Cicinnus litoralis St Laurent & Becker, 2020

St Laurent, Ryan A. & Becker, Vitor O., 2020, A new species of Cicinnus Blanchard (Lepidoptera, Mimallonidae, Cicinninae) from the mangrove ecoregions of Brazil, Zootaxa 4786 (3), pp. 425-430 : 426-428

Cicinnus litoralis St Laurent & Becker , sp. n.

( Figs 1–3 , 5 )

Type material: HOLOTYPE ♂. BRAZIL: [circular red label reading:] Holo-typus / BRASIL, PA, Salinopolis [Salinópolis], 5m i.1984, V. O.Becker / Col. BECKER 48507/ Comp. c/ Col. USNM 1992 V. O.Becker / Genitália 2019 / HOLOTYPE ♂ Cicinnus litoralis St Laurent & Becker, 2020 [red label]/ ( VOB) .

Paratypes (4 ♂ total): 3 ♂, data as for holotype ( VOB). BRAZIL: Maranhão : 1 ♂, Tutaya [Tutóia] “ E. Brazil ”, A. M. Moss ( NHMUK) . Paratypes with the following yellow label: PARATYPE ♂ Cicinnus litoralis St Laurent & Becker, 2020 .

Diagnosis. Maculation and wing shape of Cicinnus litoralis ( Figs 1–3 ) are typical of those of other members of Cicinnus (as recently defined genetically and morphologically in St Laurent et al. 2020a). Most congeners are heavily maculated ( Fig. 4 ), with various spots and splotches over the wings and with well-defined postmedial lines, but C. litoralis is unique in being largely devoid of markings except for a well-defined gray-brown discal spot on the forewing (which is slightly fainter on the hindwing), prominent antemedial lines, and extremely faint postmedial lines. The ground color of C. litoralis is also unique in the genus, ranging from pinkish brown to pinkish yellow. The male genitalia (female unknown) are typical of Cicinnus ( Fig. 5 ), with immensely complex genitalia that are largely homogenous interspecifically across the genus. Compared to the type species, C. orthane , C. litoralis lacks the curled, fingerlike projections emanating from the complex juxtal ornamentation (see Fig. 6 , arrow). Whereas these projections are present on the juxta of other Cicinnus , such as in C. solvens ( Dyar, 1914) and C. melgibsoni ( Herbin & Monzón, 2015) , they are absent in many North and Central American Cicinnus (see for example St Laurent et al. 2020b). Cicinnus litoralis also has a shorter, blunter uncus and more rounded, rather than rectangular, valvae compared to C. orthane . No other Mimallonidae are known from either locality where C. litoralis was collected.

Description. Male. Head: Vertex and frons khaki brown to red-brown, antenna with scales of flagellum concolorous with those of head, antenna bipectinate with pectinations becoming abruptly shorter at about two-thirds length of antenna; labial palpus with terminal segment reaching margin of frons. Thorax: Coloration uniform, ranging from light to dark khaki, vestiture dense. Legs: Coloration as for thorax, vestiture thick, long. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 15–18 mm, wingspan: 35–40 mm, (n = 4). Triangular, concave below acute, falcate apex, slightly convex mesally. Antemedial and medial ground color largely uniform in color, ranging from light yellow-khaki to deep pinkish brown with pink hue most noticeable antemedially and costally in the most well-preserved specimens, submarginal area may be slightly darker due to underlying deeper brown suffusion. Antemedial line present as faint to well-defined brown sinuate line; faint, straight, dark brown postmedial line almost entirely absent, angled abruptly toward costa where dark brown patch is present along costa, similar dark brown patch present apically filling space between Rs 2 and Rs 3. Discal mark a well-defined dark brown ovoid patch of scales along outer margin of cell. Forewing ventrum: Similar to forewing dorsum, but maculation generally more suffused with deep brown, antemedial line absent, postmedial line as faint but convex. Hindwing dorsum: Following similar patterning to forewing dorsum, but antemedial and postmedial lines absent, discal spot faint, anal angle darker redder-brown than remainder of wings. Hindwing ventrum: Following same pattern as forewing ventrum. Abdomen: Stout, extending beyond anal hindwing margin, coloration and vestiture as for thorax. Genitalia: ( Fig. 5 ) (n = 1). Vinculum somewhat rectangular in shape, ventrally extending outward as V-shaped projection with flattened sclerotized plates extended outward on either side (naturally held upright against base of genitalia). Uncus subtriangular, membranous laterally. Gnathos a narrow sclerotized strip swooping downward into central region of genitalia, originating from uncus-vinculum convergence, gnathos arms fused mesally, extended outward as pair of fingerlike projections. Valvae mostly membranous, with thickest sclerotized component centrally and basally such that sclerotized band spans width of rounded, membranous outer valva region. Juxta complex, fused to phallus, extending laterally above phallus on either side with splayed lateral projections with mesal folds. Phallus cylindrical with simple bag-like vesica about one-third length of phallus. Female. Unknown.

Etymology. Cicinnus litoralis is named for its collecting localities, which are on the Atlantic coast of Brazil, from the Latin litoralis , meaning of the seashore.

Distribution. This new species is known from only two locations, one each in the Brazilian states of Pará and Maranhão ( Fig. 7 ). Both locations are within Brazilian mangrove ecoregions as they are both near the Atlantic coast and are essentially at sea level.

Biology. The life history is unknown, and although mangroves are the dominant plant in the ecoregions where C. litoralis is found, the larva is not necessarily expected to feed on them, though the lack of any records of C. litoralis inland is noteworthy. The three specimens from Pará were indeed collected at the edge of mangrove habitat. We are aware of an unidentified Cicinnus (based on larval case structure, voucher: 97-SRNP-13) feeding on Conocarpus erectus Linnaeus (Combretaceae) in a mangrove ecosystem in Costa Rica ( Janzen & Hallwachs 2017. This same mangrove species is a common component in the habitats where C. litoralis is found, so this plant would be worth further investigating in future work in order to learn more about the life history of C. litoralis ( Menezes et al. 2008) .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Map of collecting localities for Cicinnus litoralis.

FIGURES 1–4. Cicinnus adult male specimens, a = dorsal, b = ventral. 1. C. litoralis holotype, Brazil, Pará, Salinópolis, 5 m (VOB). 2. C. litoralis paratype, data as for Fig. 1 (VOB). 3. C. litoralis paratype, data as for Fig 1. (VOB). 4. C. orthane, Brazil, Goiás, Formosa, 800 m (VOB). Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 5, 6. Cicinnus male genitalia, slide mounted, a = ventral with phallus excised, b = phallus. 5. C. litoralis holotype, Brazil, Pará, Salinópolis, 5 m, VOB genitalia preparation 2019 (VOB). 6. C. orthane Brazil, Goiás, Formosa, 800 m, VOB genitalia preparation 2054 (VOB).Arrow indicates fingerlike projection of juxtal structure present in C. orthane and some other Cicinnus, but not C. litoralis. Note that vinculum extension is folded upward in its natural position in Fig. 5a, but pulled downward in Fig. 6a. Scale bar approximately 1 mm.