Aureopterix micans Gibbs

Gibbs, George W., 2010, establishment of five new genera from Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 2520, pp. 1-48 : 38-40

Aureopterix micans Gibbs , sp. nov.

( Figs 2 D, 3G, 14A–F, 21)

Type material. Holotype: ɗ, New Caledonia: Mt Rembai, 21°34´S 165°50´E, 800 m. roadside ferns, 28–29 Oct, 1981. G.W. Gibbs ( MNHN). Paratypes: 15 ɗ 30 Ψ, from New Caledonia: 1 Ψ Mt Panié, 900 m, 28 Jan 1988, J. Boudinot ( ZMUC); 1 ɗ 15 Ψ, UV trap, Mé Jejéhari, 750 m, 21°28.7´S 165°36.5´E, 5 Nov 1986, R.

Brown & O. Pellmyr ( USNM); 8 ɗ 5 Ψ Mt Rembai, 7–800 m, 18 Oct 1978, J.S. Dugdale & K.J. Fox ( NZAC); 24–29 Oct 1981, G.W. Gibbs; 16 Nov 2002, G.W. Gibbs ( MNHN); 2 ɗ 10 Ψ Col d’Amieu, 450–500 m, 15–21 Oct 1978, J.S. Dugdale ( NZAC); 15 Nov 1988, J.S. Dugdale & B. Frerot ( NZAC); 29–30 Nov 1978, G.W. Gibbs; 16 Nov 2002, G.W. Gibbs ( MNHN); 2 Ψ Mt Koghis, 400 m, 12–14 Nov, 1986, R. Brown & O. Pellmyr ( USNM); 5 ɗ 1 Ψ Rivière Bleue, 190 m, 7 Nov 1988, J.S. Dugdale ( NZAC); 21–22 Nov 2002, G.W. Gibbs. Genitalia preps: ɗ G503, Ψ G504 ( MNHN).

Other material examined. Type series plus 1 Ψ Mt Dzumac, 890 m, 26 Oct 1986, R. Brown & O. Pellmyr; 1 Ψ Aoupinié, 850 m, 1–2 Nov 2001, G. Monteith ( QMB); 9 ɗ 700 m, 3 Nov 2002, G. Monteith; 1 Ψ Col Mouirange, 210 m, 6– 7 Dec, 1981, J.R. Grehan;

Diagnosis. New Caledonia. Forewing shining pale ochreous with a strong dark brown fascia across wing at mid-length, slightly oblique and broadest at dorsum ( Fig. 2 D). Male genitalia conspicuous in dried specimens, projecting one third length of abdomen; tergum 10 with two setal tufts on each ventro-lateral margin at midlength, sharing a common raised base Fig. 14 B).

Description. Antenna with 36 (34–37) flagellomeres in male, 33 (32–33) in female; proximal 7–9 flagellomeres clothed with pale silvery-ochreous lamellar scales; remainder same colour but grading to darker grey at tip in male but with a black band at flagellomeres 5–7 in female. Maxillary palps exceptionally long, 3.1x the head width between eyes, lamellar scales pale ochreous. Head capsule pale brown, with dense tufts of moderately long pale ochreous-yellow piliform scales on frons, dorsum and antennal scape; those on dorsum extending laterally half-way around the compound eye (over the area where the ocellus would normally be); head capsule below eye and above mouthparts with shining silvery sheen.

Tegulae, dorsum, and coxae, with silvery ochreous lamellar scales, a rich bronzy brown patch in middorsal line on mesoscutum; fore- and mid-leg silvery ochreous with brown bands on trochanter, distal end of tibiae, tarsal joints 2 and 4; hind-leg silvery ochreous with brown tarsal joint 4 only. Abdomen silvery grey scaled, paler beneath but darker posteriorly.

Forewing length of male 2.7 mm (2.4–2.9); of female 3.2 mm (3.0–3.4). Ground colour pale shining silvery ochreous ( Fig. 2 D), with rich bronzy brown fasciae, more clearly marked in female than male; a few brown scales on costa at base, with a line of brown scales along the costa to an interrupted basal line running obliquely inwards and consisting of a costal patch at one-fifth, a small spot in middle, a larger patch toward jugal area; a strong, continuous, slightly oblique transverse line at mid-length, slightly concave along its inner margin and expanding a little at each end; an area of brown scales in the apex between R s2 and M2, darkest along costa and grading to paler bronze on termen and at apex. Long fringes pale silvery ochreous grading to pale bronzy brown along anal curvature in female, with zones of brown scales marking the fascia on the costa.

Hindwing with 2 frenular bristles; very pale bronzy brown; fringes bronzy brown.

Male abdomen and genitalia. [G503] ( Figs. 14 A–D) Abdomen dorso-ventrally compressed. S5 gland protuberance situated in middle of sclerite and adjacent to its lateral margin; with about 10–13 long piliform scales. T8 with very long fine setae, arching over tergum 10 and an area of rectangular comb-edged scales across its anterior half. Sclerite 9 moderately long, 1.8x length of S6; dorsal arms widely separated at apices. Valvae simple, club-like; with scattered setae along ventral margin, a dense tuft of moderately long ‘retrosetae’ on inner surface of the club-like apex. Median plate essentially triangular, very thin, fanned out laterally. Tergum 10 elongate, a little shorter than the valvae, deeply, but very narrowly cleft at apex for nearly one third its length, the paired apices gently rounded, almost touching in mid-line, bearing a whorl-like arrangement of setae on their ventral surfaces near the apex, half inclined toward the apex, the other half toward the base; two adjacent, setal tufts on each lateral margin at about mid length, sharing a raised common base, the two ventrally-directed tufts separated by less than the diameter of each tuft; setal tips deflected anteriorly in the anterior tuft and posteriorly in the posterior tuft. Anal cone with lateral trapezoidal sclerites, devoid of setae. Phallus 3.4x length of S6; gonopore terminal; with wide, almost circular aperture, although emarginated at sides to form an open, fish-like gape; radial folds evident around lateral and ventral margins but 6 or 7 of the dorsal folds greatly elongated to overhang the gonopore; a small eversible bladder present; ventral bulb short; phallocrypt scales acutely pointed on dorsal side, comb-like ventrally.

Female genitalia. [G504] ( Figs. 14 E & F) Segment 9 ring posterior on the segment, very narrow and irregular but widest mid-dorsally, bearing a few posteriorly directed macrosetae; other scattered macrosetae on the membraneous anterior of the segment; segment 10 paired sclerites almost twice as high as wide. Spermathecal papilla orientation antero-dorsal with a pair of small lateral flanges. Spermathecal duct short, extending just beyond opening of papilla, a slight bulb where it enters the utriculus.

Remarks. Both sexes have been collected by day sweep-netting and also from malaise traps, in UV lighttraps and extracted from forest leaf-litter. John Dugdale has reported this species swarming at dusk (both sexes) at Rivière Bleue, approximately 1 m. above the litter at the forest edge (Dugdale pers. comm. 18 Jan 1989)

Etymology The species name is derived from Latin micans (gleaming, with a metallic lustre) to refer to the pale-coloured reflective surface of the wings.

Distribution. ( Fig. 21 ) Widespread in dense rainforest throughout New Caledonia from Mt Panié to Riv. Bleue, usually at moderate elevation, but has ranged from less than 200 m at Riv. Bleue in the south to 900 m on Mt Panié in the north. Collected between mid-October and the end of January. It has been taken in malaise traps, at UV light, by day in a sweepnet, and even from Berlese extractions of sieved leaf litter.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Adult moths from life: A, Austromartyria porphyrodes (Turner), female; B, A. porphyrodes feeding on dehiscing spores of Blechnum cartilagineum, at The Crater, Atherton Tableland; C, Nannopterix choreutes sp. nov., male; D, Aureopterix micans sp. n., male; E, Aureopterix sterops (Turner), female; (A, C – E to scale, white scale bars = 1 mm)

FIGURE 14. Aureopterix micans sp. nov. Male and female genitalia: A – D male: A, dorsal; B, lateral; C, ventral; D, distal apex of phallus enlarged, lateral. E – F female: E, lateral; F, spermathecal papilla enlarged, dorsal. Aureopterix sterops (Turner), G – J male: G, dorsal; H, lateral; I, phallus, lateral; J, distal apex of phallus enlarged, dorsal (left above), lateral (right above), ventral (below).

FIGURE 21. Distribution map of New Caledonia for Aureopterix micans sp. nov. () and Nannopterix choreutes sp. nov. ().