La paquitae, Landry & Léger, 2024

Landry, Bernard & Léger, Théo, 2024, Taxonomic revision of the Crambinae (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae sensu lato) of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Revue suisse de Zoologie 131 (2), pp. 357-387 : 379-380

La paquitae sp. nov.

Figs 27, 28 , 49

Material examined: Holotype: ♂, ‘ ECU[ADOR]., GALAPAGOS | Isabela , V[olcan]. Darwin | 1240 m elev[ation]., 19.v.1992 | M[ercury]V[apour]L[ight], leg [it]. B. Landry’; ‘HOLOTYPE | La | paquitae | Landry & Léger’; ‘ MHNG | ENTO | 00085762 ’. Deposited in MHNG .

Paratypes: 18 ♂, from the Galápagos Island of Isabela . 1 ♂, V[olcan]. Darwin , 300 m elev[ation]., 15.v.1992, M[ercury]V[apour]L[ight] (B. Landry); 7 ♂ (one dissected, MHNG-ENTO-85761 ), V. Darwin , 630 m elev[ation]., 16.v.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 5 ♂ (two dissected, MHNG-ENTO-85689 and 85691 ), V. Darwin , 1000 m elev[ation]., 18.v.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♀ (dissected, MHNG-ENTO-85690 ), same data as holotype; 1 ♂, V. Darwin , 300 m elev[ation]., 20.v.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♂, Volcán Darwin , 300 m s[obre el]n[ivel del]m[ar], 6.iii.2000, U[ltra]V[iolet]L[ight] -W[hite]L[ight] trap (L. Roque). Deposited in CDRS and MHNG .

Etymology: This new species is dedicated to Dr Paquita Hoeck, ornithologist and member of the Council of the Association of the Swiss Friends of the Galápagos since 2018 and before that running the office of that association for three years.

Diagnosis: This mostly small species (wingspan 10.5- 16.5 mm) is easily separated from the other members of the brown cluster of La in the Galápagos by the white longitudinal stripe in the middle of the forewing with dark blackish brown above and below, and usually without or with very faint transverse pattern elements ( Figs 27, 28 ). The presence of white scales on some of the hindwing veins is also diagnostic. The male genitalia ( Fig. 49 ) are very similar to those of La wagneuri sp. nov. ( Fig. 48 ), but the gnathos apex is ventrally less produced, the outer projection of the costal process of the valva is wider, not narrowing subapically, and its apex is narrowly rounded instead of blunt. The female is unknown.

Description: Male (n=19) ( Figs 27, 28 ). Head with frons slightly rounded, not projecting; vestiture pale greyish brown, mostly white-tipped, with darker, unicolorous greyish brown behind eyes, and paler unicolourous dirty white around antennae. Antenna dark brown, sometimes with paler scales on scape and basal flagellomeres. Maxillary palpus vestiture expanded apically as feather duster, greyish brown, darker laterally, lighter to sometimes white medially, with apical scales tipped white. Labial palpus with third segment slightly drooping; vestiture greyish brown, warmer brown on median segment laterally, with some scales tipped white on all three segments. Haustellum pale greyish brown. Thorax dark brown anteriorly, sometimes with many scales white-tipped; paler, greyish brown on metathorax. Forewing length: 4.5-7.5 mm (holotype: 6.0 mm); wingspan: 10.5-16.5 mm (holotype: 13.5 mm). Ratio length/width (n=2): 3.26-3.33. Wings with colour and pattern as illustrated ( Figs 27, 28 ). Prothoracic leg coxa light greyish brown to dark greyish brown with white along medial margin; femur light greyish brown to dark greyish brown with white along ventral margin; tibia pale to dark greyish brown; tarsomeres greyish brown with inconspicuous paler tips, especially on last three tarsomeres. Mesothoracic leg coxa dirty white; femur pale greyish brown to white, with darker greyish brown base and tip; tibia mostly dirty white or with greyish brown at base dorsally; tarsomeres dirty white to pale greyish brown, sometimes with paler apex on apical segments. Metathoracic leg coxa dirty white medially, greyish brown laterally; femur greyish brown with white along margin dorsally and sometimes on large apical section; tibia mostly dirty white, sometimes with some darker greyish brown subapically; tarsomeres dirty white, with greyish brown on last four at their bases. Abdomen dorsally dirty white to greyish brown, sometimes with some warmer brown on basal three tergites, ventrally dirty white to pale greyish brown, sometimes with scattered darker blackish brown scales on most sternites.

Male genitalia (n=3) ( Fig. 49 ). Uncus rather short (0.66-0.68 length of tegumen dorsal section), slightly downcurved and pointed apically. Gnathos narrow, with downward-bent apical bulge and dorsomedial cleft apically weakly developed. Tegumen medium-sized, with lateral arms of medium width, about as long as dorsal section, with partial extension of sclerotization midventrally. Valva with cucullus narrow, apically rounded; mediobasal projection short, apically rounded, with thickened apical margin; costal process with projections of unequal lengths; median projection shorter, rather strong, pointed, curving medially, with few, mostly short setae at base laterally; outer projection flat, longer, almost reaching cucullus apex, slightly wider than cucullus, slightly curving subapically, with apex slightly rounded. Vinculum of medium width and slightly enlarging laterally; basal margin medially broadly rounded and upturned shortly, forming short saccus. Pseudosaccus slightly longer than wide, with short, flat crest. Phallus rather short, 800 µm long (n=1), narrow and slightly enlarging along mid-section, with narrower coecum penis, slightly curved upward (or sideways as on Fig. 49b ) and about 0.2 length of whole phallus, with apex rather narrowly rounded, with basolateral projections short and weakly sclerotized, with spine of apicolateral projections very short; median margin of opening with deep narrow cleft, about 0.2 length of whole phallus, with short wrinkles; vesica without cornuti.

Female: Unknown.

Biology: Unknown other than the facts that moths are attracted to lights and that they were found between 300 m and 1240 m in elevation, at the top of Alcedo.

Distribution: Presently known from Alcedo Volcano only, on the island of Isabela , in the Galápagos.

Remarks: The few diagnostic characters of the male genitalia between this species and La wagneuri sp. nov. invite a cautionary interpretation of this Alcedo population of La as a different species from La wagneuri sp. nov., but the fact that they occur sympatrically and at the same time, as well as their very different forewing patterns, based on the material collected in 1992, are indicative of probable distinctness at the species level. Some behavioral or pheromonal characters may be key to exclude their hybridization, but an in-depth molecular analysis of several genes and several specimens would be necessary to bring forth a more definitive assessment.

Figures

Figs 21-28. Specimens of La from the Galápagos Islands. (21-26) La wagneuri sp. nov. (21) Holotype. (22) Paratype male, Isabela, Darwin Volcano, 300 m elev., MHNG-ENTO-85757, ws: 13.5 mm.(23) Paratype female, Isabela, Darwin Volcano, 630 m elev., MHNG-ENTO-85758, ws: 17.0 mm. (24) Paratype male, Isabela, idem, MHNG-ENTO-85759, ws: 14.5 mm. (25) Female, Isabela, Alcedo Volcano, NE slope, near pega-pega camp, MHNG-ENTO-85754, ws: 16.5 mm. (26) Male, Isabela, Alcedo Volcano, NE slope, 200 m elev., camp arida alta, MHNG-ENTO-85755, ws: 13.0 mm. (27, 28) La paquitae sp. nov. (27) Female paratype, Isabela, Darwin Volcano, 630 m elev., MHNG-ENTO-85761, ws: 14.5 mm. (28) Holotype.

Figs 47-49. Male genitalia of La specimens from the Galápagos. (47) La galapagensis sp. nov., paratype, MHNG-ENTO-85707. (47a) Genitalia without phallus. (47b) Phallus. (48) La wagneuri sp. nov., paratype, MHNG-ENTO-85692. (48a) Genitalia without phallus. (48b) Phallus. (49) La paquitae sp. nov., paratype, MHNG-ENTO-85691. (49a) Genitalia without phallus. (49b) Phallus.