Ethmia randyjonesi Phillips

Phillips-Rodriguez, Eugenie, Powell, Jerry A., Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, A synopsis of the genus Ethmia Huebner in Costa Rica: biology, distribution, and description of 22 new species (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Depressariidae, Ethmiinae), with emphasis on the 42 species known from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, ZooKeys 461, pp. 1-86 : 42

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Depressariidae

Ethmia randyjonesi Phillips sp. n. Figures 39, 84, 129, 166

Diagnosis.

Ethmia randyjonesi can be distinguished by valva produced anteriorly into a short broad membranous “plume” in male genitalia.

Description.

Male: FW length 15.9-16.4 mm (n = 3). Head: Labial palpus elongate, reaching crown, white, with black rings middle and subapical segment II, basal and apical segment III; proboscis, front and crown white; occipital tufts black at mid-dorsum. Thorax: Whitish, pronotum with five six-black spots on posterior half, two in the middle. FW ground color whitish, with a series of elongated dark markings, the most conspicuous: an oblique line arising at costa before middle reaching a longitudinal line that goes from middle to near termen; a curved line arising from costa at base reaching middle of FW at cell origin. HW ground color whitish becoming brownish at apex; costa with a double hairbrush, white at base becoming blackish distally. Abdomen: Dorsal scaling brown, ventral yellowish; genital scaling ochreous. Genitalia (Fig. 84) with basal processes wide, valva emarginated at 0.5 × from base, a cluster of about 5 distal spines; valva produced into a short broad membranous “plume”.

Female: FW length 16.4-16.7 mm (n = 2). Head and thorax: As described for male except modification on HW. Abdomen: Genitalia as in (Fig. 129) with sterigma narrow; antrum with narrow sclerotized band posteriorly; signum deeply notched.

Holotype.

Male: 09-SRNP-110144, DNA Barcoded, Costa Rica: Guanacaste: Sector del Oro, Sendero Manta, 610 m, 15.xi.2009, F. Quesada & H Cambronero. Deposited in INBio. Paratypes: Costa Rica: Guanacaste: ACG, Sector Mundo Nuevo, Pozo #3, 634 m, 1F 18.x.2009, R. Franco & S. Ríos; Sector Cacao, Estación Gongora 557 m, 1F 29.v.2008, F. Quesada & R. Franco, 1F 10.viii.2007, S. Ríos & H. Cambronero, Laboratorio 1150 m, 1M 8.viii.2010, H. Cambronero & R. Franco, Roca Verde, 835 m 1F 12.viii.2007, F. Quesada & R. Franco; Sector del Oro, Serrano 585 m, 1M 1.viii.2008, R. Franco & H. Cambronero; Sector Maritza, Maritza 548 m, 1M 30.ix.2011, S. Ríos & H. Cambronero; Sector Pailas, Palmeras, 1368 m, 1F 10.vi.2010, S. Ríos & R. Franco, Manta Mona 1055 m, 1M 14.vi.2010, R. Franco & F. Quesada, Manta Rio Blanco 790 m, 1M 1F 9.x.2010, S. Ríos & R. Franco (BMNH, INBio, EME, USNM).

Distribution and biology.

Ethmia randyjonesi has been collected in Costa Rica (Fig. 166) from 500 to 1200 m in the ACG rain forest of Cordillera Volcánica de Guanacaste, Tilarán and Cordillera Volcánica Central. The food plants and immature stages are unknown.

Etymology.

Ethmia randyjonesi is named in honor of Randy Jones of Poland, Ohio for his support of the early germination and growth of INBio (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad) and of many years of the parataxonomists conducting the ACG biodiversity inventory.