Paectes medialba Pogue

Pogue, Michael G., 2013, A review of the Paectes arcigera species complex (Guenee) (Lepidoptera, Euteliidae), ZooKeys 264, pp. 125-163 : 143-145

Paectes medialba Pogue sp. n. Figs 20-21344149

Type material.

Holotype male - ARGENTINA: Tucuman, R. Schreiter Collr., Collection Wm. Schaus, USNM ENT 00148677, genitalia slide, USNM 136027 [green label]; HOLOTYPE / Paectes medialba Pogue" [red label]. USNM. Paratype 1 female - ARGENTINA: La Rioja, genitalia slide, USNM 136067. USNM

Etymology.

The species name is derived from the combination of the Latin terms medius (middle) and albus (white) to refer to the white medial area of the male forewing.

Diagnosis.

Paectes medialba has been confused with Paectes longiformis in the USNM collection. It differs from Paectes longiformis by the more pronounced white medial area of the male forewing and its distribution in northwestern Argentina versus the northeastern Brazil distribution of Paectes longiformis . There are many differences in the male genitalia of Paectes medialba and Paectes longiformis . The free extension of the sacculus in Paectes longiformis is much longer than in Paectes medialba and is spiculate in Paectes medialba and non-spiculate in Paectes longiformis . The setae on the dorsal surface of the valve are wide, elongate, curved apically, and numerous in Paectes medialba whereas in Paectes longiformis they are hairlike, shorter, straight, and more sparse. In the female genitalia the lateral projections of the eighth sternite are more produced and sharply pointed in Paectes medialba (Fig. 41) than in Paectes longiformis (Fig. 38). The ductus bursae between its juncture with the appendix bursae and its entering the corpus bursae is tapered in Paectes medialba but straight in Paectes longiformis . The signa are more numerous in the corpus bursae of Paectes longiformis than in Paectes medialba .

Description.

Adult. Sexes dimorphic. Male.Head - antenna broadly bipectinate to just beyond half length then filiform; eyes large, globular; vertex with broad scales, pale gray, finely tipped with white; frons with broad scales, badly rubbed, pale gray with black posterior margin; labial palp porrect, mixture of pale-gray and black scales tipped with white, internal surface white. Thorax - prothorax mixture of gray and white scales, anterior margin a thin black line; patagium pale gray with dark-gray scales medially, all tipped with white, mixed with hairlike scales; protibia black scales tipped with white, more white scales along inner margin, tarsi black barely tipped with white, white apical bands; middle and hind legs absent from holotype; forewing length 9.4 mm; costal area dark gray mottled with white scales, faint white dashes along costa from just beyond middle to below apex; distinct ovate basal spot, few dark gray and white scales basally, remainder of scales tan; thin black antemedial line from posterior margin to Cu vein, forming ventral border of basal spot; medial area mostly white mixed with a few tan and dark-brown scales; medial line dark gray, faint, straight from posterior margin to anal vein, curved from anal vein to Cu vein; reniform spot obscure, a pair of tiny dots, ventral dot just above Cu vein in discal cell, dorsal dot just below R vein, dark brown; postmedial line black, angulate, from posterior margin to vein R5, faint medially; black dash along vein R5 not quite extending to outer margin and not contiguous with postmedial line; white apical spot mixed with a few dark-gray scales; subterminal area brown, scattered with white scales; terminal line a series of dark-brown, recurved lines between veins; fringe brown; hind wing white, marginal shading dark gray, veins highlighted dark gray, anal fold with a white and dark-gray striped pattern. Abdomen - eighth segment membranous with pair of dorsal sclerotized bars; pair of lateral coremata bearing numerous, fine, elongate setae. Genitalia (Fig. 34) - Uncus triangulate, apex recurved and pointed, 0.7 × length of subscaphium; subscaphium triangulate, decurved, apex pointed; valve membranous, rectangulate, apex produced, round, dorsal surface covered with broad, apically curved, elongate setae; costa thumb shaped, dorsal margin curved, elongate setae dorsally in distal third; sacculus well developed, proximal half fused with valve, distal half free, angulate, spiculate, shorter than valve, apex curved inward; saccus V-shaped, arms wide; aedeagus straight, dorsally spiculate in apical 2/3; vesica uninflated, a single, basal leaf-like cornutus, grooved sclerotized area bearing short cornutus. Female. As in male except: Head -antenna filiform; eyes large, globular; vertex light brown, few scattered dark-brown scales; frons light brown, scattered with more dark-brown scales than vertex; labial palp porrect, brown with white-tipped scales, white internally. Thorax - prothorax light brown, anterior margin a thin black line, few dark-brown scales along posterior margin; patagium gray, few dark-gray scales, mixed with hairlike scales; protibia dark gray with white-tipped scales, tarsi dark gray, apical bands white; forewing length 9.9 mm; ground color brownish gray; basal area not differentiated from ground color; antemedial line black, straight from posterior margin, curved around basal area to Cu vein; medial area not differentiated from ground color; reniform spot a pair of tiny black dots on either side of Cu vein; postmedial line black, faint, double to Cu2 vein, single from Cu2 vein to R5 vein; black dash at R5 vein not contiguous with postmedial line, not quite continuing to outer margin; apical spot faint, white; subterminal area not differentiated; terminal line a black dash at tornus, then a series of black spots between veins; fringe brownish gray. Genitalia (Fig. 41) - Papillae anales crescent shaped, soft, fleshy, covered with numerous setae; anterior apophyses fused with eighth sternite; posterior apophyses present; venter of eighth segment spiculate in distal half, with sharply-pointed lateral projections; sclerotized ventral projection of eighth sternite enters membranous base of ductus bursae, which then becomes constricted, then widens for a short distance below constriction where appendix bursae branches, below junction of appendix bursae, ductus bursae widens as it enters corpus bursae; appendix bursae ovate, membranous; corpus bursae ovate, covered internally with numerous thornlike signa pointing inward, signa continue posteriorly into posterior part of ductus bursae.

Distribution and biology.

Known from northwestern Argentina (Fig. 49). Nothing is known about the biology.

Remarks.

Paectes medialba is another species that was confused as Paectes obrotunda in the USNM collection. It is being described to resolve confusion in this group.