Ernassa cruenta ( Rothschild, 1909 )

Grados, Juan, 2024, Beyond appearances: the genus Ernassa Walker, 1856 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Phaegopterina) and the description of eight new species, Zootaxa 5493 (4), pp. 301-327 : 323-325

Ernassa cruenta ( Rothschild, 1909)

( Figs. 69–78 )

Diagnosis. Wings reddish, with a subproximal rounded white spot between M 2 and Cu 1. An oblique blackish line passing above the white spot and projecting towards the external margin. Tegumen with wide sides, with posterolateral pojections. Uncus rhomboid, posterior part rounded with a row of thick and rigid bristles; in lateral view, wide at its base, with a large concavity, followed by the narrow and elongated projection of pointed and hook-shaped end.

Material examinado. PERÚ. LORETO. 1 male, Qda. Rumiyacu, Campamento Dorado 5 , 01°48’09”S, 75°29’14”W, 230 m, 24.ii.2008, William Yawuarcani (GENITALIA # JGA-1240 , MUSM) ; 1 male, Picuroyacu, Rio Nanay , 03°39’S, 73°15’W, 100 m, 04.ii.2022, J. J. Ramirez (GENITALIA# JGA-1321 , MUSM) . UCAYALI. 1 male, Río Suaya , 8°56’54.13”S, 74°0’28.9”W, 230 m, 13–14.vii.2008, M. Alvarado ; 1 male, idem except (GENITALIA # JGA-1322 , MUSM) . MADRE DE DIOS. 1 male, 10 km E Sudadero , 12°21’57.32”S, 69°04’18.09”W, 221 m, 30.iii.2009, L. Figueroa ; 1 male, Albergue Refugio Amazonas , 12°52’30”S, 69°24’35”W, 231 m, 19.iii.2017, D. Couceiro ( MUSM ARCT-00592 , JGA COLLECTION)(Voucher DNA dataing Arct #00255 JGA-MUSM) ; 1 male, idem except, 01.vi.2018, J. D. Shoobridge (GENITALIA # JGA-1320 , MUSM)( MUSM ARCT-001223 JGA COLLECTION)(Voucher DNA barcoding Arct #00886 JGA-MUSM) ; 1 female, Albergue Refugio Amazonas, 12°52’30”S, 69°24’35”W, 231 m, 10.viii.2022, A. Yarasca & J. Grados. PUNO . 1 female, P.N. Bahuaja-Sonene, 4.5 km NO Qda. Aguajal, Río Tambopata , 13°23’31.8”S, 69°29’58.7”W, 335 m, 14.ix.2011, J. Grados, Razuri & E. Guillermo (GENITALIA # JGA-1311 , MUSM) . All deposited in the MUSM .

Male ( Figs. 69–70 ). Forewing span (9–10 mm) (n=7). A good description of the male external morphology is available in Hampson (1920). Male genitalia ( Figs. 73–76 ) (Genitalia # JGA- 1240). Tegumen with wide sides, with projections on the lateral parts of the posterior margin. Uncus rhomboid, pointed towards the anterior part, narrower than the posterior part of tegumen; posterior part rounded with a row of stiff, thick bristles; in lateral view, wide at its base, with a great concavity, continuing with the narrow, elongate projection which ends pointed and hook-shaped. Saccus short and concave in the central part. Valva. Lateral view, elongate, dorsal margin sinusoid; ventral margin convex; ventral process membranous, short, with setae at the proximal half; dorsal process slightly sclerotized, short and curved. Ventral view. Valvae wide, elongate, at the distal half oblique towards the dorsal processes, setae at the mesal margin. Juxta, sclerotized, elongate and convex. Transtilla, sclerotized, pentagonal. Aedegaus, elongate, almost straight; coecum penis developed; Vesica membranous and short.

Female ( Figs. 71–72 ). Forewing span (20 mm) (n=2). With the same traits as the male except for the short rami, less than the width of the flagellum and the absence of retinaculum. The white spot of the forewings, in subproximal position at M 2 -M 3, while in males, at M 2 -Cu 1. Three bristles at the frenulum. Female genitalia ( Figs. 77–78 ) (GENITALIA # JGA- 1311, MUSM). Eighth tergite slightly sclerotized. Papillae taller than wide, with a rectangular dilation at the medial part; with greater density of setae at the dorsal part. Glands elongate and narrow. Posterior processes longer than the anterior ones. Lamella antivaginalis and postvaginalis slightly sclerotized. Ductus bursae membranous, short and wide. Cervix bursae short and somewhat quadrangular. Corpus bursae membranous and globose. Ductus seminalis from the left side of the Cervix bursae.

Barcoding: The mitochondrial DNA sequence ( COI) of one specimeni is as follows (Voucher DNA barcoding, ARCT #255 JGA, MUSM) (GenBank: BankIt2839965 gnl|uoguelph| RFEWA 255-17.COI-5P PP911834) (See Table 1 ).

AACACTATATTTTATTTTTGGAATTTGAGCCGGAATATTAGGAACTTCTTTAAGATTATTAATTC GAGCTGAATTAGGAAATCCAGGATCCTTAATTGGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATACAATTGTTACC G C C C AT G C T T T TAT TATA AT T T T T T T TATA G T TATA C C A AT TATA AT T G G A G G AT T T G G TA AT T GATTAGTTCCTTTAATATTAGGAGCCCCAGATATAGCTTTCCCCCGAATAAACAATATAAGTTTTT GACTTTTACCCCCATCATTAACTTTATTAATTTCAAGAAGAATTGTTGAAAATGGGGCCGGAACAG GATGAACAGTTTATCCACCTTTATCATCTAATATTGCACATGGAGGAAGTTCAGTAGATTTAGC TATTTTCTCTTTACATTTAGCTGGAATTTCTTCAATTTTAGGAGCAATTAACTTTATTACTACAAT TATCAATATACGATTAAATAACTTATCATTTGATCAAATACCTTTATTTGTATGAGCAGTTGGAAT TACAGCTTTCCTATTATTACTTTCATTACCAGTATTAGCAGGAGCAATTACCATATTATTAACTGATC GAAATTTAAATACCTCATTTTTTGATCCTGCGGGAGGAGGAGATCCAATTCTTTATCAACATTTATTT

Distribution. In the Amazon forests of the departments of Loreto, Ucayali, Madre de Dios and Puno ( Peru).

Remarks. The species Automolis cruenta Rothschild, 1909 was described based on 4 male specimens, from Peru and Brazil: “La Union, R. Huacamayo, Carabaya, Peru 2000 ft., December 1904 (G. Ockenden)” and “Fonte Boa, Amazonas, May 1906 (S.M. Klages)”. Years later, Hampson (1920) considered the species in the same genus. More than 60 years later, Watson & Goodger (1986) formally considered the species Automolis cruenta as Ernassa . It is almost certain that the wing color pattern, very similar to the other species of the Ernassa genus, must have been considered for the incorporation of the species within the genus.

According to our analysis of the external morphological characters, wing color pattern, male genitalia characters, and molecular barcoding data, the hypothesis we propose is the polyphylia of the genus. That is, Automolis cruenta would not have a common origin with the other species of the genus Ernassa . The morphological differences between the genus Ernassa and the species Automolis cruenta are the following: Ernassa presents the subproximal whitish spot at M 2 -M 3 of the forewings; the blackish spot that passes over the white spot, when present, projects over the M 2 vein; tegumen with narrow sides; with sclerotized processes at the dorsal and anterior part of the uncus, with long setae present; dorsal valvar process sclerotized; aedeagus sinuosid. Whereas A. cruenta presents the subproximal whitish spot at M 2 -Cu 1; the blackish spot passing over the white spot, projects up to middle of M 2 and another part projecting obliquely towards M 3; tegumen with wide sides; uncus without sclerotized processes, rhomboid, pointed towards the anterior side, posterior part rounded with a row of rigid, thick bristles; dorsal valvar process slightly sclerotized; aedeagus straight.

Figures

FIGURES 69–72. “Ernassa cruenta” Rothschild. 69–70. Male.Albergue Refugio Amazonas. 69. Dorsal view. 70. Ventral view. 71–72. Female. P.N. Bahuaja-Sonene. 71. Dorsal view. 72. Ventral view. Scales=5 mm.

FIGURES 73–76. Genitalia of “Ernassa cruenta” Rothschild. Male (Genitalia # JGA-1239, MUSM). 73. Dorsal view. 74. Ventral view. 75. Lateral view. 76. Aedeagus. Scales= 1 mm.

FIGURES 77–78. Genitalia of “Ernassa cruenta” Rothschild. Female (Genitalia # JGA-1311, MUSM). 77. Dorsal view. 78. Ventral view. Scales= 1 mm.