Eucalantica vaquero Sohn

Sohn, Jae-Cheon & Nishida, Kenji, 2011, A taxonomic review of Eucalantica Busck (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutidae) with descriptions of six new species, ZooKeys 118, pp. 75-96 : 88-89

Eucalantica vaquero Sohn sp. n. Figs 1427-2834

Type material.

Holotype ♂ - USA: New Mexico, Pecos National Forest, 35°53'N, 105°38'W, alt. 3048 m, 24 August 1916, C Heinrich, GSN [USNM-96389] (USNM). Paratypes (2♂3♀) - USA: 1♀, New Mexico, same as holotype, abdomen missing (USNM). 1♂, Arizona, White Mts., Summit of Mt. Thomas, 33°54'22"N, 109°33'46"W, alt. 11500 ft, 20 August 1925, OC Poling (USNM). MEXICO: 1♀, Tepalcates, 48 km W from Durango, Dgo, 24°01'N, 104°40'W, alt. 2560 m, 4-8 August 1972, J Powell, D Veirs, & CD MacNeill, GSN [EMEC-JCS 011] (EMEC). 1♂, Veracruz, Cañón Las Minas, 13 km NE from Perote, 19°29'52"N, 97°52'09"W, alt. 2150 m, 19 August 1987, J Brown & J Powell (EMEC); 1♀, Veracruz, 7 km NW from Banderilla, 19°35'N, 95°56'W, alt. 1680 m, 13 July 1974, J Powell & J Chemsak (EMEC).

Diagnosis.

This new species is superficially indistinguishable from some variants of Eucalantica polita and in such cases, examination of the genitalia is necessary for a reliable identification. Eucalantica vaquero is also similar to Eucalantica costaricae in having a reduced dorsal patch on the forewings but differs from the latter by having the fewer black spots on the forewing, mainly around the CuP fold. The male genitalia of Eucalantica vaquero differ from ones of Eucalantica polita and Eucalantica costaricae in having a bulge on apex of the uncus and stouter saccus. In the female genitalia, Eucalantica vaquero is distinguished from the latter two in having keel-like signum in the corpus bursae.

Description

(Fig. 14). Forewing length 7.5-8.0mm (mean=7.65mm, n=4); costal streak on basal 1/3 narrow; dorsal patch reduced to a small, oblique, reddish brown band intermixed with black spots or absent; fringes white in basal 2/3, pale gray in distal 1/3. Hindwing anterior margin 2 × longer than maximum width; fringes pale gray.

Male genitalia.

(Figs 27, 28) (4 preparations examined). Uncus (Fig. 27a) linguiform, bulged dorsoapically, lateral lobes upcurved, digitate; socii digitate, as long as saccus, long-hairy dorsally, with four terminal spines, all of them almost equal in size (Fig. 27b). Tegumen parallel laterally, 2 × broader than uncus; tuba analis with minute thorns on inner wall; subscaphium (Fig. 27d) strongly bulged ventrad. Valva slightly broadened in distal half, narrowly round apically, saccular margin round in distal 1/3, almost straight in basal 2/3; costa slightly concave at middle; sacculus slightly bulged inward at basal 1/3; a semicircular setose area above saccular base; a longitudinal fold at base of valva, adjoining with a small dentiform process (Fig. 27c). Saccus digitate, robust. Aedeagus (Fig. 28) dillated at distal 1/3, almost straight; a zone of minute-spinulate cornuti 1/3 as long as aedeagus.

Female genitalia.

(Fig. 34) (2 preparations examined). S8 quadrate, sclerotized, with a pair of semicircular, setose humps. Minute thorns on S8 humps and an area connecting S8 humps and ostium bursae. Apophysis posterioris 4 × longer than apophysis anterioris excluding basal Y-fork; both branches of Y-fork almost equal in length, 2 × longer than apophysis anterioris. Ductus bursae 4/5 as long as corpus; antrum in posterior 1/4 of ductus bursa, conical, with minute thorns internally (Fig. 34a); bulla seminalis as long as ductus bursae; a sclerite at connection between bulla seminalis and ductus bursae (Fig. 34d). Corpus bursae ellipsoid; signum keel-like on middle of corpus, base narrow-elliptical, with a few denticles (Fig. 34c).

Distribution.

USA (New Mexico, Arizona) and Mexico.

Etymology.

The species name vaquero is a noun in apposition, meaning the Mexican cowboy, and refers to the distribution range of the new species roughly matching with the regions under 'vaquero' traditions.