Spiladarcha tuberculata, Sohn, Jae-Cheon, 2014

Sohn, Jae-Cheon, 2014, Three new species of Spiladarcha Meyrick, 1913 (Lepidoptera: Urodidae) from Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3884 (1), pp. 73-80 : 77-79

Spiladarcha tuberculata n. sp. ( Figs 5, 6 , 10 , 12 )

Diagnosis: Spiladarcha tuberculata is similar to S. septifera in the forewing pattern and male genital structures, but differs from the latter in having the basal 1/3 of forewing dark brown (pale brown in S. septifera ), the uncus triangular (trapezoidal in S. septifera ), the saccus broader, and the gnathos longer in the male genitalia. Spiladarcha tuberculata is also similar to S. puravida but can be distinguished from the latter in having a costal process of the valva in the male genitalia and only one signum (two signa in S. puravidae ) in the female genitalia.

Description: Head—Scales on vertex and frontoclypeus brownish gray with white tips. Scales of antennal scape grayish brown with white tips dorsally, dark brown ventrally; flagellomere gray. Labial palpus upcurved beyond middle of frons, brownish gray, intermixed with white dorsally, dark brown ventrally.

Thorax—Patagium, tegulae and mesonotum brownish gray, intermixed with white. Fore- and midleg with coxa dark grayish brown, intermixed with brownish white; femur dark brown on outer surface, pale gray on inner surface; tibia brown on outer surface, pale gray on inner surface; tarsomere dark brown, with narrow, white ring distally; mid-femur intermixed with gray scales on outer surface. Hindleg pale gray. Forewing length 4.8–6mm (n=8), pale brownish gray, suffused with dark brownish gray on distal 2/3 and with dark orange along posterior margin, speckled with pale brownish gray on distal 1/2 of costal area; a small pale-orange patch present near lower distal margin of discal cell; two large patches of raised black scales present at about basal 1/3, juxtaposed with orange suffusion basally; two pale-orange spots present in tornal area; small black spots of raised scales scattered along veins on upper surface; fringe dark brown, longer on tornus. Hindwing and fringe dark brownish gray; terminal line very narrow, brownish white.

Abdomen—Dorsal area dark brownish gray; ventral area lustrous pale gray.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 10 )—Uncus triangular, obtuse apically, with spinose bulge anterolaterally, extending toward an oblique ridge on tegumen. Tegumen trapezoidal in posterior 1/3, elongate, rectangular in anterior 2/3, with a large, semicircular emargination medially on anterior margin of dorsal area. Gnathos arms perpendicular to tegumen, upcurved at basal 1/3, apices tapered and medially convergent. Valva 3.2× as long as uncus, narrow, gradually narrower apically, with long hairs on dorsoapical 1/3; costa slanted diagonally; apex narrowly round; sacculus 7/8 as long as valva, with setal zone along distal half; setae wider and longer on apical part; costal process slender, curved at distal 1/3, dilated in basal 1/3, with setae in basal 2/3 and a spiral line of spines along distal 1/3. Juxta slender, broadened basally, with two divergent apical. Vinculum broadly rounded; saccus linguiform, 1/2 as long as uncus. Phallus slender, slightly broadened to coecum; ductus ejaculatorius arising from anterior end of phallus; cornutus absent.

Female A8 and genitalia ( Fig. 12 )—Sternite VIII semicircularly emarginated posteromedially, with a pair of digitate, setose projections posteriorly. Papillae anales small, semi-globular. Ovipositor 2× longer than ductus bursae; A9 with semicircular sclerotized area laterally. Apophyses posteriores 1.4× longer than apophyses anteriores. Ductus bursae narrow, with a weakly sclerotized digitate antrum in posterior 1/3; inception of ductus seminalis present near anterior 1/3 of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae elliptical with a signum at middle; signum spiniform, with granulate, semicircular plate basally.

Types: Holotype—male, “ HOLOTYPE | Spiladarcha | tuberculata | SOHN 2014 ” [red label enclosed with black lines], “ COSTA RICA, Heredia: | Est. Biol. La Selva, 50- | 150m, 10°26'N 84°01'W | June 1994, INBio- OET”, “ 29 Junio 1994 | Lab. Area | L/04/108”, the dissected abdomen in a glycerin-filled plastic envelope attached with the specimen, INBIO. Paratypes (4♂, 3♀)—1♀, same locality as holotype, 19 April 1993 (INBio-OET); 1♂. ditto, 14 February 1994 (INBio-OET); 2♂, 1♀, ditto, 5–14 February 1996 (INBio-OET), [GSN] SJC-767 (♀); 1♀, ditto, 13 March 1996 (INBio-OET), [GSN] SJC-760; 1♂, Puntarenas Prov., Manuel Antonio National Park, Quepos, alt. 80m, March 1991 (R Zuniga), [GSN] SJC-529, [WSN] SJC-W022, all in INBIO.

Distribution: Costa Rica (Heredia, Puntarenas).

Etymology: The species epithet is derived from the Latin word ‘tuber’, meaning “swelling” and refers to the patch of raised scales on the antemedian line of the forewing.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Spiladarcha. 1. S. puravida n. sp., male, holotype (inset: labels); 2. S. puravida n. sp., female, paratype; 3. S. septifera n. sp., male, holotype (inset: labels); 4. S. adamskii Sohn, male, paratype; 5. S. tuberculata n. sp., male, holotype (inset: labels); 6. S. tuberculata n. sp., female, paratype.

FIGURES 7 – 10. Male genitalia of Spiladarcha (upper—genital capsule; lower—phallus). 7. S. adamskii Sohn, holotype; 8. S. puravida n. sp., holotype; 9. S. septifera n. sp., holotype; 10. S. tuberculata n. sp., paratype.

FIGURES 11 – 13. Female genitalia of Spiladarcha. 11. S. adamskii Sohn, paratype; 12. S. tuberculata n. sp., paratype; 13. S. puravida n. sp., paratype.