Scythris mendozaensis Nupponen, sp. nov., 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 mendozaensis Nupponen, sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis

Figs 31 , 72

Type material.

Holotype. Argentina • ♀; prov. Mendoza, Andes Mts., Cordillera del Tigre, Mendoza River valley near Uspallata village; 32°35.9'S, 69°22.9'W; 1900 m a.s.l.; 25 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01048; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/14 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Diagnosis.

Externally resembles to some extent S. notorrhoa and some colour forms of L. ankylosauroides . White streak on forewing continues to tornus in Scythris mendozaensis (to termen in Scythris notorrhoa and Landryia ankylosauroides ), the streak is narrow and dorsally without interrupted line (streak is broader in Scythris notorrhoa , and dorsally with interrupted line in Landryia ankylosauroides ). In the female genitalia of S. mendozaensis , a large pentagonal sterigma is diagnostic. Scythris mendozaensis is known from 1900 metres altitude in the Anders, whereas S. notorrhoa is known from the Amazonian lowland rain forest.

Description.

Wingspan 13.5 mm. Head, collar, tegula, and thorax beige with scattered white. Few white scales exist around eye. Neck tuft and haustellum white. Scape dorsally beige, ventrally dirty white; pecten longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing. Labial palp white, except lower surface of palpomeres II and III brown. Legs white, tarsus and tibia mixed with beige. Abdomen dorsally beige, ventrally white. Forewing beige, fold widely white from base to tornus; indistinct brown blotches at dorsal margin of fold at 0.2 and 0.45; dark brown spot at cell end. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Female genitalia. Sterigma large, twice as long as wide, pentagonal; anterior margin concave, posteriorly tapered and pointed. Ostium small, situated at posterior tip of sterigma. Sternum VII rectangular, undifferentiated. Apophyses anteriores 0.35 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Etymology.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, valley of the River Mendoza.

Distribution.

NW Argentina.

Habitat.

The collecting site at the type locality is a dry and xerothermic valley of the River Mendoza at medium altitude of the Andes, surrounded by rocky slopes with sparse and low vegetation.

Genetic data.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5134 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris andensis Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADZ5420, 5.78%).

Remarks.

Male unknown. Scythris andensis and S. mendozaensis are morphologically similar. In COI maximum likelihood phylogeny these taxa associate next to taxa, which are classified in Scythris or without genus combination on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are not easy to combine to any North American Scythrididae genus ( Landry 1991)). For these reasons we tentatively classify Scythris andensis and Scythris mendozaensis in Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for more research.

Figures

Figure 72. Female genitalia of Scythris mendozaensis Nupponen sp. nov., genus combination incertae sedis, holotype, slide 2 / 14 Dec. 2019 KN.

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.