Menevia pallida Herbin & Mielke, 2014

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 : 64-68

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Mimallonidae

Menevia pallida Herbin & Mielke, 2014 Figs 34, 35, 39, 40, 41, 82, 97; Map 3

Menevia pallida Herbin & Mielke, 2014: 147-149; figs ♂ 52-54, ♂ genitalia 55, 56

Type material.

Holotype, ♂: BRAZIL: Maranhão: genitalia prep. D. Herbin, ref H. 986 [blue label]/ BRESIL Maranhao [ Maranhão], Feira Nova do Maranhão, Retiro, 480 m. 21-25.II.2012, - 07°00'31"S, - 46°26'41"W, C. Mielke leg. Coll. D. Herbin / DZ 15.734/ Holotype ♂, Menevia pallida Herbin & Mielke det., Antenor 2014 [red label]/ (DZUP) [examined]. Type locality: Brazil: Maranhão: Feira Nova do Maranhão.

Paratype, 1 ♂, BRAZIL: Maranhão: Feira Nova do Maranhão, Retiro, 46°26'41"W, - 07°00'31"S, 480 m: 16-17.II.2013, C. Mielke leg., Paratypus Menevia pallida Herbin & C. Mielke det., 2014 [green label], Col. C. Mielke 26.349, St. Laurent diss.: 6-16-15:3 (CGCM).

Additional specimen examined.

BRAZIL: Maranhão: 1 ♀, Caixas, Reserva Ecol. Inhamum, 13°12'S, 45°27'W [given coordinates inaccurate], 110 m: 27.II.2006-1.III.2006, lençol e luz mista [sheet and mixed light], F. Limeira-de-Oliveira & J.C. Silva cols, Coleção Embrapa- CPAC No. 20053, [missing abdomen, no genitalia prep.] (CPAC).

Additional questionable specimens examined.

(3 ♀ total) BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: 1 ♀, Lassance: 12.XI.1919, Cornel Univ. Expedition Lot 569, Sub 116, Cornell U. Lot 672, Sub 385 Det. W. Schaus [ ostia ♀], St. Laurent diss.: 4-20-15:6 (CUIC). PARAGUAY: 1 ♀, Amambay, Parque Nacional Cerro Corá, 22°39'S, 56°01'W: 7-10.IV.1986, M. Pogue & M. Solis, St. Laurent diss.: 5-8-15:1 (USNM). 1 ♀, Guairá, Villarrica: 21.IX.1926, F. Schade, ex. Joicey coll. 1925-157, BMNH(E) 1377142 (NHMUK).

Diagnosis.

Menevia pallida can be differentiated from the somewhat larger, but very similar Menevia ostia by the pale tan to yellowish brown ground color as opposed to gold or pale yellow. Additionally, the dark speckling is usually heavier due to the presence of more petiolate scales. The hindwings are without bright, obvious, zigzagged postmedial lunules as in Menevia ostia . In both Menevia pallida and Menevia parostia , the placement of the postmedial line on the hindwing is closer to the wing margin than to midway along the length of the wing as it is in Menevia ostia . The phallic ridge is more smoothly curved and less quadrate terminally than in Menevia ostia , with the front edge of the phallic ridge evenly sloped rather than squared. The female of Menevia pallida is smaller than those of Menevia ostia . We are unable to provide characters to differentiate the unique female of Menevia parostia from female Menevia pallida , although the females of Menevia pallida at our disposal (both true and questionable specimens) are always slightly larger than the unique specimen of Menevia parostia .

Description.

Male.Head: Pale tan, eyes bordered posteriorly by dark brown collar of scales reaching labial palpi, labial palpi small, segments somewhat well defined ventrally, dorsally with darker scales contrasting with overall lighter coloration. Scape and pedicel weakly tufted. Thorax: As for genus. Pale gold-tan. Legs: As for genus. Tibial spurs relatively thick. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 15.5-17 mm, avg.: 16.3 mm, n = 2. Triangular, apical half of outer margins weakly concave, apex slightly falcate. Ground color pale tan to yellowish, moderately speckled by dark petiolate scales. Discal spot faintly marked by gray. Apex marked by black scales above apical dash. Black postmedial line mostly straight, sometimes weakly undulating or kinked. Submarginal area pale gray, postmedial lunule originating from near where apical dash meets postmedial line, lunule follows postmedial line from apex to one quarter length of postmedial line where lunule smoothly curves outward toward wing margin becoming somewhat diffuse, forming acute angle with postmedial line. White accessory mark present near tornus. Antemedial line faint, brown, undulating. Forewing venter: As in forewing dorsum but two postmedial lines present, both much fainter than single line on dorsum, one line convex near tornus and slightly undulating, the other straight, following the postmedial line of wing dorsum, antemedial line absent, small black elongated discal spot present. Hindwing dorsum: Rounded, anal angle weakly accentu ated, similar coloration and patterning as forewings, postmedial lunule very vague, wavy, not zigzagged, originating near anterior wing margin, following curvature of wing margin, not steeply swept to margin, antemedial area lighter, postmedial line straight, weakly undulating near anal angle. Hindwing venter: Following similar pattern as forewing venter but discal mark absent, marginal area color as surrounding area. Abdomen: As for genus. Coloration a continuation of thoracic color. Midventral stripe absent. Genitalia: (Fig. 82) n = 2. Tegumen subtriangular to nearly ovoid. Vinculum narrow, somewhat accentuated quadrate corners. Valves slightly asymmetrical, short, saccular edge of left valve with large triangular tooth proximal to transtilla, right valve with tooth much reduced in size, both valves with smaller central ridge immediately above saccular edge teeth. Valves somewhat indented mesally, rounded apically. Uncus triangular, apex sharp, moderately hooked. Gnathos as two, flattened, spade-shaped outward facing flaps, bent inward, tips nearly meeting. Juxtal processes shorter than phallus, narrow, flattened, slightly curved, smooth. Base of phallus with paired, rounded, diverging, backwards facing fingerlike lobes. Phallus curved, broad, lengthwise dorsal ridge present. Left edge of phallus forms distinct setae covered ridge, extended along phallus length, smoothly sloped at anterior terminus, distal tip of phallus weakly downturned separated into two distinct, bent points. Vesica bag-like. Female.Head: As in male but scales paler, labial palpi longer, thinner, dorsally covered in less dark scales. Thorax: As in male. Legs: As in male. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 21 mm, n = 1. Coloration and patterning exactly as in male, wing shape broader. Forewing venter: As in forewing dorsum but lighter, markings subdued, postmedial line much fainter, weakly bent near tornus; antemedial line not present; faint, elongated black discal spot present, darkest mesally. Hindwing dorsum: As in male but slightly broader, larger, submarginal area grayish. Hindwing venter: Following similar pattern as forewing venter except lighter with very little maculation. [Abdomen and genitalia based on a questionable specimen from Minas Gerais that may not be attributable to Menevia pallida , the single Maranhão female is missing an abdomen and thus genitalia are unavailable]. Abdomen: As in male, but stouter. Sternite of VIII as pair of elongated sclerotized bands, bowed out midway along length. Genitalia: (Fig. 97) n = 1. VIII prominently sclerotized laterally, appendicular apophyses absent. Tergite of VIII arch-like, converging mesally to form posteriorly directed point. Apophyses anteriores shorter than apophyses posteriores. Lamella antevaginalis as semicircular, sclerotized band. Ductus bursae short. Papillae anales subtriangular when viewed ventrally, covered in setae.

Distribution

(Map 3). Menevia pallida is potentially restricted to drier Cerrado habitat. Reliable records exist only from the Brazilian state of Maranhão. We questionably consider a female specimen from eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil to be this species due to the presence of Cerrado at that locality ( IBGE 2004). Additional records from Paraguay are herein provisionally considered Menevia pallida , but likely represent an additional undescribed species, see remarks below.

Remarks.

The recently described Menevia pallida is not very distinct from the widespread Menevia ostia or from the unique specimen of Menevia parostia . The differences between Menevia pallida and Menevia ostia , while present, provide only a weak basis on which to consider these taxa as separate species. The original description of Menevia pallida was based on comparisons with Menevia lantona , which was considered the most similar species by Herbin and Mielke (2014). Menevia ostia was not mentioned by these authors, despite the almost exact same external and genitalia morphologies of the males of the two species. In addition, the authors reported that the genitalia of Menevia pallida are "the same" as Menevia lantona , which we have found not to be the case. The genitalia of the holotype of Menevia pallida in Herbin and Mielke (2014) displays very little resemblance to any Menevia lantona dissections that we have reviewed (compare Figs 72 and 82). Most notably, the uncus of Menevia lantona is handbell shaped rather than triangular, the valves narrower, the gnathos processes more flattened and triangular, and finally the phallus of Menevia lantona is of an entirely different shape. The phallus of Menevia lantona lacks a dorsal ridge, which is a prominent character of the entire ostia species-group. Apparently the phallus of Menevia pallida was not fully examined during the description, as it was not figured separately from the rest of the genitalia nor was it removed from the genitalia when one of us examined the genitalia preparation.

Despite the issues with the original description of Menevia pallida , we still consider it a valid species based primarily on environmental differences, consistently smaller size, paler tan rather than golden coloration, the position of the hindwing postmedial line in females, and the potential difference in female genitalia compared to female Menevia ostia . The female from Caixas, Maranhão, Brazil, was collected about 440 km northeast of the type locality of Menevia pallida , and from the same Cerrado habitat ( Silva et al. 2012), and thus is the single female specimen most likely associated with Menevia pallida . We consider this association reliable because the size and maculation agree perfectly with the examined holotype and paratype males of Menevia pallida .

The single female from Lassance, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which we associate here with Menevia pallida , albeit questionably, is relatively small and pale compared to Menevia ostia females from Central America and northern South America, and consequently seems more in line with Menevia pallida . However, as explained in the remarks to Menevia ostia , some populations from Atlantic Forest localities are similarly pale. Pending upon the availability of additional specimens of both sexes from Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, we are unable to conclusively allocate these populations to either species.

We consider two females from Paraguay to be Menevia pallida due to their localities near the Cerrado, small size, and pale coloration. However, the forewing shape is less rounded than in female Menevia ostia and Menevia pallida , making the Paraguayan specimens appear rather distinct (see Fig. 41). Because of this morphological difference, these specimens were not included when writing the female description for Menevia pallida . Due to the fact that we lack males from Paraguay, we are unable to determine conclusively whether the specimens from Paraguay represent Menevia pallida or a distinct, undescribed species. Regardless, the specimens from Paraguay certainly belong to the ostia species-group and are treated here in the present study as they represent the only records of Menevia from Paraguay and are therefore significant.