Oospila bifida, Lindt & Hausmann & Viidalepp, 2018

Lindt, Aare, Hausmann, Axel & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2018, Review of some species groups of the genus Oospila Warren, with descriptions of nine new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae), Zootaxa 4497 (2), pp. 151-194 : 181-182

Oospila bifida sp. n.

(Figs 33, 36, 67, 86)

Material. Holotype: male, Bolivia: Inicua , Quiquibei, 555 m, 31.10.2010, 15°30'07"S, 67°11'52"W (A. Lindt) (slide 279) (Type id. TAMZ 0094295 ).

Paratypes: 1♂. data as in the holotype but slide 8752; 1♂1♀, Bolivia, N. P. Carrasco, 600 m, 6.10.2010, 17°06'01”S, 65°31'35"W (slide 332); 1♂, Bolivia, N. P. Carrasco, 900 m, 5.10.2010, 17°06'44”S, 65°33'55"W (A. Lindt). 2♂, Bolivia, Sarampiuni , San Carlos, 1000m, 31.08.1950 / 8.9.1950, leg. W. Forster, coll. ZSM (slide ZSM G 17499) ; 2♂, Bolivia, Nor. Yungas , Rte. Mururata—Sta. Rosa, env. Quilo-Quilo, 1600m, Jan. 1984, leg. Lachaume & Porion, coll. Herbulot / ZSM.

Diagnosis. A member of the O. miccularia species group with relatively large reddish orange blotches, much reminiscent of O. ecuadorata , discal spots of the latter usually more conspicuous. Distinguishable from related species by the structure of male genitalia: The two long central spines and the triangular, short apex of valva tapering towards its tip are characteristic. There are broader patches of setae on sterigma and the signum is small.

Description. Wingspan, 15.5–19 mm (Figs 33, 36). The frons and the palpi are brown. The fillet is white, the vertex green, a red-brown line in between. The male antennae are bipectinate, length of the external and internal pectinations on the tenth antennal segment 0.5 and 0.4 mm, respectively. The dorsum of the thorax is dark green, dorsum of abdomen with five small crests, brown anteriorly, paler posteriorly. The wings are dark green with orange blotches to the apex and the tornus of both wings, connected by a narrow connection or small blotch between the veins M3 and CuA1. The marginal line is brown on both wings. The blotches are irrorated with browngrey scales and basally edged by a bold white and a bold dark perimeter which projects along some veins towards the white line. The apical blotch of the fore wing is well rounded and does not reach the costa, the tornal blotch is large, protruding to the middle of the hind margin of the wing and to the discal cell near the discal spot. There are blackish discal spots on both wings, sometimes accompanied by white anterior discal spots on hind wings. The fringe is light brown, slightly chequered with brown to the vein ends. The male hind legs are slender, with one pair of (distal) spurs, and without a hair pencil.

Male genitalia (Fig. 67): The uncus is reduced, the socii are slender and the gnathi are hooked. The juxta is short, with two oval dorso-lateral projections and with a pair of short ventro-lateral projections. The valva is split, its saccular half refolded, with a finger-shaped projection directed dorsally and reaching beyond the costal edge of a valva. The valva bears a pair of stout subapical thorns. Narrow apical part of valva comparatively short. The aedeagus is provided with a sclerotized dorsal rib, the sternite A8 has two rounded projections at its posterior edge.

Female genitalia (Fig. 86): Very similar to female genitalia of O. pipa sp. n.: The corpus bursae is pyriform, the sterigma has a pair of lateral patches of fine setae larger and the signum smaller.

Genetic data. Not yet DNA barcoded.

Distribution. Bolivia.

Biology. The specimens were collected in October, and from January to February, in tropical mountain forests and in a secondary landscape with forest fragments, of moderate elevations (550–1800 m), absent from lowland rainforests.