Biclonuncaria recurvana Brown, 2023

Brown, John W., 2023, A new species of Biclonuncaria Razowski and Becker, 1993 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Polyorthini) from Costa Rica, Insecta Mundi 2023 (968), pp. 1-4 : 2-4

Biclonuncaria recurvana Brown , new species

Fig. 1–3

Diagnosis. Biclonuncaria recurvana is superficially similar to other species in the genus, with an ill-defined brownish forewing pattern characterized by small patches of raised scales ( Fig. 1 ). The male genitalia ( Fig. 2 ) are most similar to those of B. conica Razowski and Becker, 1993 from Veracruz, Mexico, but they can be distinguished by the distinct subapical “hump” on the costa of the valva that is more pronounced, sclerotized, and recurved than in B. conica , and by the uncus arms, which are uniform in width throughout (versus broadened distally in B. conica ). Assignment of B. recurvana to Biclonuncaria is based on numerous similarities in the male genitalia to those of congeners and in particular, the basal bifurcation of the uncus ( Razowski 1999).

Description. Head: Vertex rough scaled, pale tawny brown; frons with small appressed cream-colored scales; labial palpus short, length ca. 1.0 times diameter of compound eye, pale tawny brown with a few darker scales distally on venter; antennal scaling pale tawny brown, sensory setae short, inconspicuous in both sexes. Thorax: Mostly pale tawny brown with black W-shaped marking on prothorax and weakly developed pale orange-brown tuft on metathorax. Legs without hairpencil or scale tufts. Forewing length 4.5–5.5 mm (mean = 5.0 mm; n = 8); forewing ( Fig. 1 ) pale tawny brown with faint, small, irregular dots and/or dashes of pale orange, brown, and black, some represented by upraised scale patches; a broad subapical blotch bordered basally by linear tuft of raised, pale tawny scales; three conspicuous, somewhat linear, interrupted, scales tufts (fascia-like) – subbasal, median, and preterminal; fringe tawny orange brown. Hindwing nearly uniform brown, with pale grayish-brown fringe; frenulum with one spine in male, two to four in female. Abdomen: Covered with shiny bronzy gray scales. Male genitalia ( Fig. 2 ) (n = 4) with uncus arms divided basally, relatively short compared to congeners, uniform in width throughout, weakly hooked apically; gnathos with relatively short, broad lateral arms with a pair of thorns immediately before terminal plate, terminal plate weakly hourglass-shaped, with dorsal lobe slightly larger than ventral lobe; transtilla a narrow bridge with a tiny subbasal lobe bearing 2–3 small setae; valva narrowest at base, gradually broadening distally, costa abruptly bent dorsad and recurved at about 0.65 length from base to apex, creating rounded hump before apex; sacculus slender, restricted to ventral edge of valva, ending in a small, free, terminal spine. Phallus large, ca. 0.85 times length of valva, weakly undulate, with a small roundedtriangular lobe near phallobase and two tiny thorns distally; vesica without cornuti. Female genitalia ( Fig. 3 ) (n = 2) with papillae anales slender throughout, unmodified; sterigma broadly V-shaped with sclerotized circular area at ostium bearing microtrichia; ductus bursae long (ca. 2.5 times length of corpus), ribbon-like, slightly broader in posterior 0.35, lacking sclerotized antrum; corpus bursae ovoid, densely punctate throughout, lacking signum, ductus seminalis from anterior 0.25.

DNA Barcodes. Because this is the first species of Biclonuncaria to be sequenced, DNA barcode data say little in regard to divergence from congeners. The 14 sequenced specimens (one not examined) form a BIN (BOLD:AAY4668) with a single outlier 0.94% distance from the main cluster. Together the specimens have an average distance of 0.22% among them, with 6.41% distance to the nearest neighbor, an unidentified tortricid from Costa Rica.

Types. Holotype, ♂, Costa Rica, Alajuela, Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Rincon Rain Forest , Llano Conostegia, 430 m, 10.89492, −85.26671, 18 May 2011, larva on Dalbergia glomerata, P. Umaña , em: 29 May 2011, 11-SRNP-42406, USNM slide 142,279 ( USNM).

Paratypes (7♂, 5♀). COSTA RICA: Alajuela: Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Rincon Rain Forest, Llano Conostegia , 430 m, 10.89492, −85.26671, 18 May 2011, larva on Dalbergia glomerata, P. Umaña , em: 27 May 2011 (1♀), 11-SRNP-42409, USNM slide 142,278 ; em: 30 May 2011 (1♂), 11-SRNP-42408; em: 2 Jun 2011 (1♂), 11-SRNP-42412, USNM slide 154,151 ; em: 29 May 2011 (1♂), 11-SRNP-42407; em: 7 June 2011 (1♀), 11-SRNP-42414. Guanacaste: Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Del Oro, Guacimos , 380 m, 11.01454, −85.47492, 23 Aug 2010 (1♀), pupa on Dalbergia glomerata, E. Cantillano , 10-SRNP-21906 ; 23 Aug 2010, larva on Dalbergia glomerata, E. Cantillano , em: 6 Sep 2010 (2♂), 10-SRNP-21903, USNM slide 145,553, USNM slide ; 25 Aug 2010, larva on Dalbergia glomerata, E. Cantillano , em: 6 Sep 2010 (1♂), 10-SRNP-21898, USNM slide 154,152, 12 Sep 2010 (1♂), 10-SRNP-21937 ; 25 Aug 2010, larva on Dalbergia glomerata, E. Cantillano , em: 16 Sep 2010 (2♀), 10-SRNP-21942, 10-SRNP-21934, USNM slide 145,534 .

Biology and distribution. Biclonuncaria recurvana is recorded from lower elevations (380–430 m) at two sites in northwestern Costa Rica, one in Alajuela Province and the other in Guanacaste Province. All congeners have been recorded below 1000 m.

All specimens of B. recurvana were reared from Dalbergia glomerata Hemsley (Fabaceae) . Razowski and Becker (1993) reported that B. dalbergiae Razowski and Becker , from Brazil, was reared from the “leaves of Dalbergia variabilis Vog. , Fabaceae .” However, under the specimens examined for that species, they list “ Dalbergia violacea Vog. ” Dalbergia variabilis is now recognized as a junior synonym of D. frutescens (Vell.) Britton ( WCVP 2022), and Dalbergia violacea as a junior synonym of D. miscolobium Benth. ( Govaerts 2000) . Hence, although the specific identity of the host plant in Brazil remains unclear, there is little doubt that Biclonuncaria is associated with the plant genus Dalbergia L.f. The only other reported host plant is for Biclonuncaria deutera Razowski and Becker, 1993 ; Moller and Pavarini (2020) recently reported it as a pest of peanut grass ( Arachis repens Handro ; Fabaceae ), on which it causes damage to leaves.

While food plants are somewhat poorly known for Polyorthini, no other genus in the tribe has been reported from Fabaceae . Documented hosts for Histura Razowski , Histurodes Razowski , and Lopharcha Diakonoff are all Lauraceae ; those for Pseudatteria Walsingham are Monimiaceae ; those for Polylopha Lower are Lauraceae and Annonaceae ; those for Lypothora Razowski are Piperaceae ; and those for Isotrias Meyrick , Olindia Guenée , and Polyortha Dognin encompass multiple families ( Brown et al. 2008).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the recurved apex of the costa of the valva in the male genitalia.

Figures

Figures 1‒3. Biclonuncaria recurvana. 1) Holotype male. 2) Paratype male genitalia, USNM slide 145,533. 3) Paratype female genitalia, USNM slide 142,278.