Oospila moseri, Lindt & Hausmann & Viidalepp, 2018

Lindt, Aare, Hausmann, Axel & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2018, Review of some species groups of the genus Oospila Warren, with descriptions of nine new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae), Zootaxa 4497 (2), pp. 151-194 : 177-178

Oospila moseri sp. n.

(Figs 29, 63, 84)

Holotype: ♂, Brazil, Bahia, Umg. Camacan, Faz. Paris, 200 m, 15°25’ 29°32’, 31.08.2011 (T. Greifenstein; coll. A. Moser) ( DNA Barcode BC ZSM Lep 88273).

Paratypes: 1♂, Brazil, Bahia, Umg. Camacan, 800 m, 15°25’ 29°34’, 0 3.2011 (T. Greifenstein; ZSM) (slide ZSM G 17496); 1♀, id., 0 9.2012 (H. Thöny; coll Greifenstein); 6♀, Brazil, Bahia, Umg. Camacan, Faz. Paris, 200 m, 15°25’ 29°32’, 07–08.2011 (leg. et coll. T. Greifenstein) (slide ZSM G 17495); 1♀, Brazil, Bahia, Mun. Marau fazenda, Agua Boa, 150 m, 14°13’ S 39°29’ W, 10.2010 (H. Thöny; coll Greifenstein); ( DNA Barcode BC ZSM Lep 88273); 2♀, Brazil, Bahia, Umg. Camacan, 15°25’S 39°34’W, 800 m, 0 4.2011 (H. Thöny; ZSM) ( DNA Barcodes BC ZSM Lep 89724, 89725; genitalia slide ZSM G 20341); 1♀, id., 0 3.2011 (coll. Greifenstein)

Diagnosis. Small green moths, wings with large orange-brown and orange blotches with bold white and greybrown perimeters, usually very similar to those of the Bolivian O. brehmi and the Peruvian/Ecuadorian O. pipa . In male genitalia differing from all similar species iwith narrow distal parts of valvae with an elongate patch of spines over 2/3 of the valva length ( O. ecuadorata , O. euchlora , O. absaloni sp. n. described below and O. brehmi sp. n. described above), in sparser and shorter patch of spines. The distal part of valva being broader in O. euchlora and O. moseri than in O. brehmi sp. n.. In that character reminiscent of O. euchlora , which, however, strongly differs in its plain wing pattern.

Description. Wingspan, male 16 mm, female 17.5–20.5 mm (Fig. 29). Frons pale brown, interantennal fillet whitish, vertex narrow, reddish. Length of external and inner pectinations on the tenth antennal segment in male 0.6 and 0.4 mm long, respectively; in female 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm. Labial palpi short, slightly exceeding diameter of eye. Costal edge of the fore wing pale brown and speckled greyish. Discal dots absent from hind wing, sometimes very tiny black discal dots on the fore wing. Marginal blotches of wings orange-brown with dark brown spotting and with cream-coloured and brown-grey perimeters. The apical blotch of the fore wing is broad, reaching the fore margin of the wing. Tornal blotch of fore wing extended to half of inner margin, exceptionally shorter. The extension of the blotches is somewhat variable, in one (dissected and barcoded) female narrower, reminiscent of the wing pattern in O. miccularia . Terminal line contrasting, interrupted at veins. Fringe ochreous, slightly chequered with brown at vein endings.

Male genitalia (Fig. 63): Socii large, roundish, gnathi hooked. Valva narrow, further narrowing towards base, distal 2/3 with an elongate patch of long spines. Projection of the sacculus slightly curved, stout and broad. Aedeagus is pointed distally, laterally sclerotized, cornutus lacking. Sternite A8 smoothly bilobed at its distal edge. The configuration of male genitalia is similar to that of O. euchlora , in the latter valva slightly broader and projection of sacculus slightly narrower and wing pattern completely different, plain green and without blotches.

Female genitalia (Fig. 84): Sterigma (lamella antevaginalis) poorly sclerotized, smooth. Ductus bursae of medium length, approx. 0.9 mm. Corpus bursae pyriform. Signum trapezoid with rounded edges, similar to that of O. ecuadorata , but larger at base.

Genetic data. BIN BOLD:AAG7368. Diverging from O. pipa as well as from the north-eastern Brazilian (NE Para) haplotype of O. pipa by 0.3% but nevertheless described here as a new species quoting the considerable differences in genitalia of both sexes.

Distribution. Brazil (Bahia).

Biology. The specimens were collected in March and from July to October in lowland rainforests (150 m up to 800 m) in eastern Brazil.

Etymology. The name refers to Alfred Moser, who collected and barcoded valuable material of many Oospila which were most helpful in the preparation of this revision, for his great merits in the study of neotropical geometrids.