Zaphanta stiletto, St Laurent & Giusti, 2019

St Laurent, Ryan A. & Giusti, Alessandro, 2019, Revision of Zaphanta Dyarı 1910 (Lepidoptera: Mimallonidae: Zaphantinae) ı with descriptions of nine new species, Journal of Natural History 53 (19), pp. 1209-1246 : 1231-1233

Zaphanta stiletto sp. nov.

( Figures 15 , 32, 42) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A00749E5-888C-45FB-8FAA-0302A402496F

Diagnosis

Zaphanta stiletto is one of the smallest Zaphanta species, with rounded wings and faint markings, thus resembling the smaller, more rounded forms of Z. infantilis . The genitalia, however, are distinct in the single known Z. stiletto specimen. The phallus is uniquely constricted in its central portion, becoming much wider at the caecum phallus and also distally where the phallus becomes more heavily sclerotised and angled downward. The mesal process of the subuncus projection is very sharp. In all other Zaphanta (except see Z. machaera sp. nov. below), this mesal process is blunt, toothed, paired or flattened. Zaphanta elephanta and Z. elephanticula display sharp subuncus projections, but in these species the processes are paired, not singular as in Z. stiletto . The singular projection of Z. machaera sp. nov. is more than twice the length and thickness of that of Z. stiletto , and that species has a broader tegumen, valvae and phallus.

Description

Male. Head: As for genus. Thorax: As for genus, but slightly pinker overall. Legs: As for genus. Fore wing dorsum: Fore wing length: 9 mm, n = 1 (wingspan not measured due to type not being fully spread). As for genus, but margin more rounded; markings, although typical of the genus, are very faint. Fore wing ventrum: As for genus. Hind wing dorsum: As for genus, but margin more rounded. Hind wing ventrum: As for genus; antemedial line particularly well defined and straight. Abdomen: As for genus, but more robust overall relative to small wings; colouration slightly pink. Genitalia: ( Figure 32 ) n = 1. Vinculum circular. Tegumen narrow, elongate. Uncus triangular and heavily sclerotised apically, apex mesally indented. Subuncus projection forming a closed ring with lateral margins of tegumen, mesally more heavily sclerotised and extended as a sharp, singular point; uncus-tegumen complex narrow, width narrower than vinculum, and nearly as long. Transtilla reduced to mesally situated, well-sclerotised rounded triangle. Valvae trapezoidal, saccular edge with outwardly projected angle, distally narrowed. Costal base of valvae (valva apodeme) unmodified. Caecum of phallus shorter than distal half of phallus, caecum phallus rounded. Phallus distally broadened, mesally somewhat constricted, ventral extension of phallus more heavily sclerotised than remainder of phallus; phallus smooth laterally.

Female. Unknown.

Type material

Holotype ♂. Brazil: Rondônia: Calama, Rio Madeira, (W. Hoffmanns) Rothschild Bequest BM 1939–1/ NHMUK010890498 /genitalia vial NHMUK010402345 / HOLOTYPE ♂ Zaphanta stiletto St Laurent and Giusti, 2019 /( NHMUK). No paratypes .

Distribution

Zaphanta stiletto is only known from the type locality in northern Rondônia, Brazil, near the border with Amazonas state.

Etymology

The specific epithet for this new species is derived from the Italian word for a needle-like dagger, a shape displayed by the subuncus projection in Z. stiletto .

Remarks

Another species from Rondônia, Z. beckeri sp. nov., described below, is distinct in its male genitalia and wing shape. These two species are not known to be sympatric despite their type localities being relatively closer together than those of most other Zaphanta species.

Figures

Figures 15–18. Zaphanta adults; a = dorsal, b = ventral. 15. Z. stiletto Ƌ holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Calama, Rio Madeira (NHMUK). 16. Z. machaera Ƌ holotype, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, 800 m (VOB). 17. Z. machaera ♀, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, 800 m (VOB). 18. Z. beckeri Ƌ holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Ariquemes, 180 m (VOB). Scale bar = 1 cm.

Figures 32–34. Zaphanta male genitalia; a = ventral, b = lateral, c = phallus, lateral aspect. 32. Z. stiletto holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Calama, Rio Madeira, genitalia vial NHMUK 010402345 (NHMUK). 33. Z. machaera holotype, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, 800 m, genitalia slide 5296 (VOB). 34. Z. beckeri holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Ariquemes, 180 m, St Laurent diss.: 5-16- 18:1 (VOB). Scale bar = 1 mm.