Paralobesia marilynae Royals and Gilligan, 2018

Royals, Hanna R., Landry, Jean-François & Gilligan, Todd M., 2018, The myth of monophagy in Paralobesia (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)? A new species feeding on Cypripedium reginae (Orchidaceae), Zootaxa 4446 (1), pp. 81-96 : 93-94

Paralobesia marilynae Royals and Gilligan , sp.n.

Figs. 5 , 18–22

Diagnosis. Paralobesia marilynae is similar to both P. monotropana and P. cypripediana . The three species can be separated by the arrangement of the spine clusters, the teeth on the phallus, and the setae on the uncus in the males; these differences are discussed under the redescription of P. monotropana . Most other species of Paralobesia that resemble P. marilynae have long (extending past Spc1) setae at Spc3, versus the relatively short (not extending past Spc1) setae in P. marilynae , and a different configuration of teeth (if present) on the phallus. Females of P. marilynae are unknown.

Description. Male. Head: Vertex rough scaled, pale brown; frons scaled appressed, uniformly white; labial palpus pale brown, ca 1.75 times diameter of compound eye, segment II rough scaled, segment III smooth scaled; antenna dark brown. Thorax: Dorsum mottled with reddish-orange and tan scales; posterior crest mottled with dark brown and orange scales; for- and midlegs dark brown with tan annulations on tibia and tarsal segments, hind legs mostly pale brown with white annulations on tarsal segments. Forewing length 5.2–5.7 mm (n = 3); ground color blue grey, wing markings dark reddish brown and bright orange; costal strigulae pairs 2–9 expressed as pale brown dashes along costa; costal fold absent; patch of elongate scales present at base of dorsum; subbasal fascia a narrow band narrowing from costa to radius, widening from radius to cubitus, narrowing from cubitus to dorsum; median fascia dark brown, broad from costa to cubitus, distal margin extending towards termen along cubitus, and angling back to dorsum; postmedian fascia divided into two sections, an oval patch at the costa and a triangular pretornal patch, both mottled with bright orange scales; postmedian band a large semioval patch, scaled dark brown, extending to termen, usually with notch originating from termen near M3; preterminal fascia a small irregular patch near apex; fringe scales darkly mottled. Hindwing a uniform dark brown; fringe scales long, dark brown basally, pale brown apically; cubital pecten brown. Abdomen: Coloration pale to dark brown. Genitalia with uncus reduced, weakly bilobed, curved posteriorly, without patch of setae from apex; socius absent; gnathos a weakly sclerotized band, microtrichiate medially, fused with membranous subscaphium; Cucullus clavate, costal margin concave, with slight angle medially, apex broadly rounded, ventral margin convex, ventral half covered in stout spinelike setae, apex and dorsal half covered in fine setae; sacculus with three distinct clusters of spinelike setae, two on padlike lobes proximal to cucullus and a third on a raised projection at base; Spc1 separated from cucullus by moderate narrow emargination, extending ventrally beyond cucullus ca. 0.50–0.75 times as its length, Spc1 and Spc2 separated by deep U-shaped emargination, Spc2 0.75 times as large as Spc1, spines on both Spc1 and Spc2 blunt and peglike, Spc2 and Spc3 separated by shallow emargination, Spc3 on a weakly raised lobe, spines on Spc3 stout and spikelike, extending past edge of Spc2. Caulis large, ca. same length as phallus. Phallus tapering distally, curved, ca. same length as cucullus, a single tooth near apex.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype. ♂, “ Canada, QC, Gatineau Park, Folly Bog [fen], 45.456084°N 75.782735°W; Marilyn H.S. Light, 3.VII.2014; Larvae ex Cypripedium reginae stem+fruit; Adult emerged 30.IV.2015; CNCLEP00132704; Barcode of Life Project , Leg(s) removed, DNA extracted ; ♂ genitalia on slide, HRR 242” (CNC).

Paratypes. CANADA: same data as holotype; near Hickory Trail , 45.45, -75.7667, 138 m, egg laid 24 Jun 2013, hatched 28 Jun 2013, holed fruit & pupal shelter 8 Sep 2013, overwintered 17 Oct 2013, taken out 26 Mar 2014, emerged 2 May 2014 (1 ♂, slide TOR 5114 , CNCLEP00112595, CNC); larva bagged on plant# FB 131109 C on 3 Jul 2014, emerged 28 Mar 2015 (1 ♂, CNCLEP00132703, CNC); larva collected on 5 Aug 2015, adult emerged 30 Apr 2016 (1 ♂, slide HRR 241, CNCLEP00141502, CNC); larva collected on 7 Aug 2015, pupated 12 Aug 2015, emerged 28 Mar 2016 (1 ♂, CNCLEP00141501, CNC).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Marilyn H.S. Light, who has contributed greatly to our knowledge of Paralobesia biology by monitoring Cypripedium reginae populations in Gatineau Park for many years.

Distribution and biology. Of the 25 sequenced specimens verified as P. marilynae , 20 were collected from a population of C. reginae plants in Gatineau Park in southwestern Québec, while the remaining five were collected from C. reginae plants located in Lanark in eastern Ontario. The full geographic distibution of this species is unknown. Eggs of P. marilynae are laid prior to seed development over a period of one to two weeks. Eggs are laid on the underside of the floral bracts and hatch within 36 hours. Upon hatching, larvae enter a developing ovary and feed on ovary tissue. If a capsule is not available, larvae will enter the stem of the plant. There is little evidence that they will feed on developing seeds. Larvae will leave the seed capsule to pupate when desiccation of the capsule occurs, or when the food source is depleted. Rarely will they leave to feed on foliage. Larvae in situ likely drop or crawl to the ground and create a fold in deciduous litter in which to pupate (M. Light, pers. comm.).

Discussion. The five specimens listed above are the only specimens reared to adults. An additional 20 specimens (14 larvae and six eggs) were determined to be P. marilynae using DNA barcoding, but these are not included in the type series.

Figures

FIGURES 3–5. Male genitalia of Paralobesia. 3. Paralobesia monotropana (slide HRR 243). 4. P. cypripediana (slide HRR 120). 5. P. marilynae (slide TOR 5114).

FIGURES 8–22. Adults of Paralobesia. 8. Holotype of P. monotropana. 9–12. P. monotropana. 13. Lectotype of P. cypripediana. 14–17. P. cypripediana. 18. Holotype of P. marilynae. 19–22. P. marilynae.