, 2674 a.s.l./ 8774 ft at MV light black light, 24.vii.2014 1 ♀ leg. Barbara K. Bartell, L. Kaila prep. 6369; don. Barbara K. Bartell DMNS Accession # 2014-244: DMNS ZE.132508 ( DMNS); 1 ♀ with same collection data except the date 10.vii.2018; Coelopoeta phaceliae det. Chris Grinter 2023; L. Kaila prep. 6367 (2024) CASENT 8580900 ( CAS) .

Diagnosis. C. aurora is a rather large and broad-winged species with forewing length 6 mm. The forewing colouration seems uniformly ochreous brown with a creamy white triangular spot at 2/3 length of the dorsal margin. The valva is parallel-sided, the termen of the valva is only with a weak fold, not markedly swollen unlike C. sariae and C. fulminea ; the aedeagus is as long as valva, basally bent, with bulbous caecum. The female genitalia are characterized by the stout apophyses, apophyses anteriores being shorter than apophyses posteriores; the antrum is anteriorly largely membranous, unlike in other species.

Description. Forewing length 6 mm. Labial palpus almost as long as diameter of head, porrect; labial palpus, head, neck tuft, tegula, thorax, scape and pecten of antenna ochreous, flagellum ochreous, annulated with dark grey rings. Fore- and midleg grey, tibia with cream-coloured white spot medially, tibia and tarsal articles distally cream-coloured, varying from off-white to grey, with white spot on tibia, tarsal articles basally white; hindleg cream-coloured, tibia and tarsal articles faintly darker distally.

Forewing ground colour ochreous brown; at 2/3 length of dorsal margin a distinctive and clearly delineated creamy white triangular spot; fringe concolorous with ground colour. Hindwing grey with concolorous or slightly more ochreous fringe. Underside of forewing grey, fringe variably ochreous; hindwing grey, fringe varying from grey to ochreous grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus undivided, hook-shaped, curved and evenly tapered to pointed apex, apical half somewhat bent ventrad; slightly shorter than tegumen. Gnathos as long as uncus, distally tapered, somewhat bent dorsad. Tegumen in lateral view as high as width of valva. Valva parallel-sided, 3.5 times as long as wide in lateral view. Saccus bent dorsad, twice as long as its width in its narrowest point in middle, apex broadly rounded. Phallus as long as valva, bent at basal 1/3, caecum bulbous, basal opening dorsally directed, without carina along distal opening.

Female genitalia. Apophyses stout, apophysis posterioris 1.5 x as long as apophysis anterioris. Plate dorsad of ostium bursae square; ostium bursae about 1/4 as wide as sternum 8, ventral margin weakly concave, antrum only posteriorly narrowly sclerotized, otherwise membranous and funnel-shaped; colliculum parallel-sided, slightly longer than antrum, sclerotized, granulose; ductus bursae otherwise nonexistent, joining corpus bursae without distinct border. Ductus seminalis incepted at border of colliculum and corpus bursae. Corpus bursae membranous, without internal spines, with one distinct, dentate signum consisting of two symmetrical, medially joined parts.

Biology. The known specimens have been collected at black light, the site is at an altitude of 2674 m, = 8774 ft. a.s.l.; otherwise the biology is unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in central Colorado, west of Denver.

Figures

FIGURES 2–4. 2. Head of Coelopoeta glutinosi Walsingham; 3. Head of Coelopoeta phaceliae Kaila; 4. Abdominal skin of Coelopoeta aurora (L. Kaila prep. 6374) showing the shape of sternum 2 and the spine bands of tergal segments.

FIGURES 17–22. Habitus of Coelopoeta spp.All images at the same scale as the first image. Figure 17: C. phaceliae Kaila, ♀, California, Solano County; Figure 18: C. phaceliae, ♀, California, Solano County; Figure 19: C. aurora sp. nov., ♂, holotype; Figure 20: C. aurora sp. nov., ♀, paratype, U.S.A. Colorado, Gilpin County; Figure 21: C. fulminea sp. nov., ♂, holotype; Figure 22: C. fulminea sp. nov., ♂, paratype, Canada, British Columbia, Lilloeet Pow, Kirby Flats.

FIGURES 29–38. Male genitalia of Coelopoeta spp. Above lateral view with juxta and one valva excluded; below ventral view, with phallus excluded. Figure 29. C. glutinosi Walsingham. Figure 30: C. aprica sp. nov., holotype; Figure 31: C. phaceliae Kaila, California, Nevada Co.; Figure 32: C. aurora sp. nov., holotype; Figure 33: C. fulminea sp. nov., holotype; Figure 34: C. alboflava sp. nov., holotype; Figure 35: C. sariae sp. nov., holotype; Figure 36: C. maiadella sp. nov., holotype; Figure 37: C. fissurina sp. nov., holotype; 38: C. valalbui sp. nov., holotype.

FIGURES 39–42. Female genitalia of Coelopoeta spp., in ventral view. Figure 39: C. glutinosi Walsingham, Los Angeles County, L. Kaila prep. 6027; Figure 40: C. aprica sp. nov., paratype, California, San Diego County, L. Kaila prep. 6029; Figure 41: C. phaceliae Kaila, paratype, California, San Mateo County, L. Kaila prep. 6026; Figure 42: C. aurora sp. nov., paratype, Colorado, Gilpin County, L. Kaila prep. 6734.