Menevia cordillera, 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 : 95

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Mimallonidae

Menevia cordillera sp. n. Figs 63, 64, 90; Map 5

Type material.

Holotype, ♂: PERU: 1584, San Gaban [San Gabán], Peru, 2500 ft, March–April 1913/ Joicey Coll. Brit. Mus. 1925-157/ St. Laurent diss.: 6-29-15:8/ BMNH(E) 1378757/ HOLOTYPE male Menevia cordillera St Laurent and Dombroskie, 2016 [handwritten red label]/ (NHMUK). Type locality: Peru: Puno: Carabaya: San Gabán.

Paratype, 1 ♂: BOLIVIA: Rio Songo [ Río Zongo], 750 m: Coll. Fassl, Dognin Collection, USNM-Mimal: 2599, St. Laurent diss.: 4-25-15:17 (USNM). - Paratype with the following yellow label: PARATYPE male Menevia cordillera St Laurent and Dombroskie, 2016.

Diagnosis.

This new species, like Menevia vulgaricula , is quite small in comparison with the widespread Menevia vulgaris and the southeast Brazilian Menevia franclemonti . Due to the small size of Menevia cordillera , it may be confused with the allopatric Menevia vulgaricula but can easily be differentiated by the deeper reddish brown coloration, more sharply acute apices of the more elongated forewings, straighter hindwing margins, and by the male genitalia. The phallus of Menevia cordillera is somewhat reminiscent of that of Menevia vulgaricula , but with a more triangularly shaped anterior dorsal bulge and rounded, not peg-like, lobes at the base of the phallus. Overall, the phallus of Menevia cordillera is broader than that of Menevia vulgaricula . No other Menevia species are known from the Cordillera Oriental, besides the clearly distinct Menevia torvamessoria .

Description.

Male.Head: Light brown-gray, eyes large comprising about two-thirds of head area, eyes bordered posteriorly by dark brown collar of scales reaching labial palpi, labial palpi large, robust for genus, dorsally with darker scales contrasting with overall gray coloration. Scape and pedicel weakly tufted. Thorax: As for genus. Light tan. Legs: As for genus. Tibial spurs short, stout. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 22-23 mm, avg.: 22.5 mm, n = 2. Very acutely triangular, apical half of outer margin deeply concave, apex very falcate. Ground color gray with deep reddish brown suffusion throughout medial area, brighter 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, gray mark connecting discal spot to costa. Apex marked by black scales above extended apical dash. Black postmedial line mostly straight except when approaching apex where sharply curved, strongly contrasting. Submarginal area light gray with whitish suffusion mesally, sometimes appearing as faint zigzag, submarginal area with distinct white band originating from apical dash, white band follows postmedial line from apex to anal wing margin. Antemedial line very faint, brown, curved outwards. Forewing venter: As in forewing dorsum but antemedial area lighter gray, more contrasting, antemedial line absent, small black discal mark present. Hindwing dorsum: Triangular, outer margin very straight, anal angle weakly accentuated, reddish coloration near anal angle, bleeding into medial area, similar coloration and patterning as forewings, antemedial line absent, postmedial line sharply bent toward anterior wing margin, weakly concave mesally. Hindwing venter: Following similar pattern as forewing venter, but red coloration near anal angle much darker, discal mark absent. Abdomen: As for genus, but elongated, nearly sphingiform. Midventral stripe absent. Genitalia: (Fig. 90) n = 2. Tegumen elongated, moderately narrow, weakly constricted near base of gnathos. Vinculum elongated, narrow, ovoid, somewhat rounded ventrally. Valves relatively narrow, rounded, saccular edge of left valve with large triangular tooth proximal to transtilla, right valve with tooth slightly reduced in size, both valves with smaller mesal costal tooth originating from central ridge of valve, mesal costal projection immediately above saccular edge teeth, apex of projection pointed toward saccular edge. Valves truncated apically. Uncus very narrow, acutely triangular, quadrate or rounded apically. Gnathos as two prominent, converging, flattened, sclerotized, flap-like, somewhat triangular, upward facing extensions with truncated apices. Juxtal processes shorter than phallus, curving toward apex of phallus. Juxtal processes thin, covered in fine setae. Base of phallus with paired, backwards facing, short, rounded, diverging lobes. Phallus cylindrical, dorsum with accentuated triangular bulging projection situated anteriorly, covered in setae. Left edge of rolled phallus uneven but forming anteriorly situated, setae covered, triangular bulge, base of sclerotized terminus of phallus with prominent ventral bump, angled away from distal end of the phallus, distal tip of phallus separated into two, elongated, distinct points. Vesica elongated, bag-like, covered in setae laterally, originating from progressively weakened sclerotization. Female. Unknown.

Distribution

(Map 5). Menevia cordillera is apparently restricted to the Cordillera Oriental of Peru and Bolivia at moderate elevations, from 750-760 m in elevation.

Etymology.

This new species is named for the Andean Cordillera Oriental, to which this species is endemic.

Remarks.

Menevia cordillera is very closely related to both Menevia vulgaris and Menevia vulgaricula based on general external characters and the genitalia morphology. These three species may represent taxa of a species complex that spans throughout northern South America.

An additional specimen from the Yungas of Bolivia, in the collection of Daniel Herbin (Bc-Her2532) as seen in the BOLD database, almost certainly belongs to this new species. However, we were unable to examine this specimen and thus it cannot be included in the type series, but we report it here as it provides additional distributional data.