Pero lopezi Vargas & Palacios, 2020

Palacios, Carlos, Farfan, Jackie, Cerdena, Jose, Lazo-Rivera, Ana, Parra, Luis E. & Vargas, Hector A., 2020, A new species and a new record of Pero Herrich-Schaeffer, 1855 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in the Andes of southern Peru, Nota Lepidopterologica 43, pp. 301-309 : 301

Pero lopezi Vargas & Palacios sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2

Type material.

Holotype, male: Peru. Peru, AR[equipa], Pocsi, Carretera Mollebaya-Pocsi, 16°30 ’56” S, 71°25 ’52” W, 2900 m, 17-24.iii.2018, Leg. S. Ramos, M. Condori, M. Arivilca, L. Olivera (MUSA). BOLD specimen page BC ZSM Lep add 300.

Paratypes, Peru, eight males. One male, same data as holotype, genitalia slide GeoAr01 (MUSA); six males, same data as holotype, but 03.ii.2018, genitalia slide GeoAR13 (MUSA); one male Peru, AR[equipa], Chiguata, Bosque Polylepis sp., 16°23 ’33” S, 71°19 ’07” W, 4090 m, 17-23.iii.2018, Leg. L. Pinto, G. Aliaga, Y. Aguilar, G. Rodriguez, genitalia slide GeoAr11 (MUSA).

Type locality.

Peru, Arequipa Department, Pocsi, 16°30'S, 71°25'W, 2900 m.

Diagnosis.

Pero lopezi is recognized by the slightly dentate postmedial line with outwardly rounded teeth on upperside of forewing (Fig. 1A ), parallel-sided uncus with round apex and narrow longitudinal subscaphium (Fig. 2A ) and phallus with a serrated carina near apex (Fig. 2C ). The morphology of the male genitalia of P. lopezi allows it to be assigned to Group 15 sensu Poole (1987), among which this is remarkably similar to that of Pero acopa Poole, 1987. However, P. lopezi is easily separable from the species in this group, including P. acopa , due to the slightly dentate postmedial line with outwardly rounded teeth on upperside of forewing, narrow longitudinal subscaphium and phallus with a serrated carina near the apex. Moreover, the antennae of the male in P. acopa are pectinate, but not in P. lopezi .

Male. (Fig. 1 ) Forewing length 17-18 mm (n = 9)

Head. Mostly greyish brown, some scales slightly darker or lighter subapically. Vertex with narrow, slightly elongated scales. Frons appressedly scaled. Antenna filiform, about 2/3 forewing length, dorsally with whitish brown scales, ventrally shortly ciliated. Labial palp greyish brown; first segment with narrow, elongated scales anteroventrally projected partially concealing the base of second segment; second segment with shorter scales; third segment appressedly scaled.

Thorax. Mostly with narrow, elongated greyish brown scales dorsally, mostly with long, hair-like whitish greyish brown scales laterally. Legs mostly greyish brown with a few lighter and darker scales scattered. Forewing mostly greyish brown with dark brown scales scattered; antemedial line dark brown, mostly sinuate, sharply angled outward near costal margin; discal dot blackish brown, as a short transverse stripe near distal margin of cell; postmedial line broad, dark brown outwardly, lighter inwardly, slightly dentate with outwardly rounded teeth, a larger tooth near posterior margin; five small circular creamy white spots forming a line close to distal margin, each spot with a narrow dark brown stripe proximally. Hindwing mostly whitish brown basally, greyish brown distally, darker scales scattered; discal dot dark brown, circular; postmedial line slightly dentate, dark brown, lighter near anterior margin.

Abdomen. Greyish brown with lighter and darker scales scattered. Segment VIII slightly sclerotized, anterior margin broadly concave, lateral margin broadly convex, distal margin rounded.

Male genitalia (Fig. 2 ). Tegumen narrow, anterior margin sharply cleft, posterior margin concave. Saccus narrow, U-shaped. Socius membranous with a few hair-like setae. Uncus mainly parallel-sided, lightly wider basally, apex rounded. Subscaphium as a narrow, longitudinal rectangular sclerite. Gnathos Y-shaped; ventral arm about 2/3 the length of lateral arm, slightly curved posteriorly. Juxta in two parts, triangular basally, semicircular dorsally, lateral incision near middle, dorsal part slightly asymmetric, left apex narrower than right apex, dorsal margin slightly concave. Transtilla narrow near middle. Valvae symmetrical, somewhat rectangular, slightly wider basally, dorsal margin about a half of ventral margin; costa well-sclerotized until about 3/4 length of dorsal margin, about a third the height of valva, distal part suddenly narrowed; distal part of valva mainly membranous, costal fold with abundant hair-like setae; median process well-developed, sculptured; distal half of sacculus as a narrow, longitudinal lobe with hair-like setae; a diagonal, slightly curved furrow from near middle of sacculus to near apex of costa. Phallus sub-cylindrical (Fig. 2B ), similar in length to dorsal margin of valva, distal third suddenly excavated dorsally, a well-developed serrated carina ventrally near apex (Fig. 2C ); vesica with a narrow, slightly sinuous cornutus basally and two groups of spine-like cornuti, one at middle, another at apex.

Female. Unknown.

Geographic distribution.

(Fig. 4 ). Pero lopezi is only known from the type locality, Pocsi, in Arequipa Department, and surroundings, between 2900 and 4090 m elevation.

Etymology.

This new species is dedicated to Dr. Evaristo Luciano Lopez Tejeda, Director of Museo de Historia Natural Universidad Nacional de San Agutin de Arequipa (MUSA), in recognition of his invaluable work on the fauna of the Department of Arequipa and southern Peru.

Host plant.

Unknown.

Remarks.

Although identification of species of the genus Pero is mainly based on morphology of the male genitalia ( Poole 1987), it has been suggested that structures of the female genitalia also provide useful characters for identifications of the species of this genus, including those of Group 15 ( Lévêque 2006, 2007; Dias 2008; Vargas 2019). Females of P. lopezi were searched for, without success, in the type locality after we recognized the males as representatives of an undescribed species. Accordingly, further sampling will be needed to know this species better.

Figures

Figure 1. Adult stage of Pero lopezi Vargas & Palacios, sp. nov. A. Holotype male in dorsal view; B. Holotype male in ventral view. Scale bar: 1 cm.

Figure 2. Male genitalia of Pero lopezi Vargas & Palacios, sp. nov. A. Male genitalia in ventral view, phallus removed; B. Phallus in lateral view; C. Detail of serrated carina of phallus close to apex. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 4. Geographic distribution of Pero lopezi Vargas & Palacios, sp. nov. (white stars) and Pero atridisca Dognin, 1906 (squares) in Peru. Symbols: black square (locality type), white square (new record).