Apatelodes ulfi, Herbin, Daniel & Beccacece, Hernan Mario, 2018

Herbin, Daniel & Beccacece, Hernan Mario, 2018, Description of three new species of Apatelodidae from the southern neotropical region (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea), ZooKeys 788, pp. 3-17 : 8-11

Apatelodes ulfi sp. n. Figs 8, 9

Types.

Holotype male. PARAGUAY: Dept Presidente Hayes: Estancia 4L, 28-30.III.2014, 22°42'S; 58°37'W, 94m, leg. U. Drechsel, Coll. D. Herbin / genitalia prep.D. Herbin H1379 / HOLOTYPE ♂ Apatelodes ulfi Herbin & Beccacece des. / CDH 3.309 / BC-Her4933. (Figs 8, 9). In MNHN.

Paratypes (14 males total): BOLIVIA: 1 male. Dept Tarija: Camatindi à Capirenda km 16, 493 m, 07.XI.2007, 21°01'07"S; 63°15'51"W, leg. Barbut, Vincent & amp; Levêque / genitalia prep.D. Herbin H830/ CDH 3.321/ BC-Her1918. InCDH; BRAZIL: 1 male. Mato Grosso do Sul: Environs de Rio Brilhante, Fazenda Senhor João Brandão, III.1966, leg. Cl. Moinier, Collection Jacques Plante. In MHNG; 1 male. Mato Grosso do Sul: Environs de Rio Brilhante, Fazenda Senhor João Brandão, III.1966, leg. Cl. Moinier, Collection Jacques Plante/ genitalia prep.D. Herbin H1423. In MHNG; PARAGUAY: 1 male. Dept Presidente Hayes: Estancia Tendota, 28-30.III.2014, 25°00'S; 58°05'W, 80m, leg. U. Drechsel, coll. D. Herbin/ CDH 3.317. InCDH; 2 males. Dept Concepción: Garay Cue, 04-09.VI.2013, 22°42'S; 57°22'W, 212m, leg. U. Drechsel, Coll. D. Herbin/ CDH 3.313 and CDH 2.803. InCDH; 1 male. Dept Concepción: Garay Cue, 25-29.IV.2013, 22°42'S; 57°22'W, 212m, leg. U. Drechsel, coll. D. Herbin/ CDH 3.318. InCDH; 1 male. Dept Concepción: Garay Cue, 27-30.IX.2014, 22°42'S; 57°22'W, 212m, leg. U. Drechsel, coll. D. Herbin/ CDH 3.319. InCDH; 3 males. Dept Canindeyú: 15-17.III.2016, 24°08'S; 55°31'W, 195m, leg. U. Drechsel, coll. D. Herbin/ CDH 3.312, CHD 3.314 and CDH 3.315. InCDH; 2 males. Dept Boquerón: Aurora Chaquena, 02.V.2015, 22°44'S; 60°00'W, 212m, leg. U. Drechsel, coll. D. Herbin/ CDH 3.316 and CDH 3.320. InCDH; ARGENTINA: 1 male. Salta: RN50 a Isla de Cañas Km31, 04.XII.2013, 23°04'06"S; 64°33'29.8"W, 547m, leg. B. Vincent/ CDH 3.323/ BC-Her4936. InCDH;

Etymology.

Apatelodes ulfi sp. n. is named after Ulf Drechsel in Paraguay, who collected the majority of the known specimens.

Diagnosis.

Apatelodes ulfi sp. n. is a rather small species, with the basal half of the forewing dorsum dark reddish brown very contrasting with the light colored (grey beige) postmedial and marginal area. A single hyaline preapical spot. The ventrum with inverted contrasting area compared to dorsum: darker on the marginal area, and lighter in median and basal area. The particular feature of the male genitalia lies in the socii, showing two ventral projections, one very short and truncated, another slightly longer.

Description.

Male.Antennae: Bipectinate to the tip. Scape, pedicel, antennomeres and rami beige. Head: brown red (RAL3011) with some beige-tipped scales, labial palpi thick, brown, projected forward, eyes dark brown. Thorax: prothoracic collar brown red, thorax vinaceous red (RAL3005). Legs: Tibia thick with long hair like scales, brown and whitish for prothoracic legs, brown red for mesothoracic and metathoracic legs. Abdomen: brown red. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length (n = 13): 13-17 mm, wingspan: 28-35 mm (holotype: length 16 mm and wingspan 34 mm). Ground coloration grey beige (RAL1019), with basal half oxide red (RAL3009) con trasting with two grey beige undulating antemedial lines. Single elliptic hyaline spot, bordered proximally with an oxide red small triangle, distally by a small oxide red spot present near apex. Termen bordered with narrow oxide red. Postmedial line crenulated, oxide red. Forewing ventrum: Ground color beige (RAL1001) with some oxide red scales near costa. Marginal area oxide red with beige triangle above hyaline spot. Hindwing dorsum: Ground color red brown (RAL8012) with beige median line. Termen bordered by nut brown (RAL8011). Hindwing ventrum: Marginal area oxide red with beige postmedial line, antemedial and medial areas of lighter color due to beige scales interlaced with oxide red scales. Genitalia (Figure 9):

Uncus downcurved, strongly sclerotized, wide, with a single small spine at apex. At base of uncus, socii exhibit two finger-like extensions, one short and truncated and one longer (see Figure 9c). Valves elongated, rather narrow, with apex rounded. Process at base of valve strongly sclerotized with two small apical teeth. Aedeagus short and cylindrical, caecum penis present, with no teeth or cornuti. Vesica with a small ventral finger like diverticulum, then a very small diverticulum laterally, slightly sclerotized (appearing orange in Figure 9d).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

Specimens of A. ulfi sp. n. have been collected in various localities in northern Argentina, southern Bolivia, central western Brazil and north to south Paraguay. Possible extension of the range to Peru remains to be investigated.

Remarks.

DNA barcoding of specimens from various localities reveal that these populations are all perfectly aligned (i.e. 0% distance between specimens of northern Argentina, southern Bolivia and Paraguay. Specimens from Brazil in MHNG not barcoded) despite some variation in wingspan.

A similar specimen in CDH, from northern Bolivia (Nor Yungas, Coroico area), shows a larger size and some differences in habitus, and has therefore not been included in paratype series. Similar specimens are likely to be found in southern or central Peru, this will then enable to verify identity or not with A. ulfi sp. n.