Mutipialus monticolus, Mielke & Grehan & Koike, 2021

Mielke, Carlos G. C., Grehan, John R. & Koike, Ricardo M., 2021, Descriptions of two new genera and six new species of ghost-moths (Lepidoptera Hepialoidea: Hepialidae) from south-eastern and southern Brazil, Zootaxa 5020 (3), pp. 561-580 : 569-576

Mutipialus monticolus sp. n.

( Figs 13–15 , 17 , 35 , 39, 42, 46 , 50 , 55, 57 )

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( Figs 13a–b ): BRAZIL – São Paulo (SP), Campos do Jordão, Lavrinhas , 1898 m, 2.I.1999 (30), R. Koike leg., W 45°25’39’’ S 22° 43’10’’ / 43.527 Col. C. Mielke / HOLOTYPUS, Mutipialus monticolus C. Mielke, Grehan & Koike, 2021 / ( DZUP) .

Paratypes (1 ♂, 1 ♀). BRAZIL. Same locality and collector as the holotype: 1♀, 23–24.I.1998 ( CGCM 35.737 ( CGCM)); 1 ♂, 27–28.XII.1997 ( CGCM 29.697 ( CGCM)) .

Diagnosis. Readily distinguished from congeneric species by i) ♂ forewing ground colour dark brown with a light brown stripe on the CuA dorsally ( Fig. 14a ), (ii) ♂ sternite VII bilobed posteriorly ( Fig. 46 ), iii) posterior margin of the ventral wall of the saccus mesally projected posteriorly ( Fig. 50b ), iv) tergal lobe and pseudotegumen less projected posteriorly, v) ventro-posterior projection of the pseudotegumen tapered, not digitiform, vi) fultura superior not as deeply concave, vii) valva curved and subrectangular, and viii) the longer ductus bursae and corpus bursae (one and a half times to that of M. dilatus sp. n.) ( Fig. 57 ).

Description. Male ( Figs 14 , 39, 42, 46 , 50 ).

Head. Antenna with 32 antennomeres. Mesal and distal labial palpomere twice as long as basal palpomere.

Thorax. Forewing length: 13 mm, wingspan: 27 mm. Wing ornamentation as shown in Figs 14 .

Genitalia ( Fig. 50 ). Tegumen oblique, rectangular, slightly curved, and strongly differentiated, by sclerotisation, from pseudotegumen. Saccus U-shaped, posterior arms slightly projected ventrally, ventro-posterior margin projected as a shelf. Tergal lobes and pseudotegumen forming a robust and irregular shaped structure; dorso-posteriorly each side extending posteriorly and connected mesally by robust membrane, both sides ventrally projected, with expanded posterior edges and bifid anteriorly; a finely fused ridge emerges from the digitiform antero-dorsal projection and expands posteriorly as a shelf on each side. Fultura inferior trapezoidal. Fultura superior subsquare, slightly concave (in ventral view). Valva subrectangular, curved with slightly lobate costa.

Female ( Figs 13, 15 , 17 , 35 , 55, 57 ).

Head. Antenna with 34 antennomeres. Mesal and distal labial palpomere respectively three and two times the length of the basal palpomere ( Fig. 17 ).

Thorax. Forewing length: 18–20 mm, wingspan: 39–42 mm. Wing ornamentation as shown in Fig 13, 15 .

Genitalia ( Figs 55, 57 ). Dorsal plates rectangular narrowing dorsally, fused dorsally to form narrow arc in posterior view. Lamella antevaginalis U-shaped, dorso-ventrally narrow, mesally setose and slightly projected medially (arrowed in Fig. 55a ). Subanal sclerites lightly sclerotised, subrectangular, oblique. Corpus bursae two and a half times longer than ductus bursae and wider at junction with ductus bursae.

Geographical distribution. Only known from the type locality at higher elevations (1900 m) in the Mantiqueira Mountains of eastern São Paulo state ( Figs 58 , 60 ) .

Host plants. Unknown.

Etymology. The proposed specific name alludes to the high altitude where this species occurs. It is treated as an adjective in the nominative singular.

Figures

FIGURE 58. Distribution of Agripialus gen. n. spp. and Mutipialus gen. n. spp. within southern southeastern and southern Brazil and records of Agripialus gen. n. in Argentina (see remarks at the description of the genus).

FIGURES 13−15. Mutipialus monticolus sp. n. Adults. 13, HT ♀: dorsal view (13a), ventral view (13b) (DZUP). 14, PT ♂ (CGCM 29.697): dorsal view (14a), ventral view (14b) (CGCM). 15, PT ♀ (CGCM 35.737): dorsal view (15a), ventral view (15b) (CGCM).

FIGURES 16−24. Transverse scales and legs. Figs 16–19. Transverse scales (arrowed). 16, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n. PT ♂ (CGCM 23.689). 17, M. monticolus sp. n., HT ♀. 18, Parapielus luteicornis ♂ (CGCM 28.544, Argentina, Rio Grande; CGCM). 19, Hepialiscus htayaungi ♂ (CGCM 33.586, Myanmar; CGCM). Figs 20–24. Legs. 20, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT ♀ (CGCM 31.875). 21, A. variabilis sp. n., HT ♀. 22, A. itatiaia sp. n., HT ♂. 23, A. caparao sp. n., HT ♂. 24, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., PT ♂ (CGCM 27.435).

FIGURES 31−35. Female abdomen (upper side, tergites; lower side, sternites). 31, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT (CGCM 31.875). 32, A. variabilis sp. n., HT. 33, A. itatiaia sp. n., PT (CGCM 25.532). 34, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801). 35, M. monticolus sp. n., HT.

FIGURES 36−46. Abdomen. Figs 36–39. Female segments VI (lower)–VIII (upper). 36, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT (CGCM 31.875); arrows pointing to the sclerotised sternites VII and VIII. 37, A. variabilis sp. n., HT. 38, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801). 39, M. monticolus sp. n., HT; arrow pointing to the membranous sternite VIII. Figs 40–42. Male abdomen (upper side, tergites; lower side, sternites). 40, Agripialus caparao sp. n., HT. 41, M. dilatus sp. n., PT (CGCM 27.435). 42, M. monticolus sp. n., PT (CGCM 29.697). Figs 43–46. Male segments VII (lower)–VIII (upper). 43, Agripialus itatiaia sp. n., HT; arrows pointing to the two plates of the sternite VII. 44, A. caparao sp. n., HT; arrows pointing to the two plates of the sternite VII. 45, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., PT (CGCM 27.435); arrow pointing to the sternite VIII. 46, M. monticolus sp. n., PT (CGCM 29.697); arrow pointing to the sternite VIII.

FIGURES 47−50. Male genitalia. 47, Agripialus itatiaia sp. n., HT: ventral (47a), dorsal (internal; 47b); arrows pointing to the posterior sclerotisation of the tergal lobe and pseudotegumen and the notch in the posterior margin of the saccus. 48, A. caparao sp. n., HT: ventral (48a), dorsal (internal; 48b); arrow pointing to the notch in the posterior margin of the saccus. 49, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., PT (CGCM 27.435): lateral (49a), ventral (49b), dorsal (internal; 49c); arrow pointing to the entrance of the pocket-like saccus. 50, M. monticolus sp. n., PT (CGCM 29.697): lateral (50a), ventral (50b), dorsal (internal; 50c); arrow pointing to the entrance of the pocket-like caecum.

FIGURES 51−57. Female genitalia. 51, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT: posterior view and ductus and corpus bursae; arrow pointing to W-shaped lamella antevaginalis. 52, A. variabilis sp. n., HT: posterior view and ductus and corpus bursae. 53, A. itatiaia sp. n., PT (CGCM 25.532): posterior view and ductus and corpus bursae. 54, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801): posterior (54a), lateral (54b); arrow pointing to slight mesal projection of the lamella antevaginalis. 55, M. monticolus sp. n., HT: posterior (55a), lateral (55b); arrow pointing to slight mesal projection of the lamella antevaginalis. 56, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801): ductus and corpus bursae. 57, M. monticolus sp. n., HT: ductus and corpus bursae.

FIGURES 59−62. Habitats in Brazil. 59, Caparaó National Park, 2200 m, Espera Feliz, Minas Gerais (Agripialus caparao sp. n.). 60, Lavrinhas, 1900 m, Campos do Jordão, São Paulo (A. campos sp. n., Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., and M. monticolus sp. n.). 61, Itatiaia National Park, 2400 m, Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro (A. itatiaia sp. n.). 62, São Joaquim National Park, 1600 m, Urubici, Santa Catarina (A. variabilis sp. n.).