Scythris zeugmatica Meyrick, 1931

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 zeugmatica Meyrick, 1931

Figs 17 , 48

Scythris zeugmatica Meyrick, 1931. Exotic Microlepidoptera 4 (part 6): 179.

Material examined.

Holotype (fixed by monotypy, Art. 73.1.2 ( ICZN 2000). Brazil • ♂; Santarem; 8.19.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8050; NHMUK ID 010922366; NHMUK slide ID 010316662; coll. NHMUK.

Diagnosis.

A small species (10 mm), externally resembles to some extent S. zeugmatica with similar whitish streak on forewing. Scythris zeugmatica is readily separated from the other described species by characters in the male genitalia, particularly by bilobed uncus, a peculiar vertical sclerotisation with lateral expansion (homology unclear), and broad, symmetrical valvae with a small subapical ventral tooth.

Description.

The original description is quoted: "Wingspan ♂ 10 mm. Head whitish. Palpi whitish, terminal joint suffused grey. Thorax bronzy-grey. Abdomen dark grey, beneath whitish-ochreous. Forewings elongate-lanceolate; rather dark purple-grey; a rather broad suffused yellow-whitish streak along fold throughout, crossed at its middle by a fasciate bar reaching dorsum but not reaching costa, beyond this attenuated and indistinct, but expanded into an oval spot on tornus, a somewhat inwards-oblique spot on costa towards apex rather beyond this: cilia grey. Hindwings 0.75, grey; cilia grey."

Male genitalia. Uncus bilobed, basally fused by narrow transverse sclerotisation. Gnathos base U-shaped. Tegumen hood-shaped, anterior margin medially deeply cleft. Ventrad of tegumen are situated two sclerotised, vertical structures (homologies are unclear): other rather straight with sharp apexes (Fig. 48 on left), other slightly longer, at middle triangularly extended (Fig. 48 on right). Valva broad and straight, dorsal margin at basal quarter somewhat folded; ventrally slightly broadened beyond middle, subapically with small triangular tooth. Saccus short, triangular, at base with small digitate process. Sternum VIII trapezoid, anterolaterally with small lobes, posteriorly with pair of stout parallel horn-like projections. Tergum VIII subrectangular, laterally concave, anterior margin sclerotised.

Distribution.

Brazil.

Remarks.

Female unknown. DNA barcode is not available yet for S. zeugmatica . We place S. zeugmatica in the Scythris directiphallella species group based on morphology. It has a similar long and slim gnathos, long and slim phallus, and male sternum VIII has sharp posterior shanks.

Figures

Figures 12 - 17. Scythrididae adults, genus Scythris. 12 S. directiphallella Nupponen, sp. nov., male, holotype 13 A S. furciphallella Nupponen sp. nov., male, holotype 13 B S. furciphallella Nupponen sp. nov., male, paratype 14 S. manchaoensis Nupponen, sp. nov., male holotype 15 A S. salinasgrandensis Nupponen sp. nov., female, holotype 15 B S. salinasgrandensis Nupponen sp. nov., female, paratype 16 S. angustivalvella Nupponen sp. nov., male, holotype 17 S. zeugmatica Meyrick, 1916, male, holotype.

Figures 47 - 48. Male genitalia of Scythris 47 S. angustivalvella Nupponen sp. nov., holotype, slide 4 / 16 Dec. 2019 KN 48 S. zeugmatica Meyrick, 1931, holotype, slide JFGC No. 8050.