Megalota gutierrezi Brown, 2009

Brown, John W., 2009, The discovery of Megalota in the Neotropics, with a revision of the New World species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutini), Zootaxa 2279 (1), pp. 1-50 : 28-29

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2279.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6494802
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038E7928-FFDB-FF83-FDAC-E797FC71FC19
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Megalota gutierrezi Brown
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

19. Megalota gutierrezi Brown , new species Figs. 19 View FIGURES 13–24 , 43 View FIGURES 43–45 , 63 View FIGURES 60–63

Diagnosis. Megalota gutierrezi is a comparatively large species, superficially similar to M. crassana , M. bicolorana , and M. deceptana but with the dark mark from mid-termen distinctly triangular. The male genitalia are easily distinguished by the broad basal portion of the valva with a small, angulate, subtriangular process near the venter immediately distad of the basal cavity. Also, the two groups of spiniform setae, usually distinct and separate clusters in congeners, are more or less continuous along the venter of the basal portion of the valva from the subtriangular process to about 0.6 the distance to the apex, where the valva becomes narrower. The phallus of M. gutierrezi is long, slender, and curved throughout, with a single small erect thorn at the tip, whereas the aedeagi of M. bicolorana and M. deceptana are shorter and broader, and have one or more erect thorns from the dorsum before the tip, and M. crassana lacks thorns altogether. The female genitalia of M. gutierrezi are easily distinguished by the small, deeply U-shaped emargination at the ventro-posterior edge of the ostium and the semi-membranous, bulbous enlargement of the ductus bursae immediately anterad of the colliculum.

Description. Head: Vertex reddish brown and creamy white, frons creamy white; labial palpus mixed creamy white and dark brown. Thorax: Dorsum pale brown and rust; metascutum with well-developed maroon scale tuft. Hind tibia in male with dense, cream-colored, modified sex scaling and hairpencil. Forewing length 8.5–9.5 mm (mean = 9.1); basal 0.33 somewhat checkered dark brown, pinkish brown, and copper, bordered distally by a pale, ill-defined, oblique fascia; a dark semicircular patch at mid-costa, with a paler, less defined extension to dorsum; small, dark brown, subtriangular patch in subterminal region immediately apicad of distal end of discal cell; tornal region pale brown. Fringe brown. Hindwing brown, anal margin in male with distinct fold bearing long, slender, cream-colored scales. Abdomen: Brown. Male genitalia ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 43–45 ; 3 View FIGURES 1–12 preparations examined) with tegumen broad, subrectangular, slightly narrowed in dorsal 0.3, with lobelike expansion extremely weak; uncus broad with wide U-shaped notch dorsally, each lobe obovate, densely spined; valva broad in basal 0.6, about twice as broad as distal 0.4; small dense cluster of spiniform setae and accompanying small triangular process near venter at lower-outer edge of basal cavity of valva, with irregularly linear patch of spiniform setae continuous with basal spiniform cluster along venter to abruptly narrowed point of valva; basal process of valva 4–5 times as long as wide, irregularly expanded beyond middle, lacking distinct elbow, with attenuate tip. Phallus long, ca. 0.65 length of valva, evenly curved throughout, with distal, slightly upturned thorn; vesica with a single slender cornutus. Female genitalia ( Fig. 63 View FIGURES 60–63 ; 2 View FIGURES 1–12 preparations examined) with papillae anales simple, unmodified; sterigma in the form of a narrow ill-defined band; ostium with small, deeply U-shaped emargination; colliculum slightly less than 0.5 length of ductus bursae, strongly sclerotized except for narrow longitudinal mesal portion, remainder of ductus bursae membranous, with bulbous enlargement immediately anterad of the colliculum; corpus bursae narrow pear-shaped; signum in the form of a narrow tongue-shaped sclerite from a broad, irregular base.

Holotype. Male, Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Monteverde , 1400 m, 29–31 Mar 1992, S. Meredith & J. Powell ( EME), USNM slide 84,888.

Paratypes (9♂, 3♀). COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: Monteverde , 1400 m, 26 Mar 1987 (1♀), W. E. Steiner ( USNM) , 22–24 Jul 1990 (1♂, 1♀), S. Meredith & J. Powell ( EME) , 29–31 Mar 1992 (1♂, 1♀), S. McCarty & J. Powell ( EME) , 8–10 Jun 1986 (1♂), J. Chemsak & H. Katsura ( EME) . Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Headquarters , 1450 m, 18 May 1985 (6♂), J. Powell, P. Opler & J. Chemsak ( EME) .

Distribution and Biology. This species is known only from cloud forest habitat in the vicinity of Monteverde, Costa Rica. Capture records include March (n = 4), May (n = 6), June (n = 1), and July (n = 2). Nothing is known of the early stages.

Etymology. This species is named for Dr. Mario Gutiérrez in recognition of his work in the field of genetics and his generous support of the scientific activities of INBio.