Rhamphura curvisociella Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination, 2022

Nupponen 1, Kari & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2022, Revision of Neotropical Scythrididae moths and descriptions of 22 new species from Argentina, Chile, and Peru (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea), ZooKeys 1087, pp. 19-104 : 19

Rhamphura curvisociella Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis

Figs 8 , 41

Type material.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W; 260 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01041; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/12 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Diagnosis.

Beige forewings with dark brown costa do not allow unambiguous identification. In the male genitalia of R. curvisociella , a large, ventrally curved and distally split phallus is diagnostic, in addition to long curved socii, and triangular extensions near apex of the valvae. In R. angulisociella the socii are angled, and valvae are without triangular extensions near the apex.

Description.

Wingspan 12.5 mm. Head beige mixed with pale brown, frons paler. Collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax pale beige, neck tuft slightly paler than head. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally beige; pecten beige, as long as diameter of scape. Flagellum mixed with beige and dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp white, except lower surface of palpomere II from 0.5 to 0.8 and middle of palpomere III dark brown. Legs: femur and lower surfaces white, otherwise different shades of beige scattered with pale fuscous. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white. Forewing beige; costal belt densely covered by dark brown from base to 0.7, dorsal and apical areas with sparsely scattered dark brown scales; at cell end a small black spot. Hindwing dark fuscous, darker than forewing.

Male genitalia. Uncus heart-shaped setose plate. Gnathos rectangular elongate plate. Socii long recurved processes. Tegumen with deep incision anteromedially. Phallus large, basally heavily sclerotised, slightly bent, apical quarter split and tapered. Valva longer than uncus and tegumen combined, narrow, apical quarter slightly broadened and setose; dorsally with subapical triangular extension. Sternum VIII rectangular, 2 × as wide as high, anterior margin concave, anterolateral margin elongated and somewhat sclerotised. Tergum VIII rectangular, anterior margin concave and reinforced; posterior margin with two parallel setose lobes with wrinkled surface.

Etymology.

Diminutive noun in apposition. The species name refers to the curved socii in the male genitalia.

Distribution.

NW Argentina.

Habitat.

The collecting site is a dry, shrubby area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 77 ).

Genetic data.

BIN: BOLD:ADY6339 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Unidentified Scythris from Argentina ( Scythrididae , BIN: BOLD:ACW4357, 4.98%).

Remarks.

Female unknown. The ventral and dorsal aspects were difficult to interpret in the male genitalia because only a single male is known, and the structures are distorted under the cover glass. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa Rhamphura subdimota , Rhamphura depressa , Rhamphura pozohondaensis , Rhamphura spiniuncus , Rhamphura angulisociella , Rhamphura tetrafasciella , and Rhamphura curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrees of similarities to the North American Rhamphura , as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to Rhamphura curvisociella , the structural differences are notable and we therefore took a conservative view and classified this taxon in Rhamphura (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Figures

Figure 77. Collecting site of Rhamphura depressa Meyrick, R. pozohondaensis sp. nov., R. subdimota sp. nov., R. curvisociella sp. nov., Scythris directiphallella sp. nov., S. angustivalvella sp. nov., Landryia ankylosauroides sp. nov. Argentina, Pozo Honda vill. S (259 m), 19 Sep. 2017.

Figures 7 - 11. Scythrididae adults, genera Rhamphura and Landryia 7 R. angulisociella Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, male, holotype 8 R. curvisociella Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, male, holotype 9 R. tetrafasciella Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, female, holotype 10 A L. ankylosauroides Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, male, holotype 10 B L. ankylosauroides Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, male, paratype 11 L. chilensis Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, male, holotype.

Figures 41 - 42. Male genitalia of Rhamphura and Landryia 41 R. curvisociella Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, holotype, slide 1 / 12 Dec. 2019 KN 42 L. ankylosauroides Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, holotype, above (lateral view): slide 4 / 13 Dec. 2019 KN, below (ventral view): slide 2 / 13 Dec. 2019 KN (paratype).