Stamnodes fuego sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 02C87385-7562-42ED-9622-59B53B323687

Figs 8, 47, 65, 78, 94–95

Diagnosis

So far as known, this species, with its dark orange-red ground colour and mostly charcoal hindwings, cannot be confused with others. Unpublished preliminary phylogenetic analyses (Matson & Wagner in prep.) show a close relationship with Stamnodes favilla sp. nov.; however, the dark orange-red ground colour immediately sets this species apart from the latter, as well as from S. carota sp. nov. and S. clara sp. nov. – two other species that also appear to be closely related.

Etymology

The specific epithet fuego, meaning ‘fire’ in Spanish, was inspired by the orange-red ground colour and charcoal-coloured patches that adorn the wings. The name is a noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype

MEXICO • ♂; Sonora, Municipio de Bacadehuachi, Rincón de Guadalupe, 14.9 km (air) ENE of Bacadehuachi, Arroyo Campo Los Padres (Río Riito drainage), Sierra de Bacadehuachi; 29°50′53″ N, 108°59′39″ W; elev. 1814 m; 2 Sep. 2011; J. Palting leg.; genetic voucher: TAM0075; BOLD Process ID: WAGL2449-20; GenBank: OP898448; USNMENT01771229.

Paratypes (13 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀)

MEXICO – Chihuahua • 1 ♂; 3 mi. south of Témoris; [27.23° N, 108.27° W]; 28 Aug. 1969; T.A. Sears, R.C. Gardner, C.S. Glaser leg.; AMNH _ IZC 00352927 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; elev. 4700 ft; 2 Sep. 1969; AMNH _ IZC 00352929 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 18 Aug. 1969; genitalia: TAM-2020-024 (USNM 154201); USNM01771231 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; genitalia: TAM-2020-025 (USNM 154200); USNM01771230 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 16 Aug. 1969; USNM01771234 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 1 Aug. 1969; genitalia: TAM-2020-027 (USNM 154202); USNM01771232 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 2 Sep. 1969; USNM01771233 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; CNIN • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; BMEC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 2 Aug. 1969; BMEC • 1 ♂; 4 mi. SW of Témoris; [27.23° N, 108.32° W]; 7 Sep. 1969; T.A. Sears, R.C. Gardner, C.S. Glaser leg.; AMNH _ IZC 00352928 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; elev. 4700 ft; 28 Aug. 1968; USNM01771239 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 22 Aug. 1968; BMEC • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 1969; BMEC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 22 Aug. 1968; BMEC .

Description

Male

FOREWING LENGTH. 15–17 mm (n = 14).

HEAD. Antenna filiform, fuscous. Vertex mostly pink; frons white at ventral margin, white and pink at dorsal margin, and broadly fuscous between. Labial palpus short, slightly porrect, subequal to diameter of eye, fuscous medially and white at apex and base.

THORAX. Patagium mostly pink; tegula fuscous. Mesothorax fuscous above, white beneath. Legs banded with fuscous and white; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well developed.

FOREWING. Deep orange-red; costa charcoal, with three, small white patches. Apical area charcoal, rarely with small patch of ground colour. Underside concolourous with forewing except for wavy white patch bordered by red within charcoal apical area; white costal markings more pronounced. Fringe checkered.

HINDWING. Mostly charcoal, but strongly blotched with orange-red in medial and costal areas. Underside also mostly charcoal, but with bright white reticulate patches outlined in red (see Fig. 8b), and veins faintly outlined with white. Fringe checkered.

ABDOMEN. Charcoal to fuscous above, paler below, and with subtle banding from pale scales at posterior of segments.

GENITALIA (Fig. 47). Uncus long, slender, and tapering. Subscaphium well developed. Juxta large, nearly as wide as vinculum, and U-shaped with posterolateral, long, curved, acuminate-conical processes (processes may be more curved and acuminate than in S. favilla sp. nov.). Inner face of valva with two hair tufts: smaller tuft arising basally from digitate tubercle; second, larger, more laterally widened tuft residing in slight depression and extending to subapical area of valva. Costal sclerite terminating just short of apex. Vesica with eight or more clustered cornuti of varying size, smallest cornutus about one-third length of largest.

Female

Outwardly undifferentiated from male.

FOREWING LENGTH. 17–19 mm (n = 3).

GENITALIA (Fig. 65). Anterior apophysis two-thirds length of posterior apophysis. Ductus bursae short and narrow with prominent sclerite flattened on ventral surface and dorsolaterally rolled toward median; longer than that of most congeners. Corpus bursae ovoid, laterally sclerotized near posterior base, and with circular and depressed signum bearing numerous minute papillae; signum situated at anterior of corpus bursae.

Distribution (Fig. 78)

Mexico: Stamnodes fuego sp. nov. is known from the northeastern Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests. The only known collections of this species are from the type material in Sonora and Chihuahua.

Biology

Stamnodes fuego sp. nov. is known to fly from August into September. The immature stages remain unknown, but from knowledge of visually similar Stamnodes, it is predicted this species will be hosted by local mints ( Lamiaceae).

Molecular characterization

This species is represented in BOLD as BIN: BOLD:AEH2873 (n = 1). The distance to the nearest adjacent interspecific neighbour, Stamnodes favilla sp. nov. (n = 2), is around 5% (Fig. 94).

Remarks

All but one paratype were obtained from the same U.S. led expeditions to Mexico in the late 1960’s and held in the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis. The holotype, collected by John Palting in 2011, is the only recent collection that I have examined.