Helioandesia, Vargas, 2021

Vargas, Héctor A., 2021, Systematics of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Heliodinidae) from the Andes of Northern Chile, European Journal of Taxonomy 731, pp. 117-134 : 123-125

Helioandesia gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2ACDF84E-8E2D-43C6-90D5-B271DC332483

Figs 3–6

Type species

Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., designated here.

Diagnosis

Helioandesia gen. nov. can be recognized by the following combination of morphological characters: (1) presence of CuP on forewing of female and male; (2) two bristles of unequal length in the female frenulum; (3) forewing mostly gray, ornamented with strongly bulging metallic spots, (4) two triangular processes on anterior margin of tergum VIII in the male abdomen; (5) sclerotization of the widened proximal part of the ductus bursae not reaching the ostium; (6) signum with proximal portion coarser than distal portion; (7) presence of an appendix bursae; (8) slightly swollen distal end of the saccus; and (9) a well-developed cornutus on the vesica. The mostly gray forewing pattern of Helioandesia gen. nov., ornamented with strongly bulging metallic spots, resembles that of the mainly Nearctic Lithariapteryx . However, the latter lacks CuP in the forewing of female and male, has a single bristle in the female frenulum, and lacks a well-developed cornutus on the vesica. The female genitalia of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. are very similar to those of the Bolivian Lithariapteryx loriculata (Meyrick, 1932) in the shape of the transverse bridge, signum and antrum. However, H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. lacks a V-shaped mark from costa on the forewing, has a sclerotization on the distal part of the ductus bursae and has the signum on the left margin of the corpus bursae, while L. loriculata has a V-shaped mark from the costa on the forewing, lacks sclerotization on the distal part of the ductus bursae and has the signum on the middle of the ventral part of the corpus bursae. The male of L. loriculata remains unknown, impeding comparison with H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. Two bristles of unequal length in the female frenulum of Helioandesia gen. nov. resemble those of Epicroesa Meyrick, 1907 , Heliodines , Lamprolophus Busck, 1900 and Philocoristis Meyrick, 1927 . However, all these genera lack CuP in the forewing.

Etymology

The genus name is derived from the Greek ʻ helios ʼ (sun), the root of the family name Heliodinidae , and Andes, in reference to the Andes Range, among whose amazing landscapes the type species of Helioandesia gen. nov. was discovered. The name is considered feminine in gender.

Description

Male

HEAD. Frons and vertex with appressed scales; narrow, elongated scales behind compound eyes. Antenna filiform, about 0.7 times as long as forewing, basal five segments of flagellum slightly broadened ( Fig. 3C ) due to narrow superimposed scales on dorsal side. Labial palpus ( Fig. 3B ) porrect, with appressed scales.

THORAX. Covered with appressed scales. Tibial spurs 0-2-4; metatibia with inner spur of proximal pair about twice as long as outer one. Forewing lanceolate ( Fig. 4 ), with strongly bulging metallic spots ( Fig. 3A, D ); hair pencil ( Fig. 3E ) from base of subcosta ventrally; 12 veins; five R, all separate; M1 and M2 separate; CuA1 and CuA2 separate, proximal part of latter lost; CuP present as tubular vein near margin; 1A+2A present. Hindwing ( Fig. 4 ) lanceolate, six veins; Sc+R1 and Rs separate; M1 and M2 stalked; CuA1 and CuA2 stalked; frenulum a single bristle.

ABDOMEN. Tergum VIII ( Fig. 5C ) triangular; anterior margin slightly concave, antero-lateral vertices as small processes slightly extending anteriorly beneath tergum VII; lateral margin widely convex; posterior margin about ¼ of anterior margin, with wide rounded notch in middle. Pleural lobe ( Fig. 5C ) triangular, with slightly sclerotized stripe near posterior margin. Sternum VIII not differentiated. Coremata ( Fig. 5G ) between pleural lobes and genitalia.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 5 ). Tegumen posteriorly expanded, somewhat conical, narrowing posteriorly. Gnathos absent. Socius ( Fig. 5D ) narrow, conical, with hair-like setae, apex coincides with that of tegumen. Saccus narrow, rod-shaped, about twice as long as tegumen, slightly broadened near base, distal end slightly swollen. Valva simple, with a few hair-like setae, costal margin broadly concave, ventral margin broadly convex, apex rounded. Phallus cylindrical, elongated, slightly longer than tegumen + saccus, slightly curved ventrally; vesica with prominent, long spine-like cornutus ( Fig. 5B, F ) slightly smaller than half of phallus, and group of small spine-like cornuti ( Fig. 5E ); insertion of ductus ejaculatorius near basal third of phallus.

Female

Mainly similar to male, but hindwing with two asymmetrical bristles on frenulum ( Fig. 4 ), and abdominal segment VIII not modified as in male.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 6 ). Papillae anales ( Fig. 6B ) narrow, elongated, slightly sclerotized, with hair-like setae. Posterior apophysis rod-like, about twice as long as papillae anales. Anterior apophysis rod-like, slightly shorter than posterior apophysis. Transverse bridge as rectangular transversal band, anterior vertices fused with posterior end of anterior apophyses. Ostium bursae membranous. Ductus bursae narrow, mainly membranous; proximal fourth widened, with distal half sclerotized; slightly widened and sclerotized near corpus bursae. Ductus seminalis arises on distal fourth of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae mainly membranous, lenticular; signum on left side, narrow, elongated, minutely sculptured, proximal ( Fig. 6C ) portion coarser than distal ( Fig. 6D ) portion, slightly invaginate and broadened subapically, length about ¾ that of corpus bursae. Appendix bursae spherical, membranous, on the middle of corpus bursae, on the opposite side of signum.

Figures

Fig. 3. Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♂, holotype (IDEA-LEPI-2020-015). A. Dorsal view. B. Head, lateral. C. Basal flagellomeres of right antenna. D. Three bulging metallic spots on the basal half of forewing. E. Hair pencil from base of subcosta, ventral. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype (IDEA-LEPI-2020-024), wing venation showing frenulum with two bristles of unequal length. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 5. Male genitalia and eighth segment of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♂, paratype (IDEA- LEPI-2020-021). A. Male genitalia, ventral view, phallus removed. B. Phallus, lateral view. C. Tergum and pleural lobes of eighth segment. D. Socius, closed arrow in A. E. Small spine-like cornuti on the vesica, open arrow in A. F. Medial part of the cornutus. G. Coremata between pleural lobes of segment VIII and genitalia. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 6. Female genitalia of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype (IDEA-LEPI-2020-024) A. Female genitalia, ventral view. B. Papillae analis. C. Ornamentation of the proximal part of the signum. D. Ornamentation of the distal part of the signum. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.