Ragonotia campodonicoi Cepeda, 2018

Cepeda, Danilo E., 2018, Contribution to the knowledge of Chilean Phycitinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): new species of Passadena Hulst, 1900, and Ragonotia Grote, 1888, from northern Chile, Insecta Mundi 654, pp. 1-12 : 3-4

Ragonotia campodonicoi Cepeda , new species

Diagnosis. (Fig. 18–19). Large in both sexes, relative to other Ragonotia species. Forewing 11–13 mm (n = 3). Forewing ash gray. Labial palpus large and porrect in both sexes. Valva narrow, with elongated fibula; saccus wider than long. Ductus bursae subequal in length to corpus bursae. This new species can be differentiated from Ragonotia dotalis (Ragonot) and Ragonotia confluenciana Neunzig and Goodson by the following characters: forewing pattern, narrowed valva, elongated fibula, saccus wider than long and ductus bursae subequal in length to corpus bursae.

Ragonotia campodonicoi , n. sp., is included in this genus based on the following features: male antennae with longitudinal rows of rather long sensillae ventrally; labial palpus large and porrect in both sexes; 8th abdominal segment of male without a pair of ventrolateral scale tufts; male genitalia with uncus subtriangular, gnathos with strong apical hook, juxta V-shaped, valva simple and phallus sclerotized, slender and without cornuti; female genitalia with papillae anales with many long setae, ductus bursae sclerotized near junction with corpus bursae, corpus bursae membranous without signum, and ductus seminalis attached to ductus bursae. All these features are in agreement with the description proposed by Neunzig and Goodson (1992).

Description of female holotype. Forewing 13.0 mm. Head with frons, vertex and occiput covered by elongate brown scales. Antenna filiform, with scape and dorsal flagellomeres covered by whitish-grey scales. Flagellomeres finely and densely ciliate ventrally. Labial palpus large, porrect, three times as long as maximum diameter of eye, covered by elongated whitish-grey scales, also with a few scattered brown scales. Thorax, tegulae and scutellum covered with brown scales, a few whitish scales scattered. Forewing whitish ash gray, with few black scales scattered. Hindwing broad and triangular, opaque whitish, M2+3 and CuA1 divergent in less than half of their lengths; termen fringed with whitish elongate scales.

Female genitalia. (Fig. 20–21). Papillae anales simple, covered with abundant long setae. Eighth segment weakly sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores and posteriores subequal in length. Ductus bursae elongate and strongly sclerotized, subequal in length to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae membranous, without signum. Ductus seminalis attached to ductus bursae near sclerotized area of ductus bursae.

Male. Forewing 13.0 mm (n = 1). As described in female, except ventral antenna with longitudinal rows of long sensillae, dorsal scape covered with dark-brown scales. Labial palpus porrect, covered with dark-brown scales, without tufts basally. Thorax, tegulae and scutellum covered with brown scales.

Male genitalia. ( Fig. 22–26 ). Uncus longer than wide, with wide base, subtriangular. Gnathos strongly sclerotized, with apical hook recurved. Juxta broadly sclerotized, V-shaped plate. Valva longer than wide, with sclerotized costal band narrow and not reaching tip of valva; fibula elongated beyond the valva saccular margin, slender and digitiform; sacculus wider than long. Vinculum longer than wide, saccus posteriorly rounded. Phallus slender, narrowing toward apex, finely scobinate. Eighth abdominal segment of male without a pair of ventrolateral scale tufts. Eighth sternum wider than long, rounded apically. Eighth tergum small and arch-shaped.

Host plant. Unknown.

Intraspecific variation. Subtle variability in color of the forewing (whitish to ash gray). In female genitalia, there is subtle variation in the length of the apophyses anteriores.

Etymology. This species is named after Juan Francisco Campodonico (University of Chile), who collected the type series of this new taxon.

Distribution. Present at one locality in the Huasco Province, Region of Atacama. According to Morrone (2015), this distribution belongs in the Central Chilean Sub-region, Province of Coquimbo.

Remarks. Ragonotia campodonicoi n. sp. is morphologically very similar to its Argentinean congener, especially in the form of the uncus, gnathos, phallus, ductus bursae and corpus bursae.

Material examined. 3 specimens. Holotype ♀, Chile, Huasco province, Caleta Los Bronces , 28°38′S, 71°16′W, 200 m., 21.IX.2017, J.F. Campodonico leg., UV trap ( MEUC). Paratypes: 1 ♂ and 1 ♀, Chile, Huasco prov., Caleta Los Bronces , 28°38′S, 71°16′W, 200 m., 21.IX.2017, J.F. Campodonico leg., UV trap ( MEUC, ZMUC).

Figures

Figures 22–24. Ragonotia campodonicoi n. sp. 22) Male genitalia without phallus. 23) Uncus and gnathos. 24) Valva. Scale: 0.25 mm.

Figures 25–26. Ragonotia campodonicoi n. sp. 25) Phallus. 26) Phallus apex. Scale: 0.25 mm.