Neotherina imperilla (Dognin, 1911)

Sullivan, J. Bolling & Chacon, Isidro, 2011, The genus Neotherina Dognin (Geometridae, Ennominae) in Costa Rica, ZooKeys 149, pp. 39-49 : 41

Neotherina imperilla (Dognin, 1911) Figure 1

Remarks.

Two specimens in the INBio collections were identified as Neotherina imperilla by Linda Pitkin during her work on the Ennominae of Costa Rica ( Pitkin et al. 1996). Superficially they resemble the type (USNM) except that the type is quite faded. The species looks very much like those currently placed in the genus Lambdina . The ground color is orange brown with distinct medial and postmedial lines crossing the forewings. The scaling on the head, thorax and abdomen is orange with the region between the antennal bases and collar being brighter in color. There is no dorsal tuft on the metathorax. Notable characters include the male bipectinate antennae and small orange spots distal of the junction of the postmedial line and the anal edge of the forewing and proximal to the medial line and anal edge of both wings. There is a very small extension at vein M3 of both wings. The genitalia of a male from the INBio collection (Fig. 1b, c) closely resembles that of the male figured in Pitkin (2002) but there appear to be slight differences in the shape of the uncus and perhaps in the structures of the vesica (not everted in Pitkin (2002). The female genitalia (Fig. 1e) are figured for the first time but there is no female from the type locality at the USNM for comparison. Since few geometrid species are shared between the Costa Rican and South American fauna (Janzen, Brehm and Sullivan, unpubl. data), the taxonomic status of Costa Rican Neotherina imperilla should be re-evaluated when more study material becomes available.

Diagnosis.

The wing pattern of Neotherina imperilla is similar to many species in Lambdina , Nephodia , and unplaced species that occur at similar altitudes. It may be distinguished by the rounded apex and orange-brown color of the forewings. Similar (probably undescribed) species have a more pointed apex and the ground color is reddish or purplish.

Distribution and biology.

Nothing is known about the life history of this species. It has been collected on the western slope of the Cordillera Volcánica de Guanacaste, the western slope of the Cordillera de Tilaran, both western and eastern slopes of the Cordillera Volcánica Central and both slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca and the Fila Costeña. Most specimens at INBio (44) come from 1100-1700 m on the western slopes but this may reflect the absence of collecting access to eastern slopes above 900 m.