Megalota peruviana Brown, 2009

Brown, John W., 2009, The discovery of Megalota in the Neotropics, with a revision of the New World species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutini), Zootaxa 2279 (1), pp. 1-50 : 10-11

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2279.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5315416
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038E7928-FFC9-FF95-FDA8-E00FFBE5FD21
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Megalota peruviana Brown
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

3. Megalota peruviana Brown View in CoL , new species Figs. 3 View FIGURES 1–12 , 27 View FIGURES 25–27 , 51 View FIGURES 49–51

Diagnosis. Superficially, the forewing pattern and ground color of M. peruviana is much darker than that of A. submicans and A. synchysis , brown rather than tawny brown, pinkish brown, and creamy white of the latter two species. Male genitalia among the three species are similar, but those of M. peruviana can be distinguished by the presence of a small linear patch of spines subbasally on the basal process of the valva and a small flange at the apex of the slightly distally-flattened phallus. The female genitalia of M. peruviana lack the mesal lobe, instead having a somewhat tubular invagination, split mesally; the colliculum is extremely short and funnel-shaped, similar to that of M. aquilonaris .

Description. Head: Vertex pale beige, frons creamy white; labial palpus creamy white with patches of beige and brown. Thorax: Dorsum brown mixed with tawny brown and a few creamy white scales. Hind tibia in male with long, mostly appressed, creamy white sex scales, concealing hairpencil. Forewing length 6.5–7.5 mm (mean = 7.0); basal 0.33 pale brown with scattered creamy white and brown scales, with small blotches of darker brown forming ill-defined basal patch; middle 0.33 a dark, oblique median fascia with scattered rustorange scales, well defined and evenly curved along basal edge, weakly outlined by pale yellow-cream line, irregularly sinuate along outer edge; distal 0.33 mostly shiny gray brown, with dark oblique obovate patch from near mid-termen extending to distal end of discal cell, then abruptly angled toward dorsum. Fringe mostly dark brown, creamy white at tornus. Hindwing uniformly brown, anal margin in male with distinct fold. Fringe brown. Abdomen: Brown. Male genitalia ( Fig. 27 View FIGURES 25–27 ; 2 View FIGURES 1–12 preparations examined) with tegumen subrectangular, lateral sides evenly concave from dorsal base of valva to uncus; uncus cordate with broadly vshaped dorsal notch, each lobe densely spined; socius ill-defined, membranous; valva relatively symmetrical in shape, left valva with patch of elongate setae in basal half with setae ca. 0.65 as long as valva, right valva with sparse patch of much shorter setae; a strong, attenuate, incurved projection from valva ca. 0.65 distance from base to apex, densely clothed with long spiniform setae; basal process of valva about 4 times as long as wide, with linear patch of spines subbasally on inner surface, with blunt tip bearing 3 strong spines. Phallus slightly curved, somewhat flattened distally into lateral flange; cornuti absent. Female genitalia ( Fig. 51 View FIGURES 49–51 ; 1 View FIGURES 1–12 preparation examined) with papillae anales unmodified; sterigma a sclerotized plate with a pair of curved flanges submesally, creating a somewhat tubular mesal process split at middle; a pair of narrow sclerotized ridges extending laterad from mesal process; colliculum well sclerotized, funnel-shaped, occupying ca. 0.2 of ductus bursae, remainder of ductus bursae membranous; corpus bursae rounded-oblong; signum a short, weakly curved band with 5–8 short blunt spines of variable size.

Holotype. Male , Peru, Jurimaguas, Mar 1920, Parish ( USNM), USNM slide 124,891.

Paratypes (3♂, 6♀). PERU: Jurimaguas , Mar 1920 (3♂, 6♀), Parish ( BMNH) .

Distribution and Biology. This species is known only from the type locality of Jurimaguas, Peru. Nothing is known of the early stages.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the country of the type locality.