Scrobipalpomima manuscriptus, Cepeda Museo Entomológico Luis Peña & Vegetal & Agronómicas & Chile & E-mail, 2019

Cepeda Museo Entomológico Luis Peña, Danilo E., Vegetal, Departamento de Sanidad, Agronómicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Chile, Universidad de & E-mail, Chile., 2019, Descriptions of two new species of the genus Scrobipalpomima Povolný (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and two new records of Gnorimoschemini from Chile, Revista Chilena de Entomología 1, pp. 21-30 : 22-23

Scrobipalpomima manuscriptus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-2)

Diagnosis. Based on its male genitalia, Scrobipalpominia manuscriptus is most closely related to S. improbabilis Povolný (1989b) ; both species lack spines on phallus. This new species can be differentiated from S. improbabilis by the prominent margin of the uncus, the dilated apex of the valva, a longer gnathos, an elongated saccus, and the phallus narrowed with an ovoid coecum.

Description. Male. Head: Frons and vertex covered by whitish scales, occiput covered with elongated dark brown scales. Labial palpus whitish, with ventral brush of dark scales on second segment, third segment strongly curved with some scattered dark scales. Antennae with dark scape and densely ciliate flagellomeres. Thorax: Nota and tegulae covered with dark brown scales. Forewing length 6-9 mm (n = 3), ashy gray, more or less densely dusted with black scales, with few yellowish scales at base of cell and continuing towards middle of wing. Hindwing whitish; fringe yellowish. Genitalia ( Figs. 3-7) with uncus wide, subtriangular with prominent pointed margin. Gnathos elongated, digitate, slightly curved to apex. Valva elongated, with dilated apex bearing a row long stiff bristles. Sacculus U-shaped with media incision, saccular processes digititate, parabasal processes extending slightly beyond tip of saccular pair and moderately curved internally. Saccus longer than wide, prolonged, with acute apex. Phallus, narrowed, lacking elongate spines; coecum well defined, ovoid, approximately 1/4 length of phallus. Female. Unknown.

Host plant. Unknown.

Intraspecific variation. The species varies in the male genitalia with subtle differences in the shape of the uncus, valva, and phallus length.

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to handwriting, word of Latin origin (conduct in danger of extinction).

Distribution. Scrobipalpomima manuscriptus is known from Huasco and LimarÍ provinces, from Atacama to the Coquimbo regions. According to Morrone (2015), this distribution belongs in the central Chilean Sub-region, Province of Coquimbo.

Material examined. Holotype ♂. Domeyko , 28°56´S, 70°53´W, 830 m. Provincia de Huasco, Región de Atacama, CHILE. 19 agosto 2017 Coll. J.F. Campodonico UV trampa ( MEUC).

Paratypes (2♂). Domeyko , 28°56´S - 70°53´W, 830 m. Provincia de Huasco, Región de Atacama, CHILE. 19 agosto 2017 Coll. J.F. Campodonico UV trampa; Mineral de Talca , Provincia de LimarÍ, Región de Coquimbo, 23 de septiembre 2017 Coll. J.F. Campodonico trampa UV . Permanent genitalia slides n°: 762♂, 765♂ and 802♂ ( MEUC, TLMF) .