Biocellata, Davis & Gentili-Poole & Mitter, 2008

Davis, Steve R., Gentili-Poole, Patricia & Mitter, Charles, 2008, A revision of the Cossulinae of Costa Rica and cladistic analysis of the world species (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 154 (2), pp. 222-277 : 236-237

BIOCELLATA GEN. NOV.

Type species: Hemipecten alfarae Schaus, 1911 (by present designation).

Description

Male: Forewing length: 14–19 mm.

Female: Forewing length: 17–21 mm.

Head: Antenna asymmetrical, with inner serrate pecten reduced in size ( Fig. 4 ); scales on antennal shaft mostly cream, with some pale brown; labial

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF BIOCELLATA IN COSTA RICA

1a. Posterior subterminal spot on forewing not elongate and similar to anterior subterminal spot ( Figs 22, 23 ).....2

1b. Posterior subterminal spot on forewing elongate, ~2¥ the length of anterior spot; male genitalia with gnathos broad and subquadrate; aedoeagus with a single row of large, sclerotized, longitudinal cornuti, approximately along the midline of vesica ( Figs 20, 21 , 53, 54 )............................................................................. alfarae

2a. Male genitalia with valva sinuous terminally and short, with uncus protruding beyond valva; saccular process produced into a sclerotized ridge ( Figs 23 , 57 )............................................................. davisorum sp. nov.

2b. Male genitalia with terminal end of valva triangular, with uncus protruding equally as far as valva or only slightly further beyond valva; saccular process with ridge formed by a series of sclerotized protuberances ( Figs 22 , 55 ) ............................................................................................................................. bifida sp. nov.

palpus cream to light brown ventrally, and mostly light to dark brown dorsally; frons cream to pale brown and often irrorated with brown; vertex same as frons.

Thorax: Forewing typically with two sub-terminal spots, but sometimes with the posterior spot faint; many transverse striae along entire wing that most often extend across entire width of wing. R 2 of forewing always separate from R 3 or R 3+4; R 3 of forewing often separate from R 4, sometimes fused and forked; R 4 of forewing or R 3+4 always separate from R 5.

Abdomen: From cream and light brown to brown dorsally and ventrally.

Male genitalia: Valva small, subtrapezoidal to subquadrate and truncate, to slightly slender and elongate with terminus triangular. Saccular process produced into a heavily sclerotized region with rugosities or a ridge; base of costa with basal lobe pronounced and projecting at an angle. Uncus strongly bifurcate; often elongate and fairly broad ( Figs 53, 55, 57 , 89–91 ), protruding to beyond or the end of the valvae; setae sparsely scattered along uncus. Invagination between tergite 9 of genital capsule and uncus crescent-shaped and ascending dorsally. Gnathos wide and quadrate to slender; arms protruding beyond bridge to various degrees, protruding little and visible as small, broad lobes, to protruding much more, slightly upcurved, and appearing bifurcate; arms not recurving into tergite 9. Anal tube mostly membranous. Paired processes of juxta typically elongate, digitiform, free from valva and only lightly sclerotized, occasionally membranous and reduced. Aedoeagus with dorsal crest absent; coecum often absent, but can be present and reduced in size; rostellum with apex beak-like and downcurved; vesica with spines often absent, but when present, spines large and heavily sclerotized.

Female genitalia: Sternite 8 broad, large and shieldlike, with a broadly curved posterior margin. Intersegmental membrane between abdominal segments 7 and 8 smooth, sclerotized, fused with segment 8 and forming two lobes projecting outward from ostium. Antrum of ductus bursae laterally compressed, sclerotized and wide; terminal half of ductus membranous; entire ductus short in length. Corpus bursae typically small and spherical to elongate ( Figs 107 , 129 ).

Etymology: Derived from the Latin ‘bi’ meaning ‘two’ and ‘ocellatus’ meaning ‘having little eyes’. Biocellata thus refers to the presence of the two subterminal spots on the forewing of both sexes in all of the species.

Discussion: The forewing pattern of Biocellata easily distinguishes it from all other Cossulinae . Typically two fuscous to dark rusty-brown spots are located terminally on the wing, although one spot occasionally may be absent. Also characteristic are the presence of steely-grey to brownish-grey transverse striae.

The male genitalia in this group are often quite divergent between species, with distinct structures frequently evolved on the aedoeagus or valvae. The sacculus is normally sclerotized with rugosities or strong ridges present, but lacks a saccular process. The valvae are usually small, but are slightly enlarged with broadly rounded apices in a few species. The uncus is consistently strongly bifid, and the aedoeagus typically possesses a characteristic rostellum with a beak-like, downcurved apex. The female genitalia are characterized by the short and flattened antrum of the ductus bursae.

Figures

Figures 4–11. Morphology. Representative antennae of the Cossulinae: 4, Biocellata alfarae; 5, Spinulata acutipennis; 6, unidentified species of Simplicivalva; 7, Magulacra niveogrisea; 8, unidentified species of Cossula. Cossulinae wing venation: 9, Cossula magnifica, fore and hindwing. Cossulinae legs: 10, Cossula arpi, fore, mid and hind leg. Representative Cossulinae wing patterns and terminology: 11, Cossula gaudeator. Scale bar = 10.0 mm.

Figures 20–31. Adults: 20, male, Biocellata alfarae; 21, female, Biocellata alfarae; 22, male, Biocellata bifida; 23, male, Biocellata davisorum; 24, male, Spinulata acutipennis; 25, female, Spinulata acutipennis; 26, male, Spinulata manes; 27, female, Spinulata manes; 28, male, Spinulata oblongata; 29, male, Spinulata quasivinnea; 30, female, Spinulata quasivinnea; 31, male, Simplicivalva ampliophilobia. Scale bar = 10.0 mm.

Figures 53–64. Male genitalia. Biocellata alfarae: 53, genital capsule; 54, aedoeagus. Biocellata bifida: 55, genital capsule; 56, aedoeagus. Biocellata davisorum: 57, genital capsule; 58, aedoeagus. Spinulata acutipennis: 59, genital capsule; 60, aedoeagus. Spinulata manes: 61, genital capsule; 62, aedoeagus. Spinulata oblongata: 63, genital capsule; 64, aedoeagus.

Figures 89–94. Male genitalia, lateral view of genital capsule: 89, Biocellata alfarae; 90, Biocellata bifida; 91, Biocellata davisorum; 92, Spinulata acutipennis; 93, Spinulata manes; 94, Spinulata oblongata. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figures 107–112. Female genitalia and enlargement of ostium and sternite 8: Biocellata alfarae: 107, genitalia; 108, enlargement. Spinulata acutipennis: 109, genitalia; 110, enlargement. Spinulata manes: 111, genitalia; 112, enlargement.

Figures 125–130. Female genitalia and enlargement of ostium and sternite 8: Cossula gaudeator: 125, genitalia; 126, enlargement. Cossula minutiloba: 127, genitalia; 128, enlargement. unidentified female 1: 129, genitalia; 130, enlargement.