Blastobasis nivis Adamski

Adamski, David, 2013, Review of the Blastobasinae of Costa Rica (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Blastobasidae), Zootaxa 3618 (1), pp. 1-223 : 66-67

Blastobasis nivis Adamski , new species

( Figs. 22 , 121–122 , 304 , 347 , Map 20)

Diagnosis.— Blastobasis nivis is similar to B. phaedra in facies but differs from the latter by having a smaller uncus; the sockets of tergal setae extending beyond the midlength of the tegumen; a narrower basal ridge of the digitate process of the dorsal part of the valva; a larger phallus; and an anellus that is narrower. B. nivis also has an elongate pigmented part of the gnathos that is lacking in B. phaedra .

Description.—Head: Scales on vertex brownish gray tipped with pale brownish gray; frontoclypeus with darkgray scales tipped with pale gray. Outer surface of labial palpus brown intermixed with pale-brown scales along apical margin of segment 2, inner surface pale brown. Antennal scape and pecten pale brown, flagellum brown basally gradually brightening apically; first flagellomere in male dilated, inner surface of dilated part with 41 palmate sex scales (n=1), ( Fig. 304 ). Proboscis pale brown.

Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum with basal 1/4 brown, apical 3/4 pale brown. Legs brown intermixed with pale-brown scales near midsegments and apical margins of all segments and tarsomeres. Forewing ( Fig. 347 ): Length 3.7–4.3 mm (n = 9), pale brown intermixed with brown scales; submedian fascia incomplete or absent; cell with three spots, one near middle, two on apical end along crossvein; marginal spots present. Undersurface brown. Venation ( Fig. 22 ) with M3 closer to M2 near basal 1/2 than distance between M3 and CuA1 near basal 1/2; cubital veins divergent from bases; CuA1 straight, CuA2 curved basally. Hindwing: Translucent pale brown gradually darkening to apex. Venation ( Fig. 22 ) with anterior part of cell closed, posterior part of cell open; cubitus 4- branched with all veins arising submarginally from cubitus.

Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Figs. 121–122 ): Uncus parallelsided from single-tiered base, broadly rounded apically, slightly downcurved, sparsely setose, shorter in length than width of anal opening. Dorsal strut of tegumen absent. Gnathos wide, confluent with tegumen, posteroventral margin slightly protracted mesially, narrowly bidentate; midwidth of pigmented part of gnathos narrower than midwidth of uncus. Sockets of tergal setae extending beyond midlength of tegumen. Valva divided; ventral part broadly curved dorsolaterally from beyond base, narrowed apically, forming inwardly curved spinelike process; process setose on outer surface, planate on inner surface; ventral margin sparsely setose from 1/5, slightly upturned, forming narrow fold to near slightly raised, setose lobe at base of apical process; dorsal part with apical portion of costa extending dorsolaterally, forming setose digitate process; area beneath costa and above proximal flange overlaid with densely packed microtrichiate membrane, extending above and below phallus to opposite side; basal ridge of digitate process protracted ventrally fusing with dorsolateral ridge of proximal flange; ventral margin of proximal flange slightly cleft, extending toward a broadly rounded, ventrolateral ridge; proximal flange bearing conical setae intermixed with densely packed microtrichiae. Juxta bandlike. Vinculum semicircular. Phallus and sclerite of phallus longer than valva; sclerite of phallus subsigmoid-shaped; anellus gradually narrowing from base, mesially notched apically, setose. Female Genitalia: Unknown.

Holotype, 3, “Est[ación] Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km, S St[an]a Cecilia, Prov[incia] Guan[acaste], COSTA RICA, C. Moraga, Abr[il] 1991, L-N-330200, 380200”, “INBio: COSTA RICA: CRI000, 484528” [barcode label], “INBio 3 Genitalia Slide by D. Adamski, No. 3581” [yellow label].

Paratypes (8 3): 2 3, same data as for holotype except, “C. Moraga & P. Rios, Nov. 1990 ”, “CRI000, 313721”, “Slide No. 3564”, “CRI000, 313732”, “Slide No. 3575”, “Wing Slide No. 7048”; 1 3, “P. Rios, Jul. 1991 ”, “CRI000, 336168”, “Slide No. 3558”, “USNM 83847”; 1 3, “ 19–27 Ene. 1993, D. Garcia”, “CRI001, 303972”, “Slide No. 3343”, “USNM 83848”; 1 3, “Agua Buena, P.N. Guanacaste, Prov. Guan., COSTA RICA, 200 m, 7–12 Feb. 1994, E. López, L-N-334800, 364100, # 2692”, “CRI001, 747242”, “Slide No. 3594”, “USNM 83849”; 1 3, “Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150 m, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA, E. Rojas, Dic. 1991, L- N-286000, 567500”, “CRI000, 550179”, “Slide No. 3960”; 1 3, “Quepos, 80 m, P.N. Manuel Antonio, Prov. Punt., COSTA RICA, R. Zuniga, Feb. 1991, L-S-370900, 448800”, “CRI000, 346953”, “Slide No. 3941”; 1 3, “Fca. Jenny, 30 km N de Liberia, P.N. Guanacaste, COSTA RICA, Mar. 1991, R. Espinoza, L-N-316200, 364400”, “CRI001, 326460”, “Slide 3478”, “USNM 83850”, [4 in INBio, 4 in USNM].

MAP 20. Distribution of Blastobasis nivis (●).

Distribution (Map 20). Blastobasis nivis is known from six collecting sites; four in western Costa Rica along the western part of the Cordillera de Guanacaste, and two in the east-central part of the country near the border of Nicaragua and along the middle of the Pacific coastline.

Etymology. The specific epithet nivis is derived from the Latin nix meaning, snow.

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 30. Wing venation of Blastobasinae. 21, Blastobasis vesta (slide 7051). 22, Blastobasis nivis (slide 7048). 23, Blastobasis phaedra (slide 7042). 24, Blastobasis aedes (slide 7050). 25, Blastobasis dicionis (slide 7039). 26, Hypatopa cladis (slide 7005). 27, Hypatopa juno (slide 7033). 28, Hypatopa pica (slide 7014). 29, Hypatopa hecate (slide 7015). 30, Hypatopa crux (slide 7035).

FIGURES 117 – 122. Male genitalia of Blastobasinae. 117 – 118, Blastobasis lex (slide 3488). 119 – 120, Blastobasis vesta (slide 3517). 121 – 122, Blastobasis nivis (slide 3581).

FIGURES 300 – 307. Male sex scales on first flagellomere of Blastobasis. 300, Blastobasis deliciolarum. 301, Blastobasis abollae. 302, Blastobasis lex. 303, Blastobasis vesta. 304, Blastobasis nivis. 305, Blastobasis phaedra. 306, Blastobasis aedes. 307, Blastobasis tapetae.

FIGURES 344 – 351. Imagos of Blastobasinae. 344, Blastobasis abollae, holotype. 345, Blastobasis lex, holotype. 346, Blastobasis vesta, holotype. 347, Blastobasis nivis, holotype. 348, Blastobasis phaedra, holotype. 349, Blastobasis aedes, holotype. 350, Blastobasis tapetae, holotype. 351, Blastobasis rotae, holotype.