Eupinivora ponderosae, Brown, John W., 2013

Brown, John W., 2013, A new genus of pine-feeding Cochylina from the western United States and northern Mexico (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Euliini), Zootaxa 3640 (2), pp. 270-283 : 271-273

EUPINIVORA , new genus

Figs. 1, 2

Type species. Eupinivora ponderosae , new species.

Diagnosis. Eupinivora is superficially most similar to members of the Argyrotaenia ponera Walsingham group ( Archipini ) as defined by Brown and Cramer (2000), with a rust to pale-orange forewing, usually bearing a palecream or white streak or patch through the discal cell ( Figs. 3–6 , 19 ). This pattern is unlike that of any other Cochylina. The male genitalia are most similar to those of North American species of Henricus Busck, 1943 and Phtheochroa Stephens, 1829 from which they are easily distinguished by the short (2 times as long as wide in most species), stout phallus lacking cornuti, and the dense patch of external spines near the junction of the aedeagus and the phallobase ( Figs. 9–14 , 20 ) in all but two species; three species have a long, densely spined sacculus ( Fig. 12– 14 ). Males of Eupinivora lack a forewing costa fold, whereas the structure is present in most North American Phtheochroa ; and in both sexes of Eupinivora the labial palpi are short and upturned, whereas they are long and porrect and nearly all Phtheochroa and Henricus . Males of Eupinivora lack the modified sex scaling (“subgenital bunches of scent scales” sensu Razowski 2011) of abdominal segment 7 associated with the male genitalia that are characteristic of most species of Henricus (Razowski 2011) .

Description. Head: Vertex rough-scaled, without overhanging tuft, frons with sparse rough scales; ocellus minute; antenna ca. 0.5 forewing length, slender, 2 bands of scales per flagellomere, sensory setae 1.3–1.7 times flagellomere diameter in male, extremely short, sparse in female; labial palpus ( Fig. 1 ) short, length ca. 1.25 times diameter of compound eye in both sexes, segment II slightly sinuate, ascending, segment III porrect or slightly drooping, exposed; haustellum present, presumably functional; maxillary palpus inconspicuous. Thorax: Nota smooth-scaled, sometimes with a few raised scales at posterior end of mesothorax; legs unmodified. Forewing length 7.5–12.0 mm; forewing narrow, length ca. 2.5–2.7 times width, costa weakly and evenly curved from base to apex except for relatively long, extremely narrow concavity in middle 0.2 (inconspicuous in denuded wings) similar to that in Henricus , but much less pronounced; apex acute; termen strongly oblique, straight; all veins present and separate ( Fig. 2 ), except CuP absent, R4 and R5 connate at base, R5 to costa before apex, chorda weak, m-stem weak, length of discal cell ca. 0.65 length of wing, costal fold absent in male; hindwing with Rs and M1 entirely fused [difficult to interpret]; dense patch of fine, long scales near base of 1A+2A; frenulum with one acanthus in male, three in female. Abdomen: Lacking specialized scales and processes. Male genitalia ( Figs. 9–14 , 20 ) with tegumen broadly V-shaped, uncus in form of a small, weakly sclerotized, median lobe; vinculum Ushaped, lateral arms completely fused baso-anteriorly; socii subtriangular, often with slightly elongate, hairy anterior portion (representing vertex of triangle); gnathos absent; transtilla broad with strongly sclerotized median process with terminal bifurcation or patch of teeth; valva short, broad, costa straight, slightly convex, or abruptly angled subbasally, ventral margin curved, sacculus usually confined to basal 0.5, in some species with teeth or long spine-like setae; juxta short-triangular with median notch; phallus usually short, stout, bulbous, ca. 2 times as long as wide (4–5 times as long as wide in unicolora and rufofascia ), with a pair of sinuate, lateral process projecting beyond apex, aedeagus ca. as long as phallobase, a dense cluster of long, strong spine-like setae externally near junction of aedeagus and phallobase; cornuti absent. Female genitalia ( Figs. 15–18 , 21 ) with papillae anales nearly parallel-sided, slightly narrowed anteriorly; apophyses slender, relatively short, posteriores ca. 1.25 as long as anteriores; sterigma an ill-defined, weakly sclerotized plate; lamellae antevaginalis with a variably developed median plate between bases of papillae anales and ostium, and a pair of laterad subrectangular sclerites immediately posterad of ostium bursae; lamellae postvaginalis a narrow, sclerotized, wrinkly ribbon; ductus bursae undifferentiated from corpus bursae, latter only slightly narrowed posteriorly toward ostium; corpus bursae oblong with dense spiculae throughout, lacking signum; accessory bursa a small rounded sac from frail ductus ca. 0.6 as long as ductus bursae, originating laterally near junction of ductus bursae and ostium; ductus seminalis from near middle of ductus bursae.

Variation. There is no sexual dimorphism in maculation and little variation in forewing pattern within species, but forewing length is slightly variable among localities. Females are slightly to conspicuously larger than males. Within species, male and female genitalia are uniform, and between species they exhibit conspicuous differences.

Biology and distribution. Four of the seven known species of Eupinivora were reared from cones of Pinus arizonica var. cooperi Blanco (Pinaceae) and one from Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson. All of the species occur in montane habitats (1700–2750 m) dominated by conifers, and fly primarily from June through August. The genus ranges from the western United States (Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) south to central Mexico (Nuevo León, Durango, and Estado de Mexico).

Remarks. The similarity of forewing pattern with the Argyrotaenia ponera group is assumed to be an adaptation to its pine host. Several species of pine-feeding Eucosmini (e.g., Rhyacionia versicolor Powell , Eucosma bobana Kearfott , Retinia spp.) also exhibit similar orange maculation.

Based on maculation and male genitalia, the seven species of Eupinivora treated herein can be divided into two species groups. One group, including E. ponderosae , E. angulicosta , E. albolineana , and E. thaumantias , is characterized superficially by a distinct white or pale cream dash near the middle of the discal cell of the forewing; a dense patch of large spines medially on the transtilla; a sacculus that is smooth or only slightly serrate along its upper edge and usually confined to the basal 0.25–0.33 of the valva; a dense cluster of long spines from the dorsum of the phallus; and a short, upturned valva, the costa of which is distinctly angled subbasally. In the second group, including E. hamartopenis , E. unicolora , and E. rufofascia , the forewing lacks the white dash in the discal cell (although a trace is present in E. hamartopenis ); the transtilla lacks large spines and the median process is usually bifurcate distally; the sacculus extends about 0.5 or more the length of the valva and bears a dense, linear cluster of long spines; the phallus has a shorter patch of external spines dorsally (lacking altogether in E. unicolora ); and the costa of the valva is straight or uniformly curved, lacking a distinct subbasal angle.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Morphological features of adult. 1. Head of Eupinivora. 2. Wing venation of Eupinivora unicolora.

FIGURES 3 – 8. Adults of Eupinivora. 3. E. ponderosae, paratype male, USA, Arizona. 4. E. angulicosta, holotype male, Mexico, Nuevo Leon. 5. E. albolineana, holotype male, Mexico, Durango. 6. E. hamartopenis, paratype male, Mexico, Durango. 7. E. unicolora, holotype male, Mexico, Durango. 8. E. rufofascia, paratype female, Mexico, Durango.

FIGURES 19 – 21. Male and female genitalia of Eupinivora thaumantias. 19. Adult, paratype, Mexico, Mexico. 20. Male genitalia, paratype, Mexico, Mexico (USNM slide 143,292). 21. Female genitalia, paratype, Mexico, Mexico (USNM slide 142,293).

FIGURES 9 – 14. Male genitalia of Eupinivora, with phallus removed. 9. E. ponderosae, paratype, USA, Arizona (MGP slide 736). 10. E. angulicosta, holotype, Mexico, Nuevo Leon (USNM slide 92,089). 11. E. albolineana, paratype, Mexico, Durango (USNM slide 119,189). 12. E. hamartopenis, paratype, Durango (MGP slide 345). 13. E. unicolora, paratype, Mexico, Durango (USNM slide 142,194). 14. E. rufofascia, paratype, Mexico, Durango (USNM slide 142,207).

FIGURES 15 – 18. Female genitalia of Eupinivora. 15. E. ponderosae, paratype, USA, Arizona (USNM slide 23,462). 16. E. hamartopenis, paratype, Mexico, Durango (USNM slide 119,175). 17. E. unicolora, paratype, Mexico, Durango (USNM slide 142,195). 18. E. rufofascia, paratype, Mexico, Durango (USNM slide 142,208).