Oospila similiplaga bolarpata, Lindt & Hausmann & Viidalepp, 2018

Lindt, Aare, Hausmann, Axel & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2018, Review of some species groups of the genus Oospila Warren, with descriptions of nine new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae), Zootaxa 4497 (2), pp. 151-194 : 164-165

Oospila similiplaga bolarpata subsp. n.

(Figs 14, 50)

Holotype: ♂, Bolivia, Caranavi , 1200 m, 5.11.2010, 15°43'19"S, 67°29'07"W (slide 265), TAMZ0175906 . Paratypes: 2♂, Bolivia, Caranavi , 1200 m, 5.11.2010, 15°43'19"S, 67°29'07"W ; 1♂, Bolivia, Caranavi , 900 m, 29.10.2010, 15°49'46"S, 67°32'23W (slide 323) (A. Lint) ; 1♂, Bolivia, Buena Vista , 350 m, 10.10.2010, 17°32’54“S, 63°44’55“W ; 1♂, Bolivia, Inicua , 555 m, 31.10.2010, 15°37'062"S, 67°11'52"W (A. Lindt) . 1♂, Bolivia, Chapare region , upper Chipiriri river, 400m, 0 4.11.1953 (W. Forster, ZSM) .

The holotype will be deposited in the collection of EMNH (Tallinn), paratypes in coll. A. Lindt and ZSM.

Diagnosis. The isolated blackish blotches to fore wing tornus and hind wing apex are characteristic but occur also (in limited numbers) as individual form in the nominotypical subspecies. All other species of the O. arpata complex have red-brown marginal bands on wings. The last sternite of male abdomen of O. similiplaga bolarpata is sclerotized, as long as broad, with a sharp V-shaped posterior incision. The nominotypical subspecies has similar male sternite A8 but a long, straight, stick-shaped harpe whilst being shorter and slightly upcurved apically in O. s. bolarpata .

Description. Wingspan, 17–18 mm (Fig.14). The frons and the palpi are light brown with a reddish tint, the interantennal fillet is light green, the vertex green. The male antennae are bipectinate with the longest, external and inner rami on the fifth segment reaching 0.6 mm and 0.4 mm in length. The thorax is dark green dorsally, the dorsum of the abdomen is mottled green and whitish. The crests are blackish brown. The male hind tibiae are hairy. The ground colour of wings is yellowish green, mottled dark green and striated thin brown. The fore wing bears a small triangular blackish marginal blotch at the veins M1–M2 and a bold blackish one from the vein CuA2 to the tornus, edged yellowish. The hind wing has a bold blackish apical blotch reaching the vein M2, and a tiny tornal blotch. The marginal line is dark grey, disrupted, the fringe are greenish, chequered grey to the vein ends. The discal spots are dark on both wings. The Buena Vista specimen differs in the colour of the blotches, darker green and irrorated brown-grey, with a brown-grey perimeter, and in light brownish fringe.

Male genitalia (Fig. 50): The uncus is reduced and the socii are relatively small. The sacculus is fused to the valvula. The harpe is comparatively short, stouter towards its base and slightly sinuate, the emargination of the ventral edge of the valva is weakly sclerotized and smoother than in O. s. similiplaga . The aedeagus is provided with a short dorsal spine. The posterior edge of sternite A8 is strongly sclerotized, incised V–shaped, with a notch over 1/3 length of sternite (Fig. 50). Female genitalia unknown.

Genetic data. Subspecies not yet DNA barcoded.

Distribution. Bolivia.

Biology. The material was collected in low mountain tropical forests, from 350 to 1200 m above sea level, in October and November.

Remarks. Admittedly, the unclear type locality of similiplaga could also refer to the Bolivian populations (as possibly indicated by the male genitalia, see above) and make it necessary to synonymize this newly introduced name. Considering the abundance of the species in the Peruvian Andes we suspect, however, that similiplaga was described from the Peruvian Andes (see above).