Magulacra niveogrisea, (SCHAUS, 1905), 2008

Davis, Steve R., Gentili-Poole, Patricia & Mitter, Charles, 2008, A revision of the Cossulinae of Costa Rica and cladistic analysis of the world species (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 154 (2), pp. 222-277 : 259-261

MAGULACRA NIVEOGRISEA ( SCHAUS, 1905)

COMB. NOV.

( FIGS 32, 33 , 69, 70 , 97 , 115, 116 , 139)

Hemipecten niveogrisea Schaus, 1905: 341 .

Cossula niveogrisea Schaus, 1905 , Donahue (1995: 126).

Male ( Fig. 32 ): Forewing length: 8–20 mm.

Head: Antenna light brown; labial palpus brown dorsally, creamy white with some brown ventrally; frons creamy white, slightly irrorated with brown; vertex same as frons.

Thorax: Patagia creamy white with some scales brown apically; dorsum and tegula creamy white; pleura creamy white, interspersed with some brown; venter creamy white and brown. Fore and hind leg with femur and tibia creamy white mesally and mostly brown, irrorated with cream laterally; mid leg with femur mostly brown, irrorated with cream and tibia creamy white mesally and laterally; tarsi mostly creamy white. Forewing dark brown dorsally, with small creamy white spots interspersed throughout wing and along costal margin; base with small patch of creamy white; terminal patch cream to light brown, with small patches of dark brown protruding into the cream area at specific locations; fringe banded creamy white and dark brown; forewing brown ventrally, with creamy white interspersed throughout wing, more so than in dorsal view; creamy white patch at base of discal cell, and creamy white spots along costal margin; terminal patch as in dorsal view. Hindwing variable, from brown dorsally and ventrally, with creamy white along inner margin and termen, to creamy white dorsally and ventrally, with brown along terminal margin; fringe cream to light brown.

Abdomen: Mostly brown to light brown, interspersed creamy white and light grey dorsally; mostly cream ventrally, with brown to light brown scales along midline; dark brown patch along A2–3; A7–8 cream.

Male genitalia ( Figs 69, 70 , 97 ): Valva rather short, with a blunt apical region; length of valva approximately 0.5¥ length of genital capsule; gnathos–uncus expanse approximately 0.8¥ length of genital capsule; saccular process forming a single, somewhat long, narrow spine that protrudes from distal base of valva as viewed laterally; juxta process slightly elongate and mostly fused to membrane of valva; gnathos elongate apically, with apex blunt to rounded; uncus shallowly bifurcate. Aedoeagus with rostellum elongate, slender and incurved, and with rounded apex as viewed laterally; gradually tapering to a slender rostellum with apex rounded as viewed ventrally; vesica with a sparse covering of minute, setiform spines.

Female ( Fig. 33 ): Forewing length: 17 mm.

Head: Antenna with shaft creamy white dorsally; rami dark grey; labial palpus dark grey, almost fuscous dorsally, and creamy white ventrally; frons and vertex creamy white.

Thorax: Patagia creamy white with some dark grey scales; dorsum and tegula creamy white, slightly irrorated with dark grey; pleura creamy white with some dark grey scales; venter creamy white and dark grey. Fore leg with femur and tibia dark grey with creamy white, and tarsi dark grey, banded with creamy white distally on tarsomeres; mid and hind leg with femur and tibia creamy white, irrorated with dark grey, and tibia light gold distally; tarsi mostly creamy white. Forewing mostly grey and light brown dorsally, with a creamy white patch basally; small creamy white patches immediately before mid length, along CuP, and immediately after mid length, along bases of R; several small creamy white spots along costal margin; terminal patch similar to male, except cream area is creamy white with five to seven faint, light brown, parallel bands running from proximal region of terminal patch to wing apex; fringe slightly banded light gold and greyish brown; forewing greyish brown ventrally, with creamy white interspersed throughout entire wing; creamy white and greyish brown banded along costal region; terminal patch similar to dorsal view, but with a more creamy white colour and light gold bands absent. Hindwing greyish brown and creamy white dorsally; brown and cream banded along outer margin; hindwing similar ventrally as in dorsal view, but with slightly more cream; fringe brown and cream banded.

Abdomen: Not examined (specimens dissected previous to the present study).

Female genitalia ( Figs 115, 116 ): Sternite 8 small and triangular; intersegmental membrane between abdominal sternites 7 and 8 with cuticular wrinkles and forming two loosely compressed lobes on either side of the ostium; ductus bursae long and nearly uniform in width along entire length; corpus bursae small and spherical, approximately 0.5¥ length of bursa copulatrix.

Distribution: The species probably occurs throughout Central and South America from Mexico to Brazil.

Holotype: ♂; FRENCH GUIANA: St. Laurent , Maroni, W. Schaus ( USNM) [examined].

Material examined: BRAZIL: ALAGOAS: Ibateguara , 400 m: 5♂, 10–20.iii.1994, V . Becker ( VOB). AMAZO- NAS: Manaus, Reserva Ducke , AM-010: 1 ♂, 14.xii.1993, R . W. Hutchings & J. B. Sullivan, ( USNM) . DISTRITO FEDERAL: Planaltina , 1000 m: 1 ♂, 15.iv.1994, 1 ♂, 24.ii.1976, V . Becker , slides USNM 85705 , 96112 , 96113 , 96137 , SRD 002 (VOB, USNM). MATO GROSSO: Rio Brilhante : 7 ♂, 25.i.1971, V . Becker , slide USNM 85706 ( VOB, USNM) . MATO GROSSO DO SUL: Corumba , 180 m: 2 ♂, 23–25.iv.1985, V . Becker , slides USNM 96053 , VOB 2477 , 2478 ( VOB, USNM) . Corumba , 600 m: 2 ♂, 20–22.iv.1985, V . Becker ( VOB) . RONDONIA: Cacaulandia , 140 m: 1 ♂, xi.1994, V . Becker , ( VOB) . PARA: Maraba : 1♂, 9.i.1977, V . Becker , slide USNM 85703 ( USNM) . COSTA RICA: GUANACASTE: Avangarez : 2 ♂, Schaus ( USNM) . Bagaces, Parque Nacional Palo Verde, Sector Palo Verde , Sendero Mapache , 0–50 m: 2 ♂, 29.vi.–3.vii.2000, H. Mendez ( INBio) . Estación Maritza, Lado oeste del Volcán Orosi , 600 m: 1 ♀, vii.1990, slide USNM 96043 ( INBio) . Finca Jenny , 31 km N Liberia, 300 m: 1 ♂, viii.1988, GNP Biodiversity Survey ( INBio) . La Mariksa, Hacienda Orosi , 550 m: 1 ♂, 25.v.1986, W. Hallwachs & D. H. Janzen ( INBio) . Santa Rosa National Park , 300 m: 1 ♂, vii.1984, D. H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, slide USNM 85659 ( USNM) . HEREDIA: La Selva Biological Station, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui , 40 m: 1 ♂, vi.1987, M. M. Chavarria, slide USNM 85642 ( USNM) . LIMON: Cerro Tortuguero, Parque Nacional Tortuguero , 0–120 m: 1 ♂, i.1993, slide USNM 85641 , 1♂, xii.1992, R . Delgado ( INBio, USNM) . PUNTARENAS: Estación Quebrada Bonita, Reserva Biológica Carara , 50 m: 2 ♂, vi.1992, J. C. Saborio, slide USNM 96032 ( INBio, USNM) . R . Priv. Karen Mogensen, Sendero Cima , 300–400 m: 1 ♂, 26.vi.–9.vii.2003, D. Briceno ( INBio) . MEXICO: CHIAPAS: 1 ♂, C. Hoffmann ( USNM) . PARAGUAY: NUEVA ASUNCIÓN: Nueva Asunción : 1 ♀, 23–25.iii.1986, M. Pogue & M. Solis ( USNM) . VENEZUELA: CARABOBO: San Esteban Valley, Las Guiguas : 1 ♂, xi.– iii.1910, Dognin, 3 ♂, S. M. Klages ( USNM) .

Host: Unknown. Flight period: Over its broad range, adults of this species have been collected in nearly every month.

Discussion: This species is superficially very similar to two species that do not occur in Costa Rica ( M. nigripennata Dognin from Brazil and Panama, and an undescribed species from Guyana). The forewing pattern of niveogrisea characteristically possesses a few, small, brown scale patches that protrude into the cream-coloured area of the terminal patch, as well as 5–7 tiny creamy white spots present only in this species and located midway along the wing immediately below the subcostal vein ( Fig. 32 ). The hindwing in niveogrisea is usually whitish cream, but can range from light brown to cream. In nigripennata and the undescribed Guyanese species, the cream area of the terminal patch is uninterrupted by any protruding patches of brown, and the hindwings are typically brown.

The male genitalia of niveogrisea are characterized by a long, slender gnathos, which is only slightly bilobed terminally, a smaller and more narrow saccular process on the valva, shorter juxta process and smaller, more sparsely arranged spines on the vesica of the aedoeagus. In nigripennata the gnathos is more strongly bilobed, the saccular process is broader, the juxta process is longer and the vesica is densely covered with slightly larger spines.

Of these three species, the female is known only for niveogrisea . However, considering how relatively conserved the female genital morphology is in Cossulinae , it is unlikely that knowledge of the other two females would provide any significant information on these relationships.

Figures

Figures 32–43. Adults: 32, male, Magulacra niveogrisea; 33, female, Magulacra niveogrisea; 34, male, Cossula arpi; 35, female, Cossula arpi; 36, male, Cossula buspina; 37, male, Cossula coerulescens; 38, female, Cossula coerulescens; 39, male, Cossula cossuloides; 40, female, Cossula cossuloides; 41, male, Cossula duplex; 42, female, Cossula duplex; 43, male, Cossula duplexata. Scale bar = 10.0 mm.

Figures 65–76. Male genitalia. Spinulata quasivinnea: 65, genital capsule; 66, aedoeagus. Simplicivalva ampliophilobia: 67, genital capsule; 68, aedoeagus. Magulacra niveogrisea: 69, genital capsule; 70, aedoeagus. Cossula arpi: 71, genital capsule; 72, aedoeagus. Cossula buspina: 73, genital capsule; 74, aedoeagus. Cossula coerulescens: 75, genital capsule; 76, aedoeagus.

Figures 95–100. Male genitalia, lateral view of genital capsule: 95, Spinulata quasivinnea; 96, Simplicivalva ampliophilobia; 97, Magulacra niveogrisea; 98, Cossula arpi; 99, Cossula buspina; 100, Cossula coerulescens. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figures 113–118. Female genitalia and enlargement of ostium and sternite 8: Spinulata quasivinnea: 113, genitalia; 114, enlargement. Magulacra niveogrisea: 115, genitalia; 116, enlargement. Cossula arpi: 117, genitalia; 118, enlargement.