Stamnodes catarina, Matson, 2023

Matson, Tanner A., 2023, A review of Mexican Stamnodes (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) with the description of 16 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 911, pp. 1-79 : 52-54

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2023.911.2371

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DB29E6F1-7925-46DB-8C9E-055C639203CE

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10384284

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CEA053-3474-7874-FDC6-B613A92FFE7E

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Stamnodes catarina
status

sp. nov.

Stamnodes catarina View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DAC04EB8-EAB0-461F-9BB5-1D6B32E7A574

Figs 26 View Figs 19–30 , 53 View Figs 52–54 , 85 View Figs 82–89 , 95 View Fig

Diagnosis

In dorsal view, S. catarina sp. nov. could be confused with sympatric S. patamon or S. churro sp. nov.; however, the hindwing underside pattern and male genitalia unambiguously separate these taxa. The hindwing underside of S. catarina is lightly striated with dark brown to black scales and bears an ill-defined black discal spot ( Fig. 26b View Figs 19–30 ). In S. patamon , the hindwing underside is striated with dark brown and burgundy scales surrounding several large, ill-defined, all-white patches ( Fig. 24b View Figs 19–30 ), and in S. churro , the hindwing underside is cream coloured and speckled with light brown scales throughout (scales modestly darker in basal half of wing) ( Fig. 27b View Figs 19–30 ). The pale ground colour of S. catarina has a grey cast, while that of S. churro is tanner, and S. patamon given more toward yellow-cream.

Stamnodes catarina sp. nov. is immediately distinguished from S. churro sp. nov. by its large spatulate uncus ( Fig. 53a View Figs 52–54 ) – the uncus of S. churro is small and triangulate ( Fig. 54a View Figs 52–54 ). Among numerous other differences, S. catarina can be separated from S. patamon by its juxta that bears a dense tuft of approximately 100 erect setae on its distal surface ( Fig. 53a View Figs 52–54 ). Stamnodes patamon only has a few spinose setae arising from the surface of the juxta, and bears large, sickle-shaped sclerotized ribbons on the inner face of valva ( Fig. 55a View Figs 55–57 ) that are absent in S. catarina . The vesica of S. catarina bears approximately eight large spinose cornuti, linearly decreasing in size ( Fig. 53b View Figs 52–54 ); while the vesica of S. churro has a large, central, echinate patch of several hundred small cornuti opposite of two, large, apical spinose cornuti ( Fig. 54b View Figs 52–54 ); and the vesica of S. patamon bears a single, large, spinose cornutus adjacent to a large patch of several hundred filamentous cornuti ( Fig. 55b View Figs 55–57 ). With male dissection, these species cannot be confused.

Etymology

The specific epithet, catarina , is named after Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, a small town nearest the collection site of several type specimens. It is a noun in the nominative case.

Material examined

Holotype

MEXICO • ♂; Oaxaca, Mpio. Ixlepejl [Ixtepejl], Cerezal ; [17.26° N, 96.56° W]; elev. 2300 m; 7 Nov. 1980; E.C. Welling leg.; AMNH _ IZC 00352926 About AMNH .

GoogleMaps

Paratypes (3 ♂♂)

MEXICO – Oaxaca • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; genitalia: TAM-2022-107 ( USNM 154205 About USNM ); USNMENT01771238 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; CNIN GoogleMaps 1 ♂; Mpio. San Juan Atepec, La Cabaña ; [17.43° N, 96.54° W]; elev. 2800 m; 6 Nov. 1980; E.C. Welling leg.; AMNH _ IZC 00352925 . GoogleMaps

GoogleMaps

Description

Male

FOREWING LENGTH. 15–16 mm (n = 4).

HEAD. Antenna filiform, mostly white above. Vertex and frons with mixture of white and grey scales; frons entirely white at border with eyes. Labial palpus short, slightly porrect, 1.5× diameter of eye, grey and white. Cephalic collar mostly white, grey laterally.

THORAX. White to cream. Patagium mixture of grey and white scales; tegula mostly cream. Legs white and blotched with light grey scales; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well developed.

FOREWING. Ground colour cream to grey. Costal area dark grey at base with two, small white patches. Costal medial area with subquadrangular, dark grey patch terminating near center of wing and outwardly highlighted by U-shaped band of lighter scales; distal half of wing becoming much darker grey, especially in apical area and along outer margin. Underside patterned as in upperside but darkened apical area bearing subtle maculation of cream scales. Terminal, thin black line of outer margin outlining base of fringe in all wings. Fringe checkered.

HINDWING. Concolourous with forewing above, sometimes with slight darkening of grey at apex. Underside cream to white,lightly striated with dark brown to black scales; dark scales forming ill-defined discal spot and subtle transverse medial band from inner margin to center of wing. Fringe checkered.

ABDOMEN. Cream to light grey above, white below, sometimes with lateral dark grey scales over spiracles.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 53 View Figs 52–54 ). Uncus long, slender, and strongly spatulate at apex. Juxta triangulate with three rounded processes on distal surface; medial process bearing dense tuft of approximately 100 erect setae. Valva ear-shaped with wide costal sclerite; inner face of valva with two hair tufts: tuft bearing ribbon-like setae arising basally from digitate tubercle; second, smaller tuft residing just distal to first tuft. Vesica with eight large spinose cornuti; cornuti linearly decreasing in size; smallest cornutus about half size of largest.

Female

Not known.

Distribution ( Fig. 85 View Figs 82–89 )

Mexico: the distribution of Stamnodes catarina sp. nov. is not well circumscribed. This species is only known from the heavily wooded and mountainous Northern Oaxaca Highlands region of Oaxaca where it has been collected at elevations between 2300–2800 m.

Biology

Adults of Stamnodes catarina sp. nov. fly in November. Adult habitus and genitalia suggest affinity to the many Stamnodes that feed on Cercocarpus . Stamnodes catarina is sympatric and synchronic with S. churro sp. nov., S. tenebrosa sp. nov., and likely S. patamon as well.

Molecular characterization

This species has not been sequenced.

Remarks

The male genitalia of S. catarina sp. nov. resemble those of S. seiferti and S. tenebrosa sp. nov., perhaps indicating a close relationship despite an external phenotype that is none too similar.

The large spatulate uncus of S. catarina sp. nov. can be used to diagnose this species from S. churro sp. nov. without dissection. A brush may be used to remove caudal abdominal scales to reveal the large spatulate uncus. Likewise, the small triangulate uncus of S. churro can rarely be seen using this method.

USNM

USA, Washington D.C., National Museum of Natural History, [formerly, United States National Museum]

CNIN

Mexico, Distrito Federal, Ciudad Universaria, Coleccion Nacional de Insectos

AMNH

American Museum of Natural History

CNIN

Coleccion Nacional de Insectos, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Geometridae

Genus

Stamnodes

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