Eutrepsia vanilla Matson & Garzón-Orduña, 2022

Matson, Tanner A. & Garzón-Orduña, Ivonne J., 2022, A New Species of Eutrepsia Herrich-Schäffer from Mexico (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae), Zootaxa 5190 (4), pp. 591-594 : 591-593

Eutrepsia vanilla Matson & Garzón-Orduña , new species

( Figs. 1, 2 )

http://zoobank.org:act: 2AA1DCFB-2B43-434C-968B-6E68AE92B85B

Diagnosis. Eutrepsia vanilla is unmistakable as the only predominantly white member of the genus. So far as known, no other moth approximates the phenotype of this species enough to warrant further diagnosis.

Description. MALE Forewing length = 19–20 mm (n = 6). Head. Antenna filiform, fuscous. Vertex medially and posteriorly fuscous, white around scape. Middle third of frons fuscous, lateral third white. Labial palpus subequal to diameter of eye, banded with fuscous and white, bearing long comb of ventral white scales. Proboscis well developed. White chaetosemata in transverse row. Cephalic collar white. Thorax. Patagium white. Tegula mostly white except for inconspicuous patch of fuscous scales near base of forewing. Mesothorax white. Legs banded with fuscous and white; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well-developed. Forewing. Ground color white. Ochreous costal band transitioning to blackened apical area and outer margin; small, ovate, subapical white patch residing within blackened apical area of wing. Underside like upperside, but with ochreous costal band extending entirely along costa and adjoining more ochreous margin of apical area; subterminal area of outer margin punctuated with small, white ellipsoid patches between veins in upper half. Fringe fuscous basally, white distally. Hindwing. Mostly white, broadly black at apex and outer margin. Underside white in basal two thirds except for small, faint fuscous patch just inside of inner margin prior to postmedial area. Distal third darkened through apical area and outer margin; scales given more toward ochreous over veins and in thin band around outer margin. Like forewing underside, subterminal area of outer margin punctuated with small, white ellipsoid patches between veins. Fringe fuscous basally, white distally. Abdomen. Dorsally and ventrally white to cream, upcurved in distal segments. Genitalia. ( Fig. 2 ) Uncus long and slender, subequal in length to valve. Long setae, presumably hair pencils, arising from tegumen. Ventral surface of anal tube with well-developed subscaphium (subscaphium partially obscured under tegumen in Fig. 2a ). Valve rounded; bearing wide basal sclerite with large, rounded antemedial protuberance; basal inner surface of valve with long, ribbon-like hair pencils. Juxta heavily sclerotized, ushaped, with acuminate lateral arms curving slightly outward distally. Phallus with dozens of long spinose cornuti in tight imbricate cluster (not to be confused with a single, large spinose cornutus in Fig. 2b ). FEMALE. Unknown.

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: male, MEXICO: Oaxaca: Sta. Catarina Ixtepeji “ El Campamento ”, 17°11’34’’N 96°38’21’’ W, Alt. 2880, 18-IV-2001, col. A. Ibarra, Genetic Voucher: TAM0060 , Genitalia Slide TAM-2022-114 . PARATYPES: two males, same data as Holotype ; three males, MEXICO: Guerrero: Omiltemi, La Perra , 7-VI-1985, Leg. A.L. Martinez. All type material deposited in the CNIN .

Etymology. We name this species vanilla , after the well-known orchid domesticated in Mexico, and whose name is often associated with the color white, as this Eutrepsia is the only member of the genus that is predominantly white.

Distribution & Biology. Eutrepsia vanilla is so far known from the Sierra Madre del Sur and Oaxacan pine-oak forests in the Mexican states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. Adults fly from April to June, but our records are few, and the flight likely extends to other months. The immature stages remain unknown but are predicted to feed on mints ( Lamiaceae ) (see Discussion).

Remarks. There is slight variation in the pattern elements of populations from Oaxaca and Guerrero. The subapical, ovate white patch on the upperside of the forewing is more laterally compressed in individuals from Guerrero, and the Guerrero individuals also bear broken, white subterminal dashes on the hindwing upperside; these same dashes are almost absent in Oaxacan individuals. Male genitalia show no discernible differences.

Eutrepsia vanilla bears an uncanny resemblance to several members of the Central and South American nymphalid genus Dynamine Hübner —especially Dynamine agacles (Dalman) . Dynamine agacles does not appear to overlap with E. vanilla as it is found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica south through the Amazon basin. Dynamine frequent puddles in the same manner as we expect E. vanilla to do.

Figures

FIGURES 1, 2. Eutrepsia vanilla Matson & Garzón-Orduña new species HOLOTYPE male (Mexico: Oaxaca), TAM-2022- 114. 1a, adult dorsal habitus; 1b, adult ventral habitus. Scale = 1 cm. 2a, genital capsule; 2b, phallus. Scale = 1mm.