Amorbimorpha Kruse

Kruse, James J., 2012, Description of Amorbimorpha Kruse, new genus, from Mexico and the southern United States (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Sparganothini), Zootaxa 3177, pp. 33-42 : 34-35

Amorbimorpha Kruse , new genus

Type species: Amorbimorpha powelliana Kruse , new species.

Diagnosis. Members of Amorbimorpha generally are yellow, orange, brick red, or brownish to gray moths, similar to many Amorbia and Sparganothoides . Similarities between Amorbimorpha and Amorbia are largely superficial. The genitalia of Amorbimorpha are most similar to those of Sparganothoides , particularly in the form of the gnathos arms and in the union of the socius/gnathos. However, differences among species of Amorbimorpha are noticeably less than those found among species of Sparganothoides , which have variably formed, broad, laterally expanded apices of the unified socius/gnathos arms. The distal portion of the socius/gnathos complex in Amorbimorpha is widened subapically and narrowed to a slender lobe apically. The formation of the socius/ gnathos differs from that of Sparganopseustis and Aesiocopa , which show much stronger involvement of the socius and weak, if any, involvement of the gnathos in the structure. In the last two genera, the dominant and easily viewed portion of the armlike extension appears to originate from the anterior lobe of the socius. In Amorbimorpha and Sparganothoides , the gnathos arm clearly originates from the tegumen and is joined to the socius after that point. However, it is unclear if the union of these structures is homologous among these genera. The prominent bifid uncus of Amorbimorpha is one of its most distinguishing features. The uncus of some species of Sparganothoides is superficially similar, but in those species, the uncus is long and narrow or the proportional volume of the uncus and associated appendages is much reduced. Other characters of those species easily separate them from Amorbimorpha .

Amorbimorpha is assumed to be monophyletic based largely on the highly modified structure of the uncus, the structure of the socius/gnathos complex, and reduced sexual dimorphism compared with species of Sparganothis Hübner , Sparganothoides , Platynota Clemens , and Sparganopseustis Powell & Lambert. Four species are included in the genus, two of which are new and two of which are new combinations; the latter two were assigned to Sparganothoides by Powell (1986). In addition to the species treated herein, there are at least ten additional undescribed species that appear to belong to the genus. However, their status and assignment await future studies.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 1–6 ). Head: Vestiture of head roughened; frons flat to rounded, covered with small scales; head without protuberances; periorbital strip bare; labial palpus porrect, enlarged near middle, slightly curved, roughly scaled; ocellus reduced or absent; proboscis well developed;. antennal sensory sensillae in male 1.5–2.5 times flagellomere diameter, borne on raised ridges, unmodified in female. Thorax: Smooth scaled on dorsum; tegulae rough, with long scales in both sexes, often tipped with brown or gray. Forewing brownish yellow, orange, brownish orange, brick orange, gray, yellowish brown, or brick red, usually with partial median and subapical fasciae, occasionally with basal fasciae, banded in females of some species; forewing length 9.7–16.8 mm; costal fold absent in male; base of wing moderately arched. Hindwing white, ivory, or yellowish gray (in one undescribed species and female only in another), usually shining, darkening to yellow, bronze, or copper near margins, occasionally with gray transverse striae at apex only. Males of some species with elongate setae along anal margin; males of one undescribed species with a patch of erect scales on anal area. Abdomen: Dorsal pits absent; female lacking enlarged corethrogyne scaling. Male Genitalia ( Figs. 7–9 ) with uncus robust in basal third, then bifurcating into two elongate lobes, usually flattened with a patch of setae ventrally; lobes variously modified, sometimes widening into enormous processes resembling fluke of a whale. Socius kidney-shaped with rounded or triangular anterior and posterior lobes; elongate gnathos arms arising from either side of tegumen, curving downward to near transtilla, often angled at midpoint, weakly enlarged subapically; apical lobes simple, symmetrical or slightly asymmetrical. Transtilla a simple band, often with median lobe, spinose over most of posterior margin, anterior margin occasionally reinforced with sclerotized crease. Valva large, simple, rounded or subrectangular; costa straight or concave, strongly sclerotized at base to near tip of valva; no sclerotized creases on valva; sacculus strongly sclerotized, simple, extending at least three fifths length of valva, straight, convex, or concave. Phallus pistol-shaped; distal portion straight or gently curved, usually longer than phallobase, occasionally equal or barely subequal in length to phallobase; apex of phallus attenuate, rounded, without spinose armature; vesica with dense bundle of 10–60 lanceolate cornuti weakly recurved, sometimes forked, deciduous, number variable within species; juxta large, broadly rounded at base, attached to phallus by short, strongly sclerotized process. Female Genitalia ( Figs. 10–14 ) with sterigma wide, box-shaped or rounded, straight, or curved, usually well sclerotized dorsad and ventrad of ostium, occasionally less strongly sclerotized, with narrow lateral lobes produced or absent; papillae anales parallel-sided, rectangular, posterior lobes well developed, rounded, anterior lobes often narrower, rounded; ductus bursae comparatively long, often gradually enlarged anteriorly, without sclerotized areas; corpus bursae large, with undifferentiated scobination; cestum not developed; signum a long band, nearly straight, weakly or distinctly curved, distal margins attenuate or rounded.

Sexual Dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism usually slight; sexes about equal in forewing length; females sometimes darker in color, with heavier but less distinctly margined fasciae; males with elongate antennal sensory sensillae.

Distribution. The genus is distributed from southwestern Texas, U.S. A, through Veracruz, Mexico. The greatest diversity occurs in the montane regions of central Mexico.

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 9. Adults and male genitalia of Amorbimorpha. 1 – 6. Adults. 1. A. powelliana, holotype male. 2. A. powelliana, paratype female. 3. A. mackayiana, paratype male. 4. A. mackayiana, paratype female. 5. A. schausiana, male (Mexico, Veracruz, Cofre de Perote, 3300 m, 04. vi. 1997, V. O. Becker, INBio). 6. A. spadicea, holotype female. 7 – 8. Male genitalia. 7. Amorbimorpha powelliana, holotype. 8. A. mackayiana, paratype. 8 A. Aedeagus of A. mackayiana, paratype. 9. A. schausiana, paratype.

FIGURE 10 – 14. Female genitalia of Amorbimorpha. 10. Female genitalia of A. powelliana, paratype. 11. Female genitalia of A. mackayiana, paratype. 12. Female genitalia of A. schausiana. 13. Female genitalia of A. schausiana, paratype (photograph by Jerry Powell). 14. Female genitalia of A. spadicea, holotype (photograph by Jerry Powell).