Scythris medullata (Meyrick, 1916), 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

Scythris medullata (Meyrick, 1916), genus combination incertae sedis

Figs 33 , 61 , 73

Scythris medullata Meyrick, 1916. Exotic Microlepidoptera, vol. 2 (part 1): 13.

Material examined.

Lectotype. Peru • ♂; Lima; 500 feet a.s.l.; 8-14.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8055; NHMUK ID 010922362; NHMUK slide ID 010316667; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotypes. Colombia, Equador, Peru • Meyrick (1916) described the species based on 80 specimens, but only 13 remain the NHMUK/Meyrick collection, also reported by Clarke (1965) .

Other material.

Peru • 1 ♂, 3 ♀; prov. La Libertad, Lequetepeque River, near El Huabal village ; 7°16.9'S, 79°18.2'W; 200 m a.s.l.; 1 Feb. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg. ; [BOLD sample IDs] KN01079, KN01080, KN01081, KN01084; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/ 17 Dec. 2019 ♀; coll. NUPP. • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; prov. Cajamarca, Lequetepeque River, near Chilete village ; 7°13.0'S, 78°45.3'W; 980 m a.s.l.; 4 Feb. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg. ; [BOLD sample IDs] KN01082, KN01083; [genitalia preparations] 2 in glycerol; coll. NUPP. • 1 ♂; prov. Ancash, Fortaleza River, Raquia village 13 km SW; 10°13.1'S, 77°33.6'W; 1180 m a.s.l.; 31 Jan. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg. ; [BOLD sample ID] KN01085; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/ 17 Dec.2019 ; coll. NUPP. Argentina • 1 ♂; prov. Salta, Rio San Francisco, by Algarrobal village ; 24°38.0'S, 64°54.5'W; 620 m a.s.l.; 16 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg. ; [BOLD sample ID] KN01039; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/ 13 Dec. 2019 ; coll. NUPP.

Diagnosis.

Scythris dividua , S. medullata , and S. notorrhoa are similar externally. Reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination (DNA barcodes not available for all these three taxa yet). Uncus pentagonal, heavily sclerotised in Scythris dividua ; rectangular, small, less sclerotised in Scythris medullata ; oval and heavily sclerotised in Scythris notorrhoa . Valvae narrow basally, inner margin without sclerotisations in Scythris dividua ; broad basally, inner margin with minute sclerotisation in Scythris medullata ; asymmetrical, inner margin with large sclerotisations in Scythris notorrhoa . Segment VIII distinct in each three species, see illustrations.

Description.

The original description is quoted: "Wingspan 11-12 mm ♂, ♀. Head, palpi and thorax dark violet-bronzy-grey, somewhat touched with whitish. Antennal ciliations of ♂ 0.75. Abdomen dark grey, suffused with ochreous-white beneath with both sexes. Forewings lanceolate; dark violet-bronzy-grey, either irregularly sprinkled with whitish except towards base, or with two closely adjacent whitish longitudinal streaks from base, upper median; reaching to about 0.75, lower reaching to beyond middle, and with every transitional variation between these two forms, the streaks and irroration varying in development but always one or the other present; plical and second discal stigmata more or less perceptible as obscure spots of dark fuscous suffusion, and sometimes one or two other similar spots in disc: cilia fuscous, variably mixed with whitish towards base. Hindwings 0.66, 4 and 5 separate; dark fuscous, thinly scaled anteriorly; cilia dark grey."

Male genitalia. Uncus rectangular, small. Gnathos base narrow belt; distal arm robust, rectangular with sclerotised tip. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus as long as gnathos, slim and shallowly bent, posterior quarter tapered, tip pointed. Valvae short, asymmetrical, broad, as long as gnathos; left valva slightly narrower, inner margin with minute sclerotisation, ventral margin with small sclerotised extension; right valva with semi-circular and heavily sclerotised extension at ventral margin, apical margin dentate. Sternum VIII large asymmetrical plate; basal portion rectangular with anterior apodemes, V-shaped reinforcement at middle; posterior part with two large extensions, left rectangular with horn-shaped lateral extension, right rectangular with rounded corners and posteriorly with seven long pegs. Tergum VIII small asymmetrical plate with bunch of long bristles.

Female genitalia. Sterigma funnel-shaped, broad and rather short. Ostium round. Sternum VII trapezoid, medioposteriorly cleft, anterior margin chitinised. Apophyses anteriores short, one quarter length of apophyses posteriores.

Distribution.

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Habitat.

The moth inhabits moist riverside meadows (Fig. 80 ).

Genetic data.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5133 (n = 6 from Costa Rica and Peru). Genetically slightly heterogenous, maximum variation 0.49%. Nearest neighbor: North American Neoscythris sp. ( Scythrididae , BIN: BOLD:ABA1135, 0.29%).

Remarks.

New to Argentina. Originally the type series comprise 80 specimens, but only 13 exx. remain in the Meyrick collection (Colombia, Cali, 500 feet; Caldas 4400 feet; La Crumbre 6600 feet, in May. Ecuador, Huigra 4500 feet, in June; Peru, Lima 500 feet, in June; Chosica 2800 feet, in July and August (Parish). In the original description S. medullata is mentioned as an externally very variable species, and the variation being to some extent localised, the specimens from one locality being mostly externally similar.

Figures

Figure 73. Female genitalia of Scythris medullata Meyrick, 1916, genus combination incertae sedis, slide 2 / 17 Dec. 2019 KN.

Figure 80. Collecting site of Scythris lequetepequensis sp. nov. and S. medullata Meyr.: Peru, Lequetepeque River shore (200 m), 1 Feb. 2019.

Figures 30 - 34. Scythrididae adults, genus Scythris 30 S. andensis Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, male, holotype 31 S. mendozaensis Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, female, holotype 32 S. dividua Meyrick, 1916, genus combination incertae sedis, male, lectotype 33 A S. medullata Meyrick, genus combination incertae sedis, 1916, male, lectotype 33 B S. medullata Meyrick, 1916, genus combination incertae sedis, male 34 S. notorrhoa Meyrick, 1921, genus combination incertae sedis, male, lectotype.

Figures 61 - 62. Male genitalia of Scythris 61 S. medullata Meyrick, 1916, genus combination incertae sedis, lectotype, slide JFGC No. 8055 62 S. notorrhoa Meyrick, 1921, genus combination incertae sedis, lectotype, slide JFGC No. 8065.