Hoplosauris heliconoides Butler 1882

Parra, Luis E., Jiménez-Urrutia, María C. & Zamora-Manzur, Carlos, 2009, Revision of the genus Hoplosauris Butler 1882 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), Zootaxa 1989, pp. 39-54 : 50-51

Hoplosauris heliconoides Butler 1882

Hoplosauris heliconoides Butler 1882: 399 ; Scoble 1999: 446.

Physoloba heliconoides ( Butler 1882) Angulo & Casanueva 1981: 29 .

Larentia multivirgulata Mabille 1885: 70 ; Scoble 1999: 755.

Lobophora multivirgulata ( Mabille 1885) Mabille 1891: 29 .

Physoloba multivirgulata ( Mabille 1885) Fletcher 1953: 378 ; Scoble 1999: 755, as “ multivirgulata syn. heliconoides ”

Type. Hoplosauris heliconoides Syntypes: 1 male, Baños de Chillán , Chile; and 1 female, Corral , Chile. ( MNHN) (examined) .

Material examined (2 females, 2 males). Chile. 1 male, Holotype Baños de Chillán ( BMNH) ; 1 female, Allotype, Corral , ( BMNH) . Cautín. Termas de río blanco; 1 female, 25-12-1960 Krahmer coll. ; 1 male, 13-03- 1954 Wagenknecht coll ( MZUC-UCCC) .

Diagnosis. Hoplosauris heliconoides can be distinguished from the other species of the genus by the: hairy scales covering the anal margin of the hindwings; the curved valvae with an elongated costal margin; androconia formed by simple bristles plus some thick bristles. Female with ductus bursae 1/6 the length of corpus bursae.

Redescription. Male ( Figure 1g). Head: Antennae sub-apically thickened, with white and brown dark scales. Vertex and frons covered by white and dark brown scales. Labial palpi with white apex and dark brown basis. Thorax: dark brown, the same colour for tegula and patagia. Tegula with piliform scales extending posteriorly. Forewings: upperside light brown. Basal line light brown. Medium line white, surrounded by dark brown scales. Subterminal line dark brown, with slightly orange spots. Terminal line represented by dark brown semicircles. Discal mark dark brown. Underside of the forewings light brown, darker towards the costal margin. Hindwings: reduced and the anal margin covered by hairy scales; upperside light brown, underside whitish. Legs white. Female. Similar to the male, without reduced hindwings and without hairy scales on the anal margin. Male genitalia ( Figures 9a, c). Uncus straight, hairy, acute apex, sub-triangular base, ½ the length of the valvae. Valvae subrectangular. Androconia on the subapical region of the valvae with long and thick bristles. Ventral, distal margin of the valvae with a longitudinal groove in the androconia region. Costa strongly sclerotized. Semicircular saccus. Tubular aedeagus. Vesical cornuti formed by two groups of long and thick spines. Spines group 1/3 longer than the total length of the aedeagus. Female genitalia ( Figure 9b). Sterigma membranous. Corpus bursae slightly sclerotized and elongated; microspines covering internal surface; striated. Anterior and posterior apophyses sub-equal. Ductus bursae 1/6 the length of the corpus bursae. Ductus seminalis indistinguishable.

Distribution. This species occurs between 36º S and 40º S, in the provinces of Ñuble and Valdivia.

Flight period. Specimens were captured during the months of March and December. There are no records from other months.