Circanota simplex Brown

Brown, John W., 2014, Circanota: a new genus of Sparganothini from the Neotropics, and its two new species (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), ZooKeys 462, pp. 125-134 : 129-131

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Tortricidae

Circanota simplex Brown sp. n. Figs 4, 6, 8

Diagnosis.

Circanota simplex can be distinguished superficially from Circanota undulata by the much narrower costal fold of the male forewing, which is broad and well defined in the latter. Otherwise, the two species are indistinguishable. In contrast, the male genitalia are extremely dissimilar between the two: those of Circanota simplex are much less modified than those of Circanota undulata , with a simple sacculus, a more elongate-rounded, somewhat bilobed valva, and a phallus that is much shorter and more pistol shaped. The female genitalia of Circanota simplex likewise are dissimilar to those of Circanota undulata , with a symmetrical sterigma compared to the asymmetrical anterior extension of the sterigma (= antrum) in Circanota undulata .

Description.

Male. Head: Vertex and upper frons uniform fawn brown, lower frons pale cream. Labial palpus fawn brown, paler on inner surface. Antenna pale fawn brown, slightly darker on scape. Thorax: Tegula and notum fawn brown. Forewing (Fig. 4) length 6.0 mm (n = 1); fawn brown mixed throughout with pale orange brown, with faint, narrow, variable traces of slightly darker post-median and subterminal facia, and a few short darker markings along costa; male with costal fold weakly developed, occupying straight basal 0.4 of costa. Hindwing uniform dark gray brown. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 6) with uncus long, slender, uniform in width throughout, curved in distal 0.2; socius rather short, narrow, with slender line of sclerotization along inner edge, bearing long dense scales, secondary arm long, slender, not expanded apically; transtilla slightly arched mesially, with several stout spines; valva short, broad, bilobed rounded distally; sacculus narrow, simple, confined to basal edge of valva, lacking free distal process. Phallus short, pistol shaped; vesica with a field of about 25-30 aciculate, presumably deciduous cornuti.

Female: Head and Thorax: Essentially as described for male, except forewing length 7.0-8.0 mm (mean 7.5; n = 3) and forewing with pattern elements less defined. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 8) with sterigma a narrow sclerotized fig; colliculum weakly developed; ductus bursae uniformly narrow throughout, about as long as corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising from ductus bursae ca. 0.2 length from ostium to junction with corpus bursae; corpus bursae round, signum weakly curved, ribbon-like.

Holotype. Male, Panama, [Canal Zone], Barro Colorado Island, 1-9 May 1964, W. D. & S. S. Duckworth. Deposited in USNM.

Paratypes (1♂, 3♀). PANAMA: Canal Zone: Barro Colorado Island, 1-9 May 1964 (3♀), W. D. & S. S. Duckworth (USNM). ECUADOR: Pichincha, Tinalandia, 16 km E Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 600 m, 5-11 May 1990 (1♂), R. H. Leuschner (USNM).

Distribution and biology.

Circanota simplex is known from Panama and Ecuador, from about sea level to 600 m elevation. Specimens have been collected only in May, but that likely reflects sampling bias rather than a narrow flight period.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the simple, unmodified features of the genitalia as compared with those of Circanota undulata .

Remarks.

The single male from Ecuador agrees well with the holotype of Circanota simplex , but the ventral lobe of the valva is slightly broader in the former. Until additional evidence becomes available, this slight difference is assumed to represent geographic variation.