Chionodes bustosorum Metzler

Metzler, Eric H. & Landry, Jean-François, 2016, The Lepidoptera of White Sands National Monument, Otero County, New Mexico, USA 10. A remarkable new white species of Chionodes Hübner (Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 4109 (3), pp. 372-380 : 373-377

Chionodes bustosorum Metzler , sp. nov.

BOLD:ACS7412

Figs 1–3

Holotype ♂, pinned, double-mounted, with labels as follows: “New Mexico: Otero Co.,White Sands Nat[ional] Mon[ument]; Interdune vegetation; 106˚11.38'W; 32˚46.60' N 4,000 '; 11 June 2010 WSNM 8; Eric H. Metzler uv tr[a]p; Accss # White Sands National Monument 00131.” [blue label] “Barcode of Life Project Leg(s), DNA extracted”; “USNMENT 01142737 ”; [green label] “Genitalia slide by EHMetzler, ♂ USNM 146317” [red label] “ HOLOTYPE USNM; Chionodes bustosorum Metzler 2016 ”. Deposited in USNM.

Paratype ♂, pinned, double-mounted, same locality/date as holotype, [blue label] “Barcode of Life Project Leg(s) removed, DNA extracted”; “USNMENT 01142738 ” [green label] Genitalia slide by EHMetzler, ♂ USNM 146318.” Deposited in USNM.

Description. Adult male ( Fig. 1 ). Head: Front and vertex scales broadly spatulate, erect, cream-white; front smooth, scales spatulate, directed forward and ventrally, cream-white; palpi upturned, basal segment scales appressed, mid-segment = ½ length of palpi, slightly shaggy, scales spatulate, apical segment = 1/3 length of palpi, divergent apically, scales appressed, cream-white; haustellum base densely scaled, cream-white. Antenna, each segment basally ringed with semi-erect cream-white scales. Thorax: dorsal and ventral surfaces with appressed, cream-white scales. Legs with appressed, cream-white scales. Forewing: Length 5.4 mm, mean 5.4 mm, n = 2; Uniformly cream-white, including fringe, apex rounded; underside pale yellow with concolorous fringe. Hindwing mirror-like reflective-white with concolorous, long fringe, apex slightly produced; underside white, male with patch of pale yellow sex scales arising from wing base and extending along inner margin. Abdomen: Scales appressed, pale yellow. T8 (Fig. 2d) with lateral sides parallel, posteriorly broadly convex, anteriorly broadly concave. Male genitalia (Fig. 2) (2 preparations examined) with uncus broad, spoon shaped, setose laterally; culcitula absent; gnathos with base sclerotized, lobed laterally, lobes extending 1/3 length of tegumen, each lobe with a posteriorly directed finger-like projection enclosing a diamond-shaped lateral process; gnathos sharply curved at 0.2x length, gently curved most of length, apex sharply recurved; tegumen broadly A-shaped, excavated to 1/3, robust suture separating pedunculi, each pedunculus narrowing to junction with vinculum, base of each pedunculus twisted 180˚ at junction with vinculum; vinculum = 0.8x length of tegumen, abruptly narrowed immediately anterior of juncture with tegumen, distal 2/3 trough-shaped, sides parallel extended to blunt rounded apex; posterolateral lobe from vinculum an extension of twisted pedunculus, sclerotized, trough-shaped, apex bluntly rounded, length = width of base of pedunculus of tegumen; saccus not differentiated from vinculum; valvae asymmetrical, unequal in length and dissimilarly shaped: right valva, maximally extended to 1/2 length of tegumen, then strongly recurved mesially at 2/3 length, robust where recurved, apex weakly bifurcate, posterior projection thorn-like, robust anterior projection pointed, beak-like; left valva narrow, curved, bow-like mesially or laterally, extended to middle of uncus, terminal 1/10 bent approximately 90˚, apex doubly bifurcate, posterior projection robust pointed, beak-like, anterior projection bifurcate, not robust. Phallus with distal part sculpting complex, caecum approximately 5x length of distal part, longitudinal sclerotized bar at anterior end.

Adult female. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Ron Hodges (personal communication to EHM) considered C. bustosorum to be undescribed based on the diagnosis in combination with the details of the description. Chionodes bustosorum ( Fig. 1 ) is a small (forewing length 5.4 mm) creamy white moth with no discernable markings on the surface. Two nearly identical specimens were captured in black light traps with Scythrididae of similar size and appearance. The apex of the forewing of C. bustosorum is rounded, whereas the forewing of Scythrididae terminate in an acute apex. The apex of the hindwing of C. bustosorum is rounded and produced, a wing shape that is typical for most Gelechiidae . The apex of the hindwing of Scythrididae is acute. The male genitalia of C. bustosorum are typical for the genus Chionodes (Fig. 2) with a broad prominent spoon-shaped uncus. Chionodes bustosorum keys out to couplet 6, obscurusella or formosella groups, in the Hodges (1999: 25) key. The male sex scales of C. bustosorum are on the ventral surface of the hindwing, similar to species in the obscurusella group. Based on characters of the male genitalia as figured by Hodges, C. bustosorum appears to be in the abella complex of the formosella group, however, C. bustosorum fails to match any features in the early couplets in the key to species of the formosella group (see Hodges 1999: 33). The diagnostic features of the male genitalia of C. bustosorum are the markedly asymmetrical valvae. The left valva is long and narrow, whereas the right valva is shorter, more robust, and recurved mesially like the cutting blade of a hand-held scythe. In a comparison of male genitalia, based on the photographs in Hodges (1999), the genital capsule of C. bustosorum is most similar to a lateral mirror image of C. abella as illustrated on p. 261, fig. D-1 of that work. The angle of the recurved right valva of C. bustosorum is broad, like a hand-held scythe, whereas the angle of the recurved left valva of C. abella is acute. The area between the pedunculi of the tegumen of C. bustosorum is not sclerotized, whereas in C. abella it is lightly sclerotized. The lateral sides of the uncus of C. abella appear to be nearly parallel; the uncus of C. bustororum is oval. The genital capsule also resembles a mirror image of that of C. abdominella as illustrated on p. 263, fig. F-20 of Hodges (1999).

Remarks. This new species is placed in the genus Chionodes based on the presence of the caecum on the aedeagus as defined by Hodges (1999). The holotype and paratype are identical in habitus and genital structure. The paratype imago is illustrated because it possesses complete antennae. The holotype was selected because it is the specimen that yielded a nearly complete barcode sequence.

Etymology. The specific name of this species, bustosorum , a noun in the genitive case, recognizes David Bustos, Chief of Resources at White Sands National Monument since 2007, and his wife, Andrea. David aggressively pursues research; his efforts contributed greatly to the immense accumulation of scientific data during his years at White Sands National Monument. Metzler knows from personal experience that David works long and crazy hours in support of the Monument. He is enthusiastic about the research on moths, to wit, he often sends emails to Metzler from home, long after Metzler is in bed. David is the recipient of the U.S. National Park Service’s 2014 Director's Trish Patterson Student Conservation Association Award for Natural Resource Management in a Small Park. His efforts would not be possible without the support and encouragement of his lovely wife Andrea. Metzler takes great pleasure in naming this moth in honor of David and Andrea Bustos.

Distribution and biology. Chionodes bustosorum occurs in White Sands National Monument, Otero County, New Mexico ( Fig. 3 ). The immature stages and host plant are unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chionodes bustosorum adult male paratype (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURE 3. Chionodes bustosorum type locality and distribution map. 3 a, type locality; 3 b, Chionodes bustosorum is known from White Sands National Monument, Otero Co., New Mexico.