Panthea taina Martinez, 2021

Martinez, Jose I., Schmidt, B. Christian & Miller, Jacqueline Y., 2021, A new Andean genus, Lafontaineana, with descriptions of four new species and two new Neotropical species of Panthea (Noctuidae, Pantheinae), ZooKeys 1028, pp. 113-134 : 113

Panthea taina Martinez sp. nov. Figures 20 , 27

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, Dominican Republic, Prov. La Vega 5 km W. of Manabao, 19-23-IV-2000, Blacklight, 3050 ft elev., coll. R. E. Woodruff & T. J. Henry / Finca Eladio Fernandez "Paso la Perra", along Rio Yaque del Norte 3050 ft elev. / UF, FLMNH, MGCL 1034189. [DNA voucher LEP-75402] deposited in MGCL. Paratypes (1 ♂ MGCL): Same collecting data as holotype.

Etymology.

The word Panthea taina comes from the Taínos, a group of indigenous people of the Caribbean islands.

Diagnosis.

Panthea taina is most similar to P. reducta (Fig. 21 ), but they can be easily separated: Panthea taina is larger with darker wing markings, the transverse lines of the forewings are well developed, whereas in P. reducta they are inconspicuous. In P. taina the medial line is separated from the reniform spot, whereas in P. reducta the medial line is fused with the reniform spot, forming a square. The orbicular spot is present as a small line in P. taina , but is absent in P. reducta . The hindwing of P. taina has well-developed lines, which are absent in P. reducta . In the male genitalia, P. taina has longer valves and a pointed apex, while in P. reducta the valves are short and the apex rounded. The tegumen is wider in P. reducta and its subuncal lobes reduced, compared to the large and prominent lobes in P. reducta .

Description.

Only known from two male specimens. Head. Male antenna is bipectinate and dark orange in color; dark brown palpus; dark grayish brown frons. Thorax. Marbled with brown and gray scales, with some patches of black scales. Wing. Forewing length of male 22-24 mm; forewing with all lines well-developed; orbicular spot formed by a small black line; reniform spot with a narrow lunate marking; hindwing paler color than forewing with black veins; discal spot V-shaped; medial and postmedial lines well developed; fringe black with white scales at the end of each vein. Legs. foreleg black with some dark gray spots, while the midleg and hindleg are marbled in gray, brown, and black. Abdomen. Marbled with brown and black scales, end of each tergite with gray scales; last abdominal segment with whitish gray hair-like scales. Male genitalia. Tegumen narrow; simple valva with cucullar and saccular regions similar in size; apex pointed; saccular process ending in a long clasper with a rounded tip; juxta heart-shaped; uncus long with rounded tip; subuncal lobes wide and rounded; aedeagus short, 2 × longer than width; vesica wide, bean-like, with a large sclerotized cornutus.

Genetic characterization.

Unknown.

Distribution.

This species is endemic to the Dominican Republic and it was found in high elevations of the Cordillera Central (Fig. 36 ). Panthea taina and P. reducta may be endemic to two different mountain chains, P. reducta occurring in the Sierra de Bahoruco, 130 km far from the Cordillera Central.

Remarks.

The holotype (Fig. 20 ) as well as the paratype are in perfect condition.

Figures

Figure 36. Distribution of examined specimens of Panthea.

Figures 6 - 20. Adult habitus of Lichnoptera, Lafontaineana, and Panthea 6 Lichnoptera gulo, ♂, MGCL, Cundinamarca, Colombia 7 L. gulo, ♀, MGCL, Cundinamarca, Colombia 8 Lafontaineana marmorifera, ♂, MGCL, Cundinamarca, Colombia 9 L. marmorifera, ♀, MGCL, Cundinamarca, Colombia 10 L. imama, ♂, MGCL, holotype, Tolima, Colombia 11 L. imama, ♀, MGCL, paratype, Tolima, Colombia 12 L. puma, ♂, CNC, holotype, La Alegria, Ecuador 13 L. puma, ♀, CNC, paratype, La Alegria, Ecuador 14 L. thuta, ♂, MGCL, holotype, Loja, Ecuador 15 L. thuta, ♀, MGCL, paratype, Sucumbios, Ecuador 16 L. alexandrae, ♀, FSU, holotype, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador 17 Panthea guatemala, ♂, CNC, San Lorenzo, Guatemala 18 P. hondurensis, ♂, MGCL, holotype, Francisco Morazan, Honduras 19 P. reducta, CNC, ♂, Pedernales, Dominican Republic 20 P. taina, ♂, La Vega, MGCL, holotype, Dominican Republic.

Figures 25 - 28. Male genitalia of Lafontaineana and Panthea 25 Panthea guatemala, CNC, Oaxaca, Mexico 26 P. hondurensis, MGCL, holotype, Francisco Morazan, Honduras 27 P. taina, MGCL, holotype, La Vega, Dominican Republic 28 P. reducta, ♂, CNC, Pedernales, Dominican Republic.

Figures 21 - 24. Male genitalia of Lichnoptera and Lafontaineana 21 Lichnoptera gulo, MGCL, Cundinamarca, Colombia 22 L. imama, MGCL, holotype, Tolima, Colombia 23 L. puma, CNC, holotype, La Alegria, Ecuador 24 L. thuta, MGCL, holotype, Loja, Ecuador.