Thraumata, Goldstein, Paul Z. & Zilli, Alberto, 2019

Goldstein, Paul Z. & Zilli, Alberto, 2019, Thraumata, a new genus from South America with description of a new species from Peru (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), ZooKeys 867, pp. 139-160 : 139

Thraumata gen. nov.

Type species.

Leptina? petrovna Schaus, 1904, by present designation.

Etymology.

Thraumata is the nominative neuter plural form of the Greek θραυμα, meaning shard, fragment, or potsherd, in reference to the fragmented appearance of the forewing pattern.

Diagnosis.

Species of Thraumata are readily distinguished from Phuphena and Callopistria by the fragmented appearance of forewing pattern elements, the differential coloration of the hindwing upperside, paler towards the base with more darkly shaded margins, and the configuration of male and female genitalia, as follows: Valves without clasper complex (as in Phuphena , Callopistria , and Phosphila ), but tapered and not clublike, unlike Phuphena , and with no differentiated cucullus or corona. Vinculum squared, less V-shaped than in Phuphena , extending below the valves for a distance less than the width at its broadest point. Vesica with multiple basal lobes and without cornuti. Ventrally recurved basal abdominal brushes present in subvenata ; saccular coremata present and, except in subvenata , less developed than in Callopistria . The female genitalia are distinct, the corpus bursae without signa, elongate and bowed, not lemon-shaped as in Phuphena , the ductus bursae attaching postero-dorsally to the corpus, and the ductus seminalis arises from the posterior end of the corpus as in Callopistria juventina , not at the anterior apex as in all known Phuphena and several Callopistria species.

Description.

Head. Frons fully scaled; eye large, hairless; antenna filiform, shortly setose-ciliate in both sexes; labial palpus slightly upturned and densely scaled, third segment reduced compared to the first and second segments; proboscis well developed. Thorax. Vestiture variously brown or grayish-brown scaling intermixed with white. Wings. Forewing elongate, not broadly rounded, the apex acute and the outer margin slightly angled at the middle; distal field crossed by conspicuous dark fascia outwardly produced at middle with triangular projection. Hindwing elongate too, slightly produced in correspondence to vein M3. Sexual dimorphism most obvious in hindwing, female with slightly darker shading towards wing base than male, but this character is neither discrete nor reliable. Underside of both wings brown or grayish-brown, the most prominent marking that of the toothed forewing submarginal line; Hindwing with 1-3 elongate pale streaks. A clearly expressed M2 visible on hindwing, arising from the discoidal cell closer to M3 than in Callopistria , possibly representing an autapomorphic condition for Thraumata . Legs. Outwardly pale, silvery white in petrovna and peruviensia sp. nov.; otherwise brown or with a mixture of brown and whitish scales. Foretibial epiphysis rugose; a single pair of striped mid-tibial spurs, two pair on hind-tibia; 3 rows of tibial spines on all legs. Abdomen. Vestiture usually paler than on thorax and concolorous with hindwing surface; abdominal segments typically pale distally, more darkly banded at the anterior end of each segment, with darker scaling more uniformly diffuse below; typical trifine brush organs absent except in T. subvenata comb. nov., which bears a pair of tufts on male sternum A2, without pockets or levers; other species exhibit raised lateral flanges on sternum A2; posterior margin of 8th sternite incised; rods extending from base of sternum A8 to pleurae. Male genitalia. Tegumen raised at base of uncus; vinculum short relative to tegumen; paratergal sclerite visible but fused with tegumen. Valve tapered, not extending beyond tegumen, finely setose throughout and most heavily towards base. Uncus setose, swollen apically, terminating in a small point. Juxta tightly joined with valve and transtilla. Phallus asymmetrically sclerotized, narrow in its basal half; vesica with multiple bubble-like subbasal diverticula and a weakly to heavily sclerotized para-basal plate or lip from the distal end of the phallus; fremen of spermatophore with a well-developed nipple. Female genitalia. Ductus bursae short, membranous, without colliculum; appendix bursae present at posterior end of corpus bursae, but not well differentiated; ductus seminalis arising from appendix bursae; corpus bursae oblong, without signa. Posterior apophyses rodlike, distally modified faintly, if at all. The bowed, ventrally facing configuration of the intersegmental membrane between A8 and A9 deformed so as to orient the corpus bursa at an angle with respect to the ventrally faceing papillae anales.

Immature stages.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Recorded from northern South America, southeastern Brazil, southern Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina along the eastern Andean slopes ( Fig. 16 ).

Figures

Figure 16. Known distribution of Thraumata species.