Eois olivacea (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)

Doan, Lydia M., Miller, James S., Brown, John W., Forister, Matthew L. & Dyer, Lee A., 2024, Two new species of the hyperdiverse geometrid moth genus Eois (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae) from Ecuador, with descriptions of early stages, ZooKeys 1192, pp. 111-140 : 111

Eois olivacea (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)

Figs 5-7

Jodis olivacea Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875: pl. 128, fig. 13.

Eois olivacea : Parsons et al. 1999: 279; Brehm et al. 2011: 1106.

Type material examined.

Holotype ♂, Colombia, Bogota [ca 2630 m] (NHMUK).

Additional specimens examined.

Colombia: Fasaogasuga , [1770 m], [no date] (1♂), Dognin Collection, USNM slide 154,479, USNM ENT 01906870 (USNM) .

Remarks and diagnosis.

The holotype male of this species (Fig. 1 ) lacks an abdomen; hence, comparisons of the genitalia to congeners is impossible. However, among several candidates from Colombia (USNM) that are potential conspecifics of E. olivacea , a male from Fasaogasuga possesses the distinctive jagged line midway between the postmedial line and the termen of the forewing that is characteristic of the type of E. olivacea (Fig. 5 ). Hence, we provisionally assign that specimen to E. olivacea . The question may be resolved through molecular analyses that are beyond the scope of this contribution. In the redescription below, details of external features are based on the holotype, and those of the genitalia are based on the putative conspecific. Although the genitalia of the specimen from Fasaogasuga are damaged, the important characters are intact.

If our association is correct, E. olivacea has the simplest vesica of any member of the complex, with the possible exception of E. beebei , with a single semicircular plate bearing teeth along the curved margin. The lacina of E. olivacea are shorter than those of E. pseudolivacea .

Redescription.

Male. Head: Essentially as described for species complex. Thorax: Essentially as described for species complex, except forewing length 9.0 mm (n = 1); forewing ground color pale gray-green; antemedial and medial lines faint, postmedial line well defined, ivory; distinctive, ivory, zigzag line midway between postmedial line and termen; discal spot small; costal region lightly tinged pale pinkish brown, irregularly and faintly marked with small cream blotches; termen with narrow, dark red-brown line, concolorous with discal spot, consisting of uninterrupted series of inward-directed scallops. Forewing underside as described for species complex. Hindwing concolorous with forewing, with antemedial line ill defined, postmedial line well defined; termen and fringe as in forewing. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 7 ) with tegumen slender, lacina broad basally, upcurved, narrower and somewhat parallel-sided in distal 0.5, rounded apically; valva subrectangular, slightly constricted near middle with patch of long fine setae at constriction, sacculus well defined, terminating at constriction of valva, outer margin weakly angled subbasally; phallusca as long as valva; vesica with semicircular, saw-toothed plate, lacking large cornuti; membrane surrounding phallus with a pair of dorsal fields of short spines.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution and biology.

This species is known from the holotype from near Bogotá and a second specimen from Fasaogasuga, Colombia. The early stages remain unknown.

Figures

Figures 5 - 7. Eois olivacea adult and male genitalia 5 holotype upperside (NHMUK) 6 E. cf. olivacea from Colombia upperside (USNM) 7 male genitalia of " surrogate " E. olivacea, USNM slide 154,479.

Figures 1 - 4. Early stages of Eois pseudolivacea from Ecuador 1 egg 2 second instar larva 3 fifth instar larva 4 pupa.