Menevia australis, St. Laurent, Ryan A. & Dombroskie, Jason J., 2016

St. Laurent, Ryan A. & Dombroskie, Jason J., 2016, Revision of the genus Menevia Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the description of 11 new species, ZooKeys 566, pp. 31-116 : 79-80

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Mimallonidae

Menevia australis sp. n. Figs 45, 46, 51, 56, 57, 86, 100; Map 4

Type material.

Holotype, ♂: BRAZIL: Santa Catarina: Jaragua [ Jaraguá do Sul], Santa Catharina, Brazil, 5 Sept 1934, Fritz Hoffmann/ PARATYPE Menevia elegans J. G. Franclemont/ St. Laurent diss.: 6-19-15:4/ Franclemont’s label refers to a MS name./ HOLOTYPE male Menevia australis St Laurent and Dombroskie, 2016 [handwritten red label]/ (CUIC). Type locality: Brazil: Santa Catarina: Jaraguá do Sul.

Paratypes, 19 ♂, 9 ♀: BRAZIL: Santa Catarina: 3 ♂, São Bento do Sul, Rio Vermelho, 850 m: 16.IX.1985, Mielke, Rank & Casagrande leg., DZ 32.713-32.715 (DZUP). 1 ♀, São Bento do Sul, Rio Natal, 26°20'2"S, 49°18'30"W, 450 m: 2.X.2014, I. Rank leg, Col. Mielke 28.976 (CGCM). 5 ♂, 2 ♀, Jaraguá do Sul: 13.IX.1934, 14.IX.1934, 15.IX.1934, 19.IX.1934, 6.X.1934, 8.X.1934, Fritz Hoffmann, Franclemont diss.: 1761, 1762, St. Laurent diss.: 4-25-15:3, 6-19-15:5 (CUIC). 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Nova Bremen [ Dalbérgia], 250 m: 17.IX.1933, 26.III.1934, Carn. Mus. Acc. 11040, St. Laurent diss.: 7-30-15:1 (CMNH). 1 ♂, 1 ♀, no additional locality data: USNM-Mimal: 2434, 2851, St. Laurent diss.: 4-25-15:1 (USNM). São Paulo: 1 ♀, Campinas: 1.IV.1902, Coll. A. Hempel, Holland Collection, St. Laurent diss.: 4-25-15:4 (CMNH). 9 ♂, 3 ♀, Guapiara, Paivinha, 800 m: 12.IX.2007, 16-19.IX.2005, C. Mielke leg, 25.777, 25.811, 26.498, 26.567, 26.573, 27.126, 27.134, 28.833, 28.841, 28.869, 28.880, 28.906 Col. C. Mielke, C. Mielke diss.: 25.811 (CGCM). - All paratypes with the following yellow label: PARATYPE male/female Menevia australis St Laurent and Dombroskie, 2016.

Diagnosis.

Menevia australis is similar to Menevia plagiata in both sexes, but can be distinguished in both sexes by slightly broader wings, deeper brown coloration, and by the white band along the postmedial line, which terminates at the apex somewhat mesally along the length of the apical dash. The white band is either nearly perpendicular to the apical dash or it forms a roughly 45 degree angle with it. The white band may be somewhat curved toward the apex as in Menevia plagiata , but does not reach the apical tip of the wing. Male genitalia are easily recognized by the rounded hump or short triangular protuberance on the dorsal surface of the phallus, easily distinguishing the male genitalia from those of Menevia plagiata and Menevia alurca , which both have very elongated dorsal protuberances on the phallus. Additionally, the uncus is narrower and more triangular in Menevia australis . The VIII tergite in the female genitalia of Menevia australis forms a rounded arc and is not triangular as in Menevia plagiata and Menevia alurca .

Description.

Male.Head: Gray-brown or light brown, eyes large comprising about two-thirds of head area, eyes bordered posteriorly by darker brown collar of scales reaching labial palpi, labial palpi very small, dorsally with darker scales contrasting with overall gray coloration. Scape and pedicel tufted. Thorax: As for genus. Light gray-brown to light brown. Legs: As for genus. Tibial spurs small to moderate in length, almost entirely scaled. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 21.5-23 mm, avg.: 22.4 mm, n = 7. Triangular, apical half of outer margin concave, apex falcate. Ground color gray-brown with caramel brown or almost slate gray suffusion throughout medial area, reddish coloration near apex along apical interior of postmedial line, overall lightly speckled by dark petiolate scales. Discal spot faintly marked by light gray oblong shape, thin gray mark connecting discal spot to costa. Apex marked by black scales above apical dash, especially near apical tip. Postmedial line straight or weakly undulated, line black, strongly contrasting. Submarginal area light gray with whitish suffusion mesally forming faint or conspicuous zigzag, postmedial lunule as white band originating mesally from apical dash, white band follows postmedial line from apex to midway along postmedial line becoming zigzagged diffusion, white band resumes near anal margin. Antemedial line faint, brown, curved outwards. Forewing venter: As in forewing dorsum but grayer rather than brownish, antemedial line absent. Hindwing dorsum: Subtriangular, anal angle weakly accentuated, reddish coloration usually present near anal angle, similar coloration and patterning as forewings, except postmedial lunule present as zigzagged mark similar to zigzagged diffusion on forewing, mark originating from white outer band along first quarter of postmedial line, postmedial line sharply bent toward anterior wing margin, sometimes weakly concave mesally. Hindwing venter: Following similar pattern as forewing venter, but red coloration near anal angle much darker, almost brown. Abdomen: As for genus but somewhat elongated, nearly sphingiform. Coloration a continuation of gray thoracic color. Dark, contrasting midventral stripe present. Genitalia: (Fig. 86) n = 6. Tegumen ovoid, weakly constricted near base of gnathos. Vinculum rectangular, somewhat quadrate ventrally. Valves triangular, saccular edge of left valve with large triangular tooth proximal to transtilla, right valve with tooth slightly reduced in size, both valves with central tooth originating from central ridge of valve, tooth immediately above saccular edge teeth, apex of central tooth pointed toward saccular edge. Valves truncated distally, bent slightly outward near apex, rounded apically. Uncus narrow, triangular, apex rounded. Gnathos as two prominent flattened, moderately sclerotized, flap-like, somewhat triangular, outward-facing extensions with truncated apices. Apices usually form fingerlike projections of varying length. Juxtal processes roughly phallus length, moderately sclerotized, curving toward apex of phallus. Juxtal processes very thin, flattened, covered in fine setae. Base of phallus with paired, backwards facing, moderately elongated, rounded, diverging lobes. Phallus irregularly shaped, unevenly edged dorsum with prominent rounded, triangular, or somewhat rectangular setae covered hump. Left edge of rolled phallus uneven, forming hump; right edge usually with setae covered bulge laterally, base of sclerotized terminus of phallus with prominent ventral bump, angled away from distal end of phallus, distal tip of phallus separated into two distinct points of varying length. Vesica small, sac-like. Female.Head: As in male. Thorax: As in male. Legs: As in male, tibial spurs stouter. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 29.5-32 mm, avg: 30.3 mm, n = 1. Maculation as in male, wing broader, more ovoid, less triangular, outer white band of postmedial line intercepts apical dash mesally or dissipates before reaching mark, dark scaling above apical dash spread over length of apical dash. Forewing venter: As in forewing dorsum but usually grayer. Hindwing dorsum: As in male but more rounded, less triangular. Hindwing venter: Following similar pattern as forewing venter, reddish-brown suffusion near anal angle much darker, contrasting. Abdomen: As in male but more robust. Sternite of VIII as pair of elongated, broad or very narrow sclerotized bands curving toward each other near anterior edge of VIII segment, but not converging. Genitalia: (Fig. 100) n = 2. Tergite of VIII forms curved, rounded, posteriorly directed arc. Apophyses anteriores shorter than apophyses posteriores. Lamella antevaginalis thin, C-shaped, weakly notched mesally near ostium bursae. Ductus bursae narrow. Papillae anales subtriangular, covered in setae.

Distribution

(Map 4). This new species is so far known only from southeastern Brazil in the northeast of Santa Catarina state and eastern São Paulo state. Menevia australis is likely present in intervening eastern Paraná as well.

Etymology.

Menevia australis is named for its southerly distribution, which among Menevia , is only shared with Menevia magna . Additionally, Menevia australis seems to represent the southeast most extension of the Menevia plagiata species complex, replacing Menevia plagiata farther southeast.

Remarks.

Menevia australis is the southeasternmost species of the Menevia plagiata complex and is quite difficult to separate from true Menevia plagiata without a genitalia dissection or geographic information. However, upon thorough examination of the male and female genitalia, external diagnostic characters became readily apparent and have been presented above in the diagnosis. Additionally, the allopatric distribution of these species suggests that they are two separate species, albeit very closely related. The allopatric distribution patterns of Menevia australis and Menevia plagiata are not unique, similar allopatry was shown in two closely related Saturniidae by Mielke et al. (2012) wherein there is a distinct gap in eastern São Paulo state. This gap is probably not due to lack of collecting as the region has been extensively sampled (C. Mielke pers. comm.).

Both Menevia australis and Menevia franclemonti sp. n. described below, were originally recognized as distinct by J. G. Franclemont, and given manuscript names, but never formally described. The holotype and some paratypes of Menevia australis (all from Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil) bear labels reading “PARATYPE,” “HOLOTYPE,” or “ALLOTYPE” with Franclemont’s manuscript name Menevia ‡ elegans . In addition to our holotype and paratype labels, we have placed labels on these specimens stating that Franclemont’s labels represent a manuscript name.