Leucania multistria ( Köhler, 1947 ) Dolibaina & Casagrande & Specht & Mielke & Legrain & Zilli & Goldstein, 2019

Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Casagrande, Mirna Martins, Specht, Alexandre, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik, Legrain, Albert, Zilli, Alberto & Goldstein, Paul, 2019, Taxonomy of the rivorum species-group of Leucania Ochsenheimer, 1816 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Zootaxa 4711 (3), pp. 545-560 : 549-550

Leucania multistria ( Köhler, 1947) stat. rev., comb. nov.

( Figs 5–8 , 18, 22 , 26 , 30 , 34, 38 , 41 )

Neleucania multistria Köhler, 1947: 102 .

Faronta multistria (Köhler) ; Poole 1989: 448.

Strigania multistria (Köhler) ; Angulo, Rodríguez & Olivares 1999: 68.

Strigania lithophilus [name wrongly applied as a senior synomym through misidentification]; Rodríguez, Olivares & Angulo 2001: 326, 327, syn.: N. multistria .

Dargida lithophilus [name wrongly applied as a senior synomym through misidentification]; Rodríguez & Angulo 2005: 17, syn.: N. multistria .

Diagnosis. Leucania multistria shares a very similar wing pattern with L. rivorum , differing in the reduction of the postdiscal black dots on the forewing. The male genitalia differ from those of L. rivorum by the uniform width of the valva; the shorter and less apically produced cucullus; shorter ampulla; slightly longer and pointed digitus; narrower, sub-rectangular sacculus; deeper ventral indentation between main section of valva and cucullus; shorter and wider costal sensory plate, reaching the ventral indentation of valva; uncus uniformly slender with narrow distal section covered by long and robust setae only dorsally, not below; fultura inferior narrower and with erect lateral processes longer and more closely spaced; and vesica with single row of thinner and more sharply pointed cornuti.

Redescription. Head: as in L. rivorum .

Thorax: As in L. rivorum .

Forewing: Length 13.4–15.0 mm in males (n = 5), 13.2–15.6 mm in females (n = 6). Apex not projected, other aspects as in L. rivorum . Upperside similar to that of L. rivorum , except paler ground color, and postdiscal area with reduced black dots over veins, more conspicuous between M 2 and CuA 2. Underside as in L. rivoum , but paler.

Hind wing: Apex not projected, other aspects as in L. rivorum .

Abdomen: As in L. rivorum .

Male genitalia: Tegumen and saccus as in L. rivorum . Valva roughly rectangular in shape, uniform in width, about three times as long as wide; sacculus uniform in width and fused with ventral surface of valva up to indentation before cucullus where a pronounced tip is produced; editum triangular; clasper sub-rectangular, with posteroventral projection very short and stout, slightly upturned; ampulla slender, shorter than digitus; digitus sickle-shaped and pointed, reaching the postero-ventral part of clasper; costal sensory plate very broad, as long as twice its width and reaching ventral margin of valva; cucullus rounded, as long as one fourth of length of valva, narrowed distally, broadly fused to main section of valva, without neck, bearing along ventral edge of about 10 robust setae. Poma similar to L. rivorum , but smaller. Uncus uniformly slender, arched in the first third, distal third dorsally setose, tip as short, curved and rounded hook. Fultura inferior longer than wide, rugose, bearing paired long, erect lateral processes, these as long as 3/7 of cucullus, and joined to fultura via short stalk. Aedeagus as in L. rivorum ; vesica simple tubular, bearing about 50–60 straight spiniform cornuti of approximately similar sizes arranged in a sinuous row, the first six shorter and less pointed than the remaining.

Female genitalia: Almost identical to those of L. rivorum , except shallower ostium bursae and slightly longer corpus bursae.

Geographical distribution and phenology. Leucania multistria is restricted to mid- to high elevation natural grasslands of the Atlantic Forest biome in southern Brazil, and in Chaco biome in Tucumán, Argentina, the latter its type locality ( Fig. 41 ).

This species has been recorded in February, March, September, October, and November.

Comments. Although L. multistria has been known only from the female holotype, it has undergone more taxonomic changes than other species in the rivorum group. This species was originally assigned to Neleucania Smith, 1902 ( Köhler 1947) , followed by its transfer to Faronta Smith, 1908 ( Poole 1989) , and later to Strigania Hampson, 1905 (Angulo et al. 1999). These combinations were made without explanation. Angulo & Olivares (1999) reported Faronta multistria from Chile, but the specimen represents a misidentified species of Dargida . Rodríguez et al. (2001) incorrectly considered S. multistria to have been based on a female phenotype of D. lithophilus (cited as Strigania lithophilus ), which led to its treatment as a junior subjective synonym of the latter.

The broad range of characters shared with L. rivorum , in particular the structures of the valva, fultura inferior, and vesica, justify the recognition of N. multistria as a valid species distinct from D. lithophilus . The absence of the key characters in the male genitalia used by Rodríguez & Angulo (2005) to delimit Dargida , in combination with the distinctive wing pattern and female genitalia of N. multistria , further support its removal from this genus.

Type material. The description of Neleucania multistria was based on a single female holotype from Siambón, Tucumán, Argentina, in the collection of the author ( Köhler 1947). This specimen is currently deposited at the ZSBS, and bears the following labels: / Holotypus [female symbol] Neleucania multistria Koehler / Siambon II/[1]933 / ARGENTINA Prov[ince]. Tucuman Siambón II.1933. Schreiter leg. Coll. P. Koehler / Neleucania multistria K[oe]hle[r] DET KOEHLER /.

Material Examined. 13♂ and 10♀. ARGENITNA: Tucumán: Siambón , 1♀, holotype mentioned above. BRAZIL: Paraná: Lapa , 800m, 4.IX.1999 , 1♂, A. Moser leg. ( CLAM). Tibagi ( Parque Estadual do Guartelá ), 980m, 11‒12.X.2018 , 2♂ and 1♀, Carneiro, Venâncio, Moreira & Orlandin leg. DZ 40.451, DZ 40.462, DZ 40.452 ( DZUP). Santa Catarina: São Joaquim , 1400m, 25.X.1995 , 1♂ and 1♀, V. Becker leg. 97876 ( VOB). Urubici ( Morro da Igreja ), 1370m, 15‒18.III.2018 , 1♂, C. Mielke & E. Joerke leg. 478 ( DD). Rio Grande do Sul: Cambará do Sul ( Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra ), 900‒950m, 20‒22.II.2018 , 5♂ and 4♀, A. Moser, L. Kaminski & D. Dolibaina leg. DZ 40.209, DZ 40.389, DZ 40.429, DZ 40.459, DZ 40.229 DZ 40.449, DZ 40.439 ( DZUP), 387, 388 ( DD). São Francisco de Paula , 24.IX.1997 , 2♂ and 2♀, A. Specht leg. 9952, 9954, 9960, 9961 ( MCTP), 27.III.1998 , 1♀, A. Specht leg. 9956 ( MCTP). São José dos Ausentes ( Silveira ), 1200m, 3‒5.XI.1999 , 1♂, A. Mo- ser leg. ( CLAM) .

Figures

FIGURE 41. Geographic distribution of the species of Leucania belonging to the rivorum species-group.

FIGURES 1–16. Male (left) and female (right) adults of Leucania species in dorsal and ventral views. Figs 1–4. L. rivorum, male from Tibagi, Paraná, Brazil (DZ 40.461), female from São José do Barreiro, São Paulo, Brazil (DD 477). Figs 5–8. L. multistria stat. rev., comb. nov., male from Tibagi, Paraná, Brazil (DZ 40.462), female from Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (DZ 40.449). Figs 9–12. L. pampa, stat. rev., male from Castro, Paraná, Brazil (USNM), female from São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (MCTP 9962). Figs 13–16. L. chejela, male from Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (CPAC 3951), female from Conquista D’Oeste, Mato Grosso, Brazil (DZ 40.516). Scale bar: 1cm.

FIGURES 17–24. Head and patagium of species of Leucania, in frontal (upper) and dorsal (bottom) views. Figs 17, 21. L. rivorum, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil (CPAC 446). Figs 18, 22. L. multistria, stat. rev., comb. nov., Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (DZ 40.389). Fig. 19, 23. L. pampa, stat. rev., São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (MCTP 9962). Figs 20, 24. L. chejela, Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (CPAC 3951).

FIGURES 25–28. Male genitalia of species of Leucania. Fig. 25. L. rivorum, Tibagi, Paraná, Brazil (DZ 40.471). Fig. 26. L. multistria, stat. rev., comb. nov., Tibagi, Paraná. Brazil (DZ 40.451). Fig. 27. L. pampa, stat. rev., Castro, Paraná, Brazil (USNM). Fig. 28. L. chejela, Conquista D’Oeste, Mato Grosso, Brazil (DZ 40.067). Left to right: posterior view of the genitalia; left lateral view of the right valva; lateral view of tegumen and uncus; dorso-posterior view of the uncus; posterior view of fultura inferior, poma and base of valvae. Lines and arrows indicate distinctive characters. Scale bar: 1mm.

FIGURES 29–32. Aedeagus and vesica of species of Leucania, in right lateral (upper) and dorsal (bottom) views. Fig. 29. L. rivorum. Fig. 30. L. multistria, stat. rev., comb. nov.. Fig. 31. L. pampa, stat. rev., upper is an amplified part of the vesica (out of scale), bottom is the dorsal view of the aedeagus without vesica (this structure broke up in the dissected male used in the plate). Fig. 32. L. chejela. Specimens are from the same localities of the figures 25–28. Scale bar: 1mm.

FIGURES 33–40. Female genitalia of species of Leucania, in lateral (Figs 33–36) and ventral (Figs 37–40) views. Figs 33, 37. L. rivorum, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil (CPAC 725). Figs 34, 38. L. multistria stat. rev., comb. nov., São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (MCTP 9956). Figs 35–39. L. pampa stat. rev., Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil (USNM). Figs 36, 40. L. chejela, Chapadão do Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (CPAC 4510). Scale bar: 1mm.