Ekboarmia miniaria, Skou, Peder, Stuening, Dieter & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2017

Skou, Peder, Stuening, Dieter & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2017, Revision of the West-Mediterranean geometrid genus Ekboarmia, with description of a new species from Portugal (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae), Nota Lepidopterologica 40 (1), pp. 39-63 : 52-53

Ekboarmia miniaria sp. n.

Type-locality and type-specimen.

Holotype male, pinned, with genitalia on a separate slide. Original labels: HOLOTYPE/ Ekboarmia / miniaria [red rectangle label]; Portugal Grandola/ Ameiras de B.[aixo] [38°14.29'N; 8°32.42'W]/ 20.vi.2011/ A. & Z. Laštůvka lgt.; Prep. number 2050/ Pasi Sihvonen (in coll. Skou, to be deposited at Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark).

Paratypes 5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀, all with same type label: PARATYPE/ Ekboarmia / miniaria [red rectangle label]. One female will be deposited at ZFMK, one male at NHM, one male at ZSM and all remaining specimens are currently in coll. Skou, to be deposited at Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Paratype label data: 4 ♂♂, 2♀♀: same label data as the holotype. 1 ♂: P.[ortugal] Alentejo/ Lagoe St André [Lagoa de Santo André]/ Nature Reserve [38°5.12'N; 8°46.57'W] / 16.ix-10.x.[19]95/ B. Elliott; genit. prep. m/ 496/ B. Goater. 3 ♀♀: Portugal/ Grandola/ 15.vi.2009/ A. & Z. Laštůvka lgt.

External characters and abdomen

(Figs 12, 16). Wingspan males 17-19 mm (n=6), females 17-18 mm (n=5), smallest species in the genus. Sexual dimorphism apparent. Male dark greyish-brown or rather blackish-brown, medial area darker. Forewing antemedial line absent. Medial line blackish, weakly dentate, turned inwards on costa. Postmedial line distinctly dentate, angled inwards before costa, outer margin very narrowly bordered with whitish. Medial area dark, wide on inner margin. Subterminal line absent. Terminal line narrow, black ish, slightly widened at vein endings. Fringes grey-brown, unicolorous. Hindwing medial area paler, postmedial line less dentate. Forewing discal spot small, distinct, dark brown. Wings below uniform grey-brown, postmedial line weakly visible. Female almost uniform grey-brown, postmedial line weakly visible, dark brown, dentate. Forewing discal spot small, distinct, dark brown. Hindwing discal spots smaller. Wings below uniform grey-brown, discal spots minute and dark brown. Frons, collar, thorax, and abdomen concolorous with wings, irrorated with grey. Abdomen paler ventrally. Male antennae bipectinate, female antennae filiform. Hindtibia with 2+2 spurs, male hindtibia not swollen, with very small hair pencil (if not everted, a weak groove visible only). Tympanal organs medium-sized, not meeting medially, slightly smaller in female. Male 8th tergite weakly triangular, posterior margin narrower. Other sternites and tergites of both sexes unmodified.

Variation.

June specimens are dark brown; the specimen taken in October is light brown, except terminal area, which is distinctly dark brown (see Figs 16c, h). It is not clear whether this specimen shows the normal appearance of the second generation or whether it is a strongly aberrant individual.

Male genitalia

(Fig. 21). Generally as in Ekboarmia atlanticaria , but smaller. Uncus wide in Ekboarmia miniaria (similar, but a little less wide in Ekboarmia sagnesi , narrow in Ekboarmia atlanticaria and Ekboarmia fascinataria ). Phallus apex does not bend when vesica is everted (bends when vesica is everted in Ekboarmia atlanticaria , Ekboarmia fascinataria and Ekboarmia sagnesi ). Vesica opens at about 90 degree angle (at about 135 degree angle in Ekboarmia atlanticaria and Ekboarmia fascinataria ). Juxta arms broader apically than basally, dentate along inner margin, base with elongated lobe (juxta arms tapering apically, dentate at apex only, base solid in Ekboarmia atlanticaria and Ekboarmia fascinataria ; juxta arms broader apically, dentate (or smooth) along inner margin, base with roundish lobe in Ekboarmia sagnesi ).

Female genitalia

(Fig. 25). Generally as in Ekboarmia atlanticaria , but genitalia distinctly smaller. Lamella antevaginalis is curved, broad band in Ekboarmia miniaria (lateral arms of lamella antevaginalis weakly sclerotised in Ekboarmia atlanticaria and Ekboarmia fascinataria and strongly sclerotised in Ekboarmia sagnesi ). Signum absent in Ekboarmia miniaria (signum distinctly stellate in Ekboarmia atlanticaria and Ekboarmia fascinataria and weakly stellate in Ekboarmia sagnesi ).

Etymology.

The species name miniaria (word stem based on the Latin “minima”, an adjective in the nominative singular), refers to the small size of the species. The wingspan and genitalia of both sexes are smaller than in any other Ekboarmia species.

Distribution and abundance

(Fig. 17). Endemic to Portugal, where it is presently known from only two localities in the southern part of the country. Seven specimens were found in one night (20.vi.2011).

Phenology.

Possibly bivoltine. So far, the species has been recorded in mid-June and once between 16 September and 10 October. Nothing is known about larval time and hibernation. The moths are nocturnal and come to light.

Biology.

Unknown.

Habitat.

Open pine forests ( Pinus pinaster ) on sandy soil with undergrowth of herbs and scattered bushes, including Halimium atriplicifolium , Stauracanthus genistoides , and Cistus psilosepalus among the dominant species. One of the two known localities had suffered a bushfire, probably 8-10 years earlier. Found close to sea level and at 90 m (Figs 27-29).

Similar species.

There are no similar species in Europe.

Genetic data.

BIN: BOLD: AAZ6253 (n=2 from Portugal) (Fig. 26). Intraspecific variation low (0.15%). Distances from Ekboarmia atlanticaria 3.5% and from Ekboarmia sagnesi 3.9%.