Argyria centrifugens Dyar, 1914

Landry, Bernard, Bilat, Julia, Hayden, James, Solis, M. Alma, Lees, David C., Alvarez, Nadir, Leger, Theo & Gauthier, Jeremy, 2023, The identity of Argyria lacteella (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea, Crambinae), synonyms, and related species revealed by morphology and DNA capture in type specimens, ZooKeys 1146, pp. 1-42 : 1

Argyria centrifugens Dyar, 1914

Figs 10 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 26 , 32 , 35

Argyria centrifugens Dyar, 1914: 318. Type locality: Panama, Canal Zone, Paraiso. Błeszyński and Collins 1962: 212; Błeszyński 1967: 96; Munroe 1995: 35; Miller et al. 2012: 11; Landry et al. 2020: 101, fig. 6A.

Type material examined.

Holotype ♂ (Figs 10 , 21 , 22 ), with label data as follows: 1- "ParaisoC[anal]Z[one] | Pan[ama]. Febr[uary].10.[19]11 | AugustBusck", 2- "Type | No.16318 | U.S.N.M.", 3- "Platytes | centrifugens| Type Dyar", 4- "♂ genitalia | slide, 29Apr[il].[19]'32| C[arl].H[einrich]. #28", 5- "Genitalia Slide | By 107,465 | USNM"; deposited in the NMNH.

Other specimens examined.

87 specimens (see Suppl. material 2).

Morphological diagnosis.

Argyria centrifugens (Fig. 10 ) is very similar in wing markings to A. lacteella (Fig. 11 ), with which it can occur in sympatry in Central and South America, although the median line is always thin and not more pronounced in the middle or wide as in some South American specimens of A. lacteella (Fig. 7 ). It is also a bigger species, sporting a wingspan of 16 (male holotype) -17 mm in males and 16-19 mm in females, compared to 9.5-12.0 mm in males and 11.0-14.0 mm in females of A. lacteella . Apart from size these two species differ in the colouration of their labial palpi as those of A. lacteella (Fig. 29 ) and A. gonogramma (Fig. 30 ) are pale greyish brown and yellowish gold with the apex satiny white whereas those of Argyria centrifugens (Fig. 32 ) are mostly dark brown with paler scales on the first palpomere but with the third palpomere dark brown to slightly paler brown. Both species are also very different in genitalia. The male genitalia of A. centrifugens (Figs 21 - 23 ) differ most notably in the three-pronged gnathos, the wider valva with a widely rounded apex and without a short hook-like projection at base but with a large membranous structure sporting a thin and pointed rod about half as long as the valva, directed toward the base of the valva and apparently articulated. The entire female genitalia are about twice as long in A. centrifugens (Fig. 26 ) than in A. lacteella (Fig. 24 ), the ostium is surrounded by a broad chamber with sclerotised wrinkles on the ventral wall, and the ductus bursae at the base is a medium-sized, thickly sclerotised tube in A. centrifugens whereas in A. lacteella the antrum consists of two lateral pockets of medium size and the base of the ductus bursae is a lightly sclerotised and corrugated round pocket.

Molecular results.

Phylogenetic inference reveals that the species A. gonogramma constitutes a distinct lineage separate from the species A. insons . The three species delimitation methods identified this species but also identified a subcluster separating the sample BLDNA141. This specimen originates from Colombia while all the other specimens come from Costa Rica. The observed genetic divergence is certainly related to a geographical divergence. A genetic study including samples from more distant localities such as Brazil would better characterise the genetic variability of this species.

Distribution.

Central and South America, from Honduras to Colombia and Brazil. Records from the central west coast of Florida are possibly recent introductions (Fig. 35 ).

Remarks.

The species was described from a specimen labelled “Type” of an unspecified sex and two other specimens, "Also two others, Cabima, May, 1911 (Busck)." ( Dyar 1914). This “Type” is here considered the holotype. There is some variation observed in the male genitalia, especially noticeably in the length of the median process of the gnathos and in the length of the thin pointed rod at the base of the valva.

One female specimen identifiable as A. centrifugens was collected in Florida (Largo, Pinellas County), 1 Feb. 1995, by J.-G. Filiatrault, deposited in the FSCA (MGCL #1112910). It differs from typical specimens in that the labial palpi are mostly yellowish brown with a few dark brown scales on the first and second palpomeres. However, the maculation is otherwise typical, and the genitalia have the same rugose circumostial chamber as described above.

Figures

Figure 7. Holotype of Argyria lacteella synonym. Argyria pusillalis variety Argyria multifacta Dyar, 1914 (NMNH; wingspan: 12 mm).

Figure 10. Habitus of Argyria type specimen (in NMNH) with labels underneath; holotype of Argyria centrifugens Dyar, 1914 (wingspan: 16 mm).

Figure 11. Habitus of additional Argyria specimen. Argyria lacteella (Florida, Putnam Co., FSCA). Scale bar: 2.5 mm.

Figure 21. Male genitalia of Argyria centrifugens (NMNH) holotype.

Figure 22. Male genitalia of Argyria centrifugens holotype (NMNH); drawing without pheromone scales.

Figure 23. Male genitalia of Argyria centrifugens (NMNH). Phallus in lateral view (Nicaragua, Selva Negra Ecolodge, MHNG-ENTO- 13299). Scale bar: 250 µm.

Figure 35. Distributions of A. centrifugens Dyar (yellow) and A. diplomochalis Dyar (pink).

Figures 24 - 26. Female genitalia of Argyria species 24 Argyria lacteella (holotype of A. abronalis, with spermatophore inside corpus bursae; OUMNH) 25 A. diplomochalis (Anguilla Island, BL 1889, CMNH) 26 A. centrifugens (Colombia, Amazonas, Leticia, MHNG-ENTO- 97427). Scale bars: 250 µm (24), 500 µm (25, 26).

Figures 29 - 32. Heads of Argyria specimens 29 A. lacteella (USA, Florida, Pinellas Co.) 30 A. gonogramma (USA, Florida, Levy Co.) 31 A. diplomochalis (US Virgin Islands, St Croix) 32 A. centrifugens (Colombia, Amazonas, Leticia). All in MHNG. Scale bars: 250 µm (29 - 31), 500 µm (32).