Phyllodonta intermediata Sullivan

Sullivan, J. Bolling, 2014, The Phyllodonta latrata (Guenee) species group in Costa Rica (Geometridae, Ennominae), ZooKeys 421, pp. 3-19 : 7-8

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Geometridae

Phyllodonta intermediata Sullivan sp. n. Figs 6-10, 17

Holotype male.

Costa Rica, tunnel road, Tapanti Parque (9.43°N, 83.46°W) Cartago Province, 1475 m, 7-8 July 2008, J. Bolling Sullivan (10-CRBS-283) (INBio), Paratypes. 5♂, 1♀: 2♂, 1♀, same data as holotype (11-CRBS-2726, 10-CRBS-285 (JBS-2817), 10-CRBS-282 (JBS-5409)); 2♂, Costa Rica, Tapanti Parque (9.46°N, 83.42°W), Cartago Province, 1275 m, 7-9 July 2008, J. Bolling Sullivan, (11-CRBS-286 (JBS-5416); 1♂, Costa Rica, Vera Blanca, La Paz Waterfall Garden (10.12°N, 84.10°W), Alajuela Province, J. Bolling Sullivan (07-CRBS-1202), (JBS-3306) (INBio, JBS, USNM).

Etymology.

The species is named for the intermediate altitudes between 1200 and 1580 m where most of the specimens were taken. Two specimens were taken above 1600 m.

Diagnosis.

Maculation is not diagnostic for identifying this species. It is best characterized by barcode data and the genitalia. In the male, the distal side of the socius is usually straight (swollen in Phyllodonta esperanza ), the vesica is unarmed and pouches emanate from the right side (in Phyllodonta alajuela the vesica is armed, in Phyllodonta esperanza the pouches emanate from the left side). In the female, the collar on the ductus bursae is narrow (broad in Phyllodonta esperanza )and the signum on the corpus bursae is peanut-shaped with moderate spacing between the anterior and posterior sides (crescent shaped and narrowly spaced sides in Phyllodonta esperanza , oval shaped in Phyllodonta alajuela ).

Description.

Male. (Fig. 7) Head -labial palps warm brown, slightly porrect. First segment upcurved, second segment similar in length and tufted slightly over third segment, which is 1/3 as long and angled ventrally. Tongue developed. Eyes hemispherical, large, ocellus present. Frons brown, slightly pointed with scaling directed anteriorly. Scape cream proximally, brown laterally and distally. Cream color extends along dorsal edge of antennae to tip. Antennal segments oblong with minute setae at base of each segment. Interantennal area warm brown, lighter onto collar. Thorax and Abdomen–Vertex brown, fine scaling extending onto thorax, most scales expanding to three pointed tip, a few with black tips. Tegulae brown, abdomen with closely appressed scaling, gray brown dorsally, warm brown ventrally. Legs finely scaled, warm brown, tibia on first two legs with 3 evenly spaced white spots dorsally, proximal smallest, distal largest, tarsal spines prominent (0-2-4). Wings–forewings warm brown with prominent antemedial and postmedial lines that undulate, in both cases forming two outward bulges. Antemedial bulges separated by cleft. Both lines black edged with lighter grayish scales proximally. Black scaling distal to reniform at costa and forming a diffuse line paralleling antemedial line. Reniform spot small, black and forming center of a gray circle. Wings long, outer margin truncated at costa with a distinct notch medially, forewing length 23.1 mm (21-25 mm, n=10). Hindwing with prominent postmedial line, margin with submedial notch. Underside of wings warm brown, forewing with postmedial line prominent, medial line visible, antemedial line absent. White blotch subterminal at notch, larger black blotch proximal to it. Small discal spot present. Hindwing underside with prominent PM line, prominent discal spot, small yellow line of scales distal to PM line on both wings. Cream streak from wing base widening to anal angle. Male Genitalia (Figs 6, 9) (10 dissections) -uncus unsclerotized, short with terminal setae. Socius triangular shaped at base and curving distally toward tip. Outer margin often straight, but sometimes excurved basally. Well-defined tegumen with triangular gnathos, rounded at tip with small setae. Juxta narrow basally forming a pocket and widening toward transitilla lobes, which widen medially. Costa well sclerotized tapering to tip of valva. Valva broad with two ridges bearing setae. Subcostal ridge bears well-differentiated setae, tapers slightly and meets a broader submarginal ridge that broadens to half width at valve tip. Saccus vee-shaped and indented slightly at basal point. Aedeagus partially sclerotized distally, a band of striations at tip. Ductus inserts sub-basally. Vesica sac-like, curving ventrally; two outpockets medially, most prominent curving to right with smaller lobe to left. No cornuti or sclerotized areas. Vesica slightly longer than aedeagus. Female. (Fig. 8) - similar to male but larger, gray-brown ground color, cross lines usually more prominent, forewing length 24.3 mm (22.5-26.0, n=2). Gray circle around reniform distinct. Undersides similar to male but gray brown. Female Genitalia (Figs 10, 17) (2 dissections) - Anal papillae with setae, distally truncated in shape with anterior apophyses shorter than posterior apophyses. Anal plate not sclerotized, forming a broad funnel. Ductus bursae short with sclerotized collar at posterior end; collar 2 × as broad as in other two species. Accessory bursae striated, widening significantly at midpoint forming a hump and weak striations continuing onto broadly rounded, almost triangular corpus bursae. Corpus bursae 2 × as wide as ductus bursae, mostly unstriated with crescent-like signum. Signum somewhat variable, often peanut shaped with large, broad spines anteriorly and short spines posteriorly. Very similar to the signum found in Phyllodonta esperanza but always wider between anterior and posterior edges.

Barcodes.

Seven specimens have been barcoded and exhibit two haplotypes that differ from each other by a maximum of 0.5%. They differ from those of Phyllodonta esperanza by a minimum of 4.6% and from Phyllodonta alajuela by a minimum of 6.3%. The most common haplotype (11-CRBS-286) is:

AACATTATATTTTATTTTTGGAATTTGAGCTAGAATAGTGGGAACGTCTTTAAGTTTATTAATTCGAGCAGAATTAGGGAATCCTGGGTCTTTAATTGGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATACTATTGTAACTGCACATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTCTTTATAGTAATACCTATTATAATTGGGGGATTTGGAAATTGATTAATTCCTTTAATACTAGGGGCTCCTGATATAGCTTTCCCTCGAATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGGTTACTTCCACCTTCCATTACATTATTAATTTTTAGAAGAATTGTAGAAAATGGAGCTGGAACAGGATGAACAGTTTACCCACCTTTATCTTCTAATATTGCTCATGGGGGTAGTTCTGTTGATCTTGCTATTTTTTCATTACATTTAGCTGGTATTTCATCAATTTTAGGAGCTATTAATTTCATCACCACAATTATTAATATACGATTAAATAATTTATCTTTTGATCAAATACCTTTATTTGTATGAGCGGTAGGAATTACTGCATTTTTATTATTATTATCATTACCTGTTTTAGCTGGAGCTATTACTATATTATTAACCGATCGAAATTTAAATACATCTTTTTTTGACCCTGCTGGTGGAGGAGATCCAATTTTATACCAACATTTATTT

Distribution.

Known from between 1275 to 2280 m in the Talamancas, the Central Volcanic range, and the Tilaran range in Costa Rica. The moths are probably in flight throughout the year.

Remarks.

Nothing is known about the biology of this species. Its range may extend into the other mountain ranges in Costa Rican and perhaps into northern Panama.