Heliura fenestrifer ( Zerny, 1931 ) Duarte, 2017

Duarte, Marcelo, 2017, Revision of the Neotropical moth genus Ptychotrichos Schaus (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini, Ctenuchina), Zootaxa 4312 (2), pp. 246-258 : 255-256

Heliura fenestrifer ( Zerny, 1931) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 6 , 24–28 )

Ptychotrichos fenestrifer Zerny, 1931: 254 .

Ptychotrichos fenestrifer ; Pinheiro & Gaal-Haszler, 2015: 511

Ptychotrichos fenestrifer ; Pinheiro & Gaal-Haszler, 2015: 511 , fig. 8.

Diagnosis. Vertex, dorsal surface of thorax, patagia, tegulae and forewings with grayish-green and brown scales, the latter also with white scales rendering a hyaline appearance where they occur. Post-occiput with small light yellow spots. Hindwings partially hyaline. Discal cell open. Dorsal surface of abdominal tergites roseate, except for T7–8, brown with the posterior margin roseate and white, respectively. S2–4 brown with laterals white. Remaining sternites entirely brown.

Material examined (2 ♂ and 1 ♀). BRAZIL: Maranhão, Açailândia , 4°56'49"S 47°30'17"W, 19–27.xi. 1990, 150m, V. O. Becker & G. S. Dubois, 76650 (VOB), 1 female ; Pará, Santarém, Fazenda Taperinha , 2°26'22"S 54°41'55"W, v.1920, C. Hagmann ( NHMW) (holotype); PERU: Pasco, Pan de Azúcar , 10°20'11"S 75°50'38"W, 8.vii.1961, F. S. Truxal ( LACM), 1 male ; idem, LRP404, 1 male.

Remarks. This species belongs to Heliura excavata species group (sensu Pinheiro & Duarte 2016). This group was originally defined by the peculiar hindwing shape exhibited by its members, H. excavata ( Dognin, 1910) , H. perexcavata ( Rothschild, 1912) , and H. juliani Pinheiro & Duarte, 2016 . Even though H. fenestrifer comb. nov. does not have acute angles in the hindwings as in the other species in the group, they all share a highly peculiar hindwing venation (fig. 6), plus several characters of male genitalia, such as a long and thin saccus, and subdivided valvae with a dorsal highly sclerotized portion, and a ventral, slightly sclerotized portion.

As in P. zeus , the wide distribution of H. fenestrifer comb. nov. raises doubt that a single taxon has such a wide distribution. However, the rarity of specimens of this group in collections and the lack of possibility to barcode old museum specimens have prevented the examination of the number of taxa involved in what we are here calling H. fenestrifer comb. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 6. Wing venation. 5) Fore- and hindwing venation of a female of P. elongata from Angra dos Reis (identical in males of this species and both sexes of P. zeus); 6) Fore- and hindwing venation of a male of H. fenestrifer comb. nov. from Pan de Azúcar

FIGURES 24 – 28. Abdominal pelt and male genitalia of Heliura fenestrifer comb. nov. 24) Male abdomen; 25) Male genitalia, dorsal view. 26) Idem, lateral view; 27) Idem, posterior view; 28) Aedeagus. Scales: 1 mm.