Helioandesia tarregai, Vargas, 2021

Vargas, Héctor A., 2021, Systematics of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Heliodinidae) from the Andes of Northern Chile, European Journal of Taxonomy 731, pp. 117-134 : 128-130

Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:935E51EF-4505-454E-98DA-1FA3156E7ED7

Figs 3–6 , Table 1 – 2

Diagnosis

As for genus.

Etymology

Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. is named in memory of the eminent Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega, for his huge contribution to the repertory of the classical guitar, especially for the wonderful ʻMarietaʼ.

Material examined

Holotype

CHILE • ♂; Parinacota Province , Zapahuira; 18°19′45″ S, 69°34′56″ W; 3400 m a.s.l.; emerged Apr. 2019; H.A. Vargas leg.; ex-larva, Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl ; coll. Mar. 2019; “ Holotype / Helioandesia / tarregai / Vargas” [red handwritten label]; genitalia slide HAV-1379; IDEA-LEPI-2020-015 .

Paratypes

CHILE • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; IDEA-LEPI-2020-016 to IDEA- LEPI-2020-020 ; genitalia slide HAV-1374 female • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Parinacota Province, Zapahuira ; 18°19′45″ S; 69°34′56″ W; 3400 m a.s.l.; emerged May 2018; H.A. Vargas leg.; ex-larva Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl ; coll. Apr. 2018; IDEA-LEPI-2020-021 to IDEA-LEPI-2020-024 ; genitalia slides HAV-1371 male, HAV-1372 female, HAV-1373 male; IDEA .

Description

Male

Forewing length 5.5–6.1 mm. ( Fig. 3 A–E).

HEAD. Vertex and frons silvery metallic. Pale orange yellow scales behind compound eyes. Antenna with alternate rings of creamy white and brownish gray on basal two third, distal third brownish gray. Labial palpus creamy white on two basal segments; brownish gray scales with creamy white margin on third segment.

THORAX. Variable proportion of silvery metallic and brownish gray with creamy white margin scales dorsally, brownish gray scales with wider creamy white margin latero-ventrally. Legs mainly concolorous with latero-ventral side of thorax. Forewing mostly covered by brownish gray with creamy white margin scales; five metallic silvery bulging spots with black proximal margin, three near costal margin, size progressively decreasing from base to apex, two near anal margin; small metallic silvery spot near tegula, slightly differentiated metallic silvery diagonal stripe from about middle of distal margin of discal cell to near costal margin; a few brownish orange scattered scales mainly on distal half; fringe brownish gray. Hindwing brownish gray; fringe concolorous.

ABDOMEN. Mainly brownish gray dorsally, lighter near posterior margin of each segment; scales brownish gray with creamy white margin ventrally.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 5 ). As described for genus.

Female Similar to male.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 6 ). As described for genus.

Host plant

The only known host plant is the native Mirabilis acuta (Nyctaginaceae) ( Fig. 7 ), a Chilean endemic ( Rodríguez et al. 2018). In the study zone M. acuta sprout and flower after the summer rains. The larvae of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. feed externally as leaf skeletonizers, remaining partially covered by a fine silk layer ( Fig. 7C ).

Distribution

Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 8 ), near Zapahuira, Parinacota Province, at about 3400 m elevation on the western slopes of the Andes of northern Chile.

Figures

Fig. 3. Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♂, holotype (IDEA-LEPI-2020-015). A. Dorsal view. B. Head, lateral. C. Basal flagellomeres of right antenna. D. Three bulging metallic spots on the basal half of forewing. E. Hair pencil from base of subcosta, ventral. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype (IDEA-LEPI-2020-024), wing venation showing frenulum with two bristles of unequal length. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Fig. 5. Male genitalia and eighth segment of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♂, paratype (IDEA- LEPI-2020-021). A. Male genitalia, ventral view, phallus removed. B. Phallus, lateral view. C. Tergum and pleural lobes of eighth segment. D. Socius, closed arrow in A. E. Small spine-like cornuti on the vesica, open arrow in A. F. Medial part of the cornutus. G. Coremata between pleural lobes of segment VIII and genitalia. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 6. Female genitalia of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♀, paratype (IDEA-LEPI-2020-024) A. Female genitalia, ventral view. B. Papillae analis. C. Ornamentation of the proximal part of the signum. D. Ornamentation of the distal part of the signum. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 7. Habitat and host plant ofHelioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov.A. The type locality near Zapahuira Village at about 3400 m elevation on the western slopes of theAndes of the Parinacota Province, northern Chile. B. The host plant Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl (Nyctaginaceae). C. Detail of the damage pattern on a leaf of the host. D. Flower of M. acuta.

Fig. 8. Geographic distribution of three Neotropical Heliodinidae. Red rectangle on left indicates the location in South America of the area enlarged on right. Circle = type locality of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. in northern Chile. Triangles = distribution of Aetole demarcha (Meyrick, 1917), the geographically nearest heliodinid species to H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. on the western slopes of the Andes, in Peru. Square = type locality of Lithariapteryx loriculata (Meyrick, 1932) on the eastern slopes of the Andes of Bolivia, the morphologically nearest species to H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov.