Scythris andensis Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination, 2022

Nupponen 1, Kari & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2022, Revision of Neotropical Scythrididae moths and descriptions of 22 new species from Argentina, Chile, and Peru (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea), ZooKeys 1087, pp. 19-104 : 19

Scythris andensis Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis

Figs 30 , 59 , 71

Type material.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. La Rioja, Andes Mts., Sierra de Famatina , Famatina village 15 km NNW; 28°46.4'S, 67°35.0'W; 2085 m a.s.l.; 27 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; BOLD sample ID KN01064; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/15 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratypes. Argentina • 14 ♂, 2 ♀; same data as for holotype; [BOLD sample IDs] KN01063, KN01065, KN01066; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/13 Jan. 2019 ♂; coll. NUPP; • 1 ♀; prov. San Juan, Andes Mts., salt lake by Cordillera del Tigre; 30°52.8'S, 68°52.4'W; 1620 m a.s.l.; 26 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 4/14 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP.

Diagnosis.

Externally resembling S. saldaitisi and S. wikstromi , sharing with those whitish blotches on forewings, and reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination. In the male genitalia of S. andensis , gnathos with tooth-like extensions on ventral margin, valvae are slim and asymmetrical, phallus is very short, and sclerites on segment VIII are asymmetrical and elongated. In the female genitalia the sclerotised, rocket-shaped sterigma is characteristic.

Description.

Wingspan 12.5-13 mm. Head, collar, tegula and thorax pale fuscous; thorax laterally and collar with few white scales. Neck tuft white. Haustellum base cream. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally white with pecten of same colour. Flagellum dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, in male ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp pale brown, palpomere I and upper surface mixed with white. Legs white, upper surfaces more or less mixed with different tones of brown. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white in male and white in female. Forewing pale fuscous, more or less densely scattered by white scales; large white blotches at midwing subbasally, at 0.35 between fold and dorsum, and above tornus; large dark brown blotches between fold and dorsum at 0.2 and 0.45, and spot of same colour at cell end. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus as long as gnathos and tegumen together, basally subquadrangular, distally narrow and shallowly upcurved, tip pointed. Gnathos long and robust, tip bifurcate, at base large asymmetrical extension; ventral edges with heavily sclerotised tooth-like extensions, four on right side and five on left side; dorsal surface subapically long and slender with weakly sclerotised extension, with two small basal thorns (potentially anal tube). Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus thick, straight and very short. Valvae long and narrow, asymmetrical; left valva tapered distally, right distally spatulate. Saccus short, labiate. Sternum VIII large, elongated, triangular basally but asymmetrical, posteriorly digitate. Tergum VIII narrower and little longer than sternum VIII, otherwise similar. Segment VIII is somewhat twisted in situ.

Female genitalia. Sterigma rocket-shaped, thick and robust. Ostium small, situated at tip of sterigma. Sternum VII rectangular, 1.4 × wider than high. Apophyses anteriores 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores.

Etymology.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The name of the species refers to its geographical origin, the Andes Mountains.

Distribution.

NW Argentina.

Habitat.

The species was collected in a dry sandy river bed at medium altitude of the Andes Mts., surrounded by dry and xerothermic rocky slopes with low vegetation and sparse shrubs (Fig. 75 ).

Genetic data.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5420 (n = 3 from Argentina). Genetically slightly heterogenous, maximum variation 0.16%. Nearest neighbour: Scythris mendozaensis Nupponen sp. nov. from Argentina ( Scythrididae , BIN: BOLD:ADZ5134, 5.78%).

Remarks.

Scythris andensis and S. mendozaensis are morphologically similar. In COI maximum likelihood phylogeny these taxa associate next to taxa, which are classified in Scythris or without genus combination on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are not easy to combine to any North American Scythrididae genus ( Landry 1991)). For these reasons we tentatively classify Scythris andensis and Scythris mendozaensis in Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for more research.

Figures

Figure 71. Female genitalia of Scythris andensis Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, paratype, slide 4 / 14 Dec. 2019 KN.

Figure 75. Collecting site of Scythris andensis sp. nov. and S. furciphallella sp. nov.: Argentina, Andes Mts. (2085 m), Sierra de Famatina, 27 Jan. 2017.

Figures 30 - 34. Scythrididae adults, genus Scythris 30 S. andensis Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, male, holotype 31 S. mendozaensis Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, female, holotype 32 S. dividua Meyrick, 1916, genus combination incertae sedis, male, lectotype 33 A S. medullata Meyrick, genus combination incertae sedis, 1916, male, lectotype 33 B S. medullata Meyrick, 1916, genus combination incertae sedis, male 34 S. notorrhoa Meyrick, 1921, genus combination incertae sedis, male, lectotype.

Figures 59 - 60. Male genitalia of Scythris 59 S. andensis Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, holotype, slide 2 / 15 Dec. 2019 KN (genitalia shown in lateral view) 60 S. dividua Meyrick, 1916, genus combination incertae sedis, lectotype, slide JFGC No. 8054.