Calonotos flemingi, Cock & Laguerre, 2022

Cock, Matthew J. W. & Laguerre, Michel, 2022, Taxonomic changes in the Neotropical wasp moths, Euchromiina and Ctenuchina (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini) relating to the fauna of Trinidad & Tobago, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 5222 (2), pp. 101-132 : 105-108

Calonotos flemingi new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8C7147EF-6424-467E-994D-C2900F7A99BE

Figs. 7–11 .

Type material. Holotype ♁: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, Trinidad. Curepe , MVL, 15.ix.1979 (M.J.W. Cock) / MJWC, dissection 1123 ( Figs. 10 , 11 ). The holotype will be deposited in NHMUK under Acquisition Number BMNH(E) 2022-156 as specimen number NHMUK010293431 . Paratypes: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, Trinidad. 1♁, St. Ann’s [ MGCLB, ex coll Kaye, as C. chalcipleura ]. 1♁ Curepe , MVL, 15–22.iv.1982 (M.J.W. Cock) [ MJWC] ( Fig. 7 ). 1♁ <15 mi from Port of Spain, <1,000 ft., xii.1913 – iv.1914 (F.W. Jackson) [ OUMNH]. 1♀ Fons Amandes, 200 ft., 19.iii.1922 (F.W. Jackson) [ OUMNH] ( Fig. 9 ). 1♀ [No other locality], iv–v.1902 (E. Bourke) [ OUMNH] ( Fig. 8 ). 1♁ [No other locality], ii.1930 (A. Hall) [ NHMUK as C. triplaga Hampson ] .

Other material examined: Calonotos flemingi : TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, Trinidad.?♁ Preysal , 10.41 –61.38, 12.vi.2021 (A. Deacon photo) [iNaturalist observation 82777772]. Calonotos sp. : FRENCH GUIANA, Nourages, Inselberg Camp Heliport—Drop Zone, 4.09°N — 52.68°W, 160m asl, M.A.S. Smith & R. Rougerie, 1/29/2011; Genitalia ML2145 ; Sample ID NS-RR0286, BOLD Proc ID LNOUE266-11 [ ML]. Calonotos metallicus : original series of syntypes from Bugaba , Panama examined in NHMUK .

Diagnosis. Hampson (1898) divided Calonotos into sections. He characterised his section I: ‘Both wings with the outer margin slightly excised at middle and broadened at tornus; the submedian interspace clothed with rough scales below; forewing with ridge of large scales running through submedian interspace’. This was based on males only as Hampson (1898) included only C. metallicus Druce, 1886 (in Druce 1881 –1900) (TL Panama) in his section I, and had only seen males of that species. Male C. flemingi new species also shows these characters, which serve to separate these two species from other similar known Calonotos spp. Calonotos flemingi new species lacks the white spots on the tegulae, shoulders, and sides of thorax, the cupreous spots on meso- and metathorax, the white lateral tufts at the base of the abdomen, and the pale spot beyond the cupreous streak at the base of the dorsal forewing, all of which are found in C. metallicus ; the abdomen stripes and basal markings of the dorsal forewing are pale green rather than cupreous; the white ventral line of the abdomen is narrow and restricted to the basal half; and the forewing costa has a metallic green streak in the basal half, which is absent in C. metallicus .

None of the three males in the type series of C. metallicus have been dissected. Our interpretation is based on the original description and type, and members of BIN BOLD:ADH0198, with sequences from Panama, but again no associated genitalia figures. The nearest neighbour to BOLD:ADH0198 (1.28% different) is BOLD:AAN0544 from French Guiana and Peru. The specimens from Peru have no white spots on the wings, whereas that from French Guiana has a spot on each wing resembling C. flemingi new species, and the wing shape indicates that it also belongs in Hampson’s section I. The genitalia of the French Guiana specimen of BOLD:AAN0544 are similar to those of C. flemingi new species, but clearly different particularly regarding the shape of the juxta. The French Guina material of BOLD:AAN0544 will be treated in a separate work on new species of Calonotos from French Guiana.

Of the species treated by Cerda (2008), six have at least a trace of the forewing indentation at space 4 (M 2 –M 3): C. metallicus , C. tripunctatus sensu Cerda , C. acutipennis Zerny, 1931 , C. angustipennis Zerny, 1931 , C. laguerrei Cerda, 2008 and C. rosanti Cerda, 2008 . Of these, C. metallicus is discussed in the last paragraph, and C. acutipennis , C. angustipennis , C. laguerrei and C. rosanti all have the dorsal line of the abdomen starting on segment 2, rather than on segment 1. In C. tripunctatus sensu Cerda the dorsal line of the abdomen starts on segment 1, but there are two large white spots on the forewing rather than one, as well as small metallic green spots on the dorsal surface of the head a small white spot at the base of the forewing, and large metallic green spots on meso- and metathorax thorax, none of which are present in C. flemingi new species. The male genitalia of all these species are illustrated by Cerda (2008) and show good diagnostic characters, particularly of the projections each side of the base of the uncus, the projections of the dorsal part of the valve and the form of juxta.

Description. Male. Figs. 7 , 10 , 11 . Wingspan 33.5, 34.5, 37, 38 mm. Head. Black apart from two small white spots on frons. Thorax. Black; legs black except for a white spot on forecoxae, hindcoxae and hind leg femur-tibia joint. Wings. Forewing margin with slight indentation at the end of space 4 (M 2 –M 3), and hind wing with slight bulge at vein 1B (2A). Dorsal forewing black; a metallic green streak behind costa from near base to near mid-point; metallic green patch at base of space 1B (CuA 2 -2A), a single large white spot at end of cell. Ventral forewing dark brownish black; raised rough brown scales in space 2 (Cu 1 –Cu 2); no green scales; white spot as dorsal forewing. Dorsal hindwing black, a weak white spot beyond end of cell. Ventral hindwing dark brownish black; the white spot stronger; metallic pale green scales from near base of costa to about half the wing length, basal three-quarters of cell metallic green. Abdomen. Black; a metallic pale green longitudinal dorsal stripe from segment 1, and lateral stripes from segment 2; a narrow, weak whitish ventral stripe on segments 2–5. Genitalia. Fig. 11 . These are of the same general form as those of others members of the genus as illustrated by Cerda (2008). Uncus strongly curved, so that apex almost points anteriorly. Tegumen bulging each side of base of uncus, but no projections. Valves symmetrical. Dorsal section of valves with two projections; upper one extending beyond the uncus, narrow, parallel sided for most of its length, weakly curved downwards, apex slightly spatulate; lower projection about half as long as upper, very narrow, parallel sided and weakly curved upwards. Ventral section of valves long, extending well beyond uncus, narrow, almost parallel sided, apex rounded, the ventral side with robust, ventrally directed setae. Juxta long, extending almost as far as apex of ventral section of valves; broad, only narrowing slightly distally; distal portion curved slightly to left, with left margin relatively straight, and right margin more curved; margin of distal portion with a rim of short, robust setae. Saccus undifferentiated. Aedeagus sinuous, the distal portion ending in a long straight double spike; vesica with no distinctive features. Female. Figs. 8 , 9 . Wingspan 31, 41 mm (2 paratypes in OUMHN). Similar to the male, but the forewing margin does not have the slight indentation at the end of space 4 (M 2 –M 3), although the hindwing does have the slight bulge at vein 1B (2A). The two known females are slightly different from each other. In one ( Fig. 9 ) the forewing has three additional small white spots in space 2 (Cu 2 –2A), one just over half way from the basal green dash to the large white spot, and two half way from there to the margin, slightly distal to the large white spot. In the other female ( Fig. 8 ) the three extra white spots are missing expect that the two distal ones are just visible ventrally but not dorsally. This second female has the abdominal stripes slightly cupreous, whereas those of the first match the males. Genitalia not examined. DNA barcodes. No sequences available.

Variability. We have described two slightly different females as part of the type series. We considered excluding the specimen with three extra white spots from the type series, but given that both females have the two extra distal spots visible in ventral view, we consider this infraspecific variation.

Distribution. Currently only known from the island of Trinidad ( Trinidad & Tobago).

Etymology. The specific name recognizes Henry Fleming, who worked on Euchromiina and Ctenuchina at the tropical field station of the New York Zoological Society at Simla in the Arima Valley, Trinidad, in collaboration with William Beebe and Rosemary Kenedy. His two publications on the Trinidad fauna ( Fleming 1957, 1959) made a significant contribution to our understanding of these groups.

Remarks. This is one of five Calonotos species known from Trinidad. All are black with white spots, and four have green abdominal stripes ( C. helymus , C. aterrima , C. chalcipleura and C. flemingi new species) while the fifth, C. tiburtus , has golden abdominal stripes. Calonotos flemingi new species is the only Calonotos species in Trinidad that has a slight indentation at the end of forewing space 4, and the only one that has a single large white forewing spot. Calonotos helymus and C. aterrima are common and widespread in Trinidad, and can be seen by day, for example at flowers such as Chromolaena odorata and Austroeupatorium inulaefolium (Asteraceae) , but are also attracted to lights at night. For only two specimens of C. flemingi new species was the method of capture recorded—both at mercury vapour light—but we expect that adults also fly by day and similarly attracted to the same flowers.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Paratype male Calonotos flemingi new species, Curepe, MVL, 15–22.iv.1982 (M.J.W. Cock)

FIGURE 8. Paratype female Calonotos flemingi new species, Trinidad, iv–v.1902 (E. Bourke) [OUMNH]

FIGURE 9. Paratype female Calonotos flemingi new species, Fons Amandes, 200 ft., 19.iii.1922 (F.W. Jackson) [OUMNH]

FIGURE 10. Details of holotype male Calonotos flemingi new species, Curepe, MVL, 15.ix.1979 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC, dissection 1123]

FIGURE 11. Male genitalia of holotype of Calonotos flemingi new species, Curepe, MVL, 15.ix.1979 (M.J.W. Cock) [MJWC, dissection 1123]