Ethmia duckworthi Powell

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 : 25-26

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Depressariidae

Ethmia duckworthi Powell Figures 22, 67, 112, 159

Ethmia duckworthi Powell 1973: 165.

Diagnosis.

Ethmia duckworthi is most similar to Ethmia ehakernae and Ethmia billalleni and can be distinguished reliably by the large and ornamented signum in the female genitalia.

Description.

Male: FW length 11.9-12.8 mm (n = 3). Head: Labial palpus elongate, exceeding base of antenna, white with black bands. Thorax: Dorsal scaling gray, pronotum with three lateral pairs of large black spots: near tegula at collar, at tegula apices and at sides of scutellum, a smaller median spot preceding scutellum. FW ground color whitish, covered by irregular, dark brownish spots and longitudinal streaks, posterior area before middle and terminal area paler, the latter crossed just below apex by an elongate blotch. Two spots on paler area at base of posterior half, inner one very small, outer one distinct. HW ground color whitish basally, becoming dark brown at apical area and along costal margin; costal area simple, a pinch-fold between Sc and R, without hair pencil. Abdomen: Dorsal scaling brownish gray, ventral whitish, genital pale ochreous. Genitalia (Fig. 67) with uncus absent, gnathos absent, basal processes wide sinuous reaching anterior part of fultura; valva with curved spines at apex of valva.

Female: FW length 12.7 to 13.4 mm (n = 3). Head and thorax: As described for male. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 112) with anterior and posterior apophyses long; sterigma narrow, slightly sclerotized; antrum sclerotized at base with anterior lateral enlargement, and three to four sclerotized patches; signum wide and long reaching 0.5 diameter of corpus bursae with large teeth disposed in rows.

Holotype.

Male: Panamá, Barro Colorado Island, 1-9 May 1964, W. D. & S. S. Duckworth. USNM Genitalia Slide No. 89952 [USNM, examined].

Distribution and biology.

This species is known from Panamá and Costa Rica. In Costa Rica (Fig. 159) Ethmia duckworthi occurs in both Pacific and Caribbean sides from 900 to 1450 m. It occurs in ACG rain forest. The food plant and immature stages are unknown.