Millerana, Martinez, 2020

Martinez, Jose I., 2020, Revision of the South American genus Gaujonia Dognin (Noctuidae, Pantheinae) with descriptions of five new genera and twenty-one new species, ZooKeys 985, pp. 71-126 : 71

Millerana gen. nov.

Gender.

Feminine.

Type species.

Gaujonia arbosioides Dognin, 1894. Lépidoptères de Loja et environs ( équateur), descriptions d’espèces nouvelles 17: 87.

Etymology.

Millerana is dedicated to my mentor and friend who is like a family member Dr. Jacqueline Y. Miller, an American entomologist who has worked on Lepidoptera , especially Castniidae , for nearly 40 years. However, her most important legacy has been her guidance to lepidopterists throughout the world.

Included species.

Millerana is established as a new genus to include Millerana arbosioides Dognin originally belonged to Gaujonia . Additionally, five new species are recognized that were formerly confused with M. arbosioides because of similarities in their wing markings: Millerana austini sp. nov., Millerana cajas sp. nov., Millerana cundinamarquensis sp. nov., Millerana matthewsae sp. nov., and Millerana tigrina sp. nov. However, the external and internal morphology plus DNA barcoding revealed they are distinct. Females are unknown.

Diagnosis.

Millerana is the most genetically distant genus in the Gaujonia genus group and is more closely related to Gaujoptera (Fig. 1 ). Externally, Millerana is similar to Cicadoforma and Cicadomorphus , but smaller in size and a slightly different forewing pattern. The genitalia valva is simple as for Cicadoforma and Cicadomorphus , but much wider, with relatively long protuberances at the apex and outer margin. The vesica has a band of spines surrounding the middle area. DNA barcoding reveals that Millerana is distant from the other genera: Gaujoptera (~ 9% divergent), Cicadoforma , and Cicadomorphus (~ 18%).

Description.

Orbicular spot well developed; reniform spot with small lunate marking. Forewing pale yellow with black scales, which form the forewing pattern. Hindwing with yellow scales restricted to veins and margin, extending to fringe. Antenna dark brown or brownish orange, serrate, with a stripe of pale-yellow scales on basal % of antenna. Mouthparts reduced; eyes covered by black interfacetal setae. Male genitalia: moderately sclerotized; valva wide, without clasper; apex small with a pointed extension; uncus broad, beak-like; aedeagus short, vesica with narrow band of spines around middle part of vesica.

Immature stages.

Egg. Circular and flattened with micro-square cells formed by the chorion. Larva. Like many pantheines, there are five to seven instars. Late instars resemble larvae of the genus Panthea . Secondary setae on the abdominal tergites spine-like. White lines between the spiracles similar to those of Panthea . Thorax densely covered by secondary setae, with long setae on the prothorax covering head. Pupa. Similar to those of other species in the Gaujonia genus group, but remarkably smaller (see Cicadomorphus falkasiska immature stages) (Bollino and Onore 2001; O. Mahecha-Jiménez, pers. comm.).

Biology.

Millerana tigrina is the only species known and is considered a pest of pine trees in Ecuador (Bollino and Onore 2001).

Figures

Figure 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing relationships between the Gaujonia genus group and the rest of the other jaguar moth genera based on the cytochrome c oxidase I gene (COI) marker. Nodes with black circles represent high support (UFBoot ≥ 95 and SH-aLRT ≥ 80). Nodes with gray circles represent low support (UFBoot <95 and SH-aLRT <80). Black branches constitute the outgroups.