Ernassa rufula, Grados, 2024

Grados, Juan, 2024, Beyond appearances: the genus Ernassa Walker, 1856 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Phaegopterina) and the description of eight new species, Zootaxa 5493 (4), pp. 301-327 : 310-311

Ernassa rufula sp. nov.

( Figs. 23–28 )

Diagnosis. Similar to E. justina , it differs by the forewings, which are elongate and pointed towards the apex. The color of the dorsal side of the forewings is deep red. Base of the valva wide, dorsal process sclerotized, thick, with the distal half curved and setae at the end.

Type material. HOLOTYPE male ( Figs. 23–24 ). FRENCH GUYANA. 1 male, Piste Petit saut, 20.iv.– 07.v.2006, R. Vande Merghel (GENITALIA # JGA-1233 , MUSM). 2 PARATYPES. 1 male, Cayena , Kaw, ix.2006, R . Vande Merghel; 1 male, Mountagne de Kaw PK 15, 07.ix.2015, J.Y. Gallard leg. (GENITALIA # JGA-1232 , MUSM); Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni . 1 male, Moutouchi , 08.ii.2013, R . Vande Merghel. All deposited in the MUSM .

EXTRA MATERIAL EXAMINED. FRECH GUYANA. 1 male , 2005, F. Lavalette; 1 male, RISQUE TOUT croisem Piè. l., 26.vi.–08.vii.2006 , R. Vande Merghel. All deposited in the MUSM.

Male. Forewing span (21–25 mm) (n=5). Head. reddish. Scape reddish, flagellum brown with whitish segments distally. Thorax. Reddish. Legs reddish, the outer margin of the anterior tibiae with a narrow brown line. Forewing. Elongate and somewhat pointed at the apex. Dorsal. Orange-Red. Half of the anterior margin brown. Posterior margin with a few leaden scales. Termen brown. Veins with blackish scales. Brown spot near the base. Subproximal rhomboid orange spot, delimited by an antemedial and a medial band; the first one reddish with a faint black line, the second blackish, projecting beyond the junction of M 3 and Cu 1, reaching almost all M2. Orange spots poorly defined at the discal cell. A subproximal ovoid white spot at M 2 -M 3. With scattered, unclearly defined spaces of reddish, reddish-orange and leaden scales towards the outer margin. Ventral. Reddish, somewhat lighter from Cu 2. Most of the anterior margin brown. Termen brown. Hindwing. Reddish, elongate and rhomboid with rounded angles. Dorsal. Reddish, slightly lighter towards the central part. Ventral. Reddish, with the same traits as the dorsal side. Abdomen. Reddish. Male genitalia ( Figs. 25–28 ) (Genitalia # JGA 1232, 1233). Tegumen with narrow sides, anterior margin shaped as an inverted “U”. Uncus with its base wider than the distal part of the tegumen; near its base, two “˩”-shaped, strongly sclerotized, lateral processes, arched, with abundant long and thick bristles on its mesal side; distal part short, pointed and hook-shaped at its end, a concave notch on its ventral part. Saccus absent. Valva. Lateral view: wide at the base, concave at its dorsal margin medially; ventral process membranous, wide, short, oval at the distal end and bearing setae; dorsal process sclerotized, wider and elongate at its base, convex on its dorsal margin and slightly concave on its ventral margin; distal half curved and with setae on the tip. Ventral view: wide at its base, mesal margins at the base parallel, slightly concave at the distal part, projecting sinusoidally towards the dorsal process; at the distal part, towards the mesal side, invaginated with abundant setae; dorsal process curved towards the mesal margin. Juxta trapezoidal, with two pointed lateral processes on its posterior margin. Transtilla sclerotized, tubular and digitiform.Aedeagus elongate, conspicuously curved at its proximal half; coecum penis elongate; Vesica membranous, short, with minute spicules at its distal area.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. rufula is a feminine adjective in the nominative singular, which means “the little red one.”

Distribution. Known at the moment only from French Guiana.

Remarks. The area of distribution is certainly wider than that recorded in this work. At the moment it is the species with the pointed apex. However, it is advisable to perform dissections when studying other specimens, since it is likely that some other undescribed species could be recorded.

Figures

FIGURES 23–24. Ernassa rufula sp. nov. Grados. 23. Dorsal view. 24. Ventral view. Scales=5 mm.

FIGURES 25–28. Genitalia of Ernassa rufula sp. nov. Male (Genitalia # JGA-1232, MUSM). 25. Dorsal view. 26. Ventral view. 27. Lateral view. 28. Aedeagus. Scales= 1 mm.