Amorbia cacao Phillips & Powell, 2007

Phillips-Rodríguez, Eugenie & Powell, Jerry A., 2007, Phylogenetic relationships, systematics, and biology of the species of Amorbia Clemens (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Sparganothini)., Zootaxa 1670 (1670), pp. 1-109 : 30-32

16. Amorbia cacao Phillips & Powell , new species

Figs. 3, 4, 6, 37, 38, 78, 101, 121, 135

DIAGNOSIS. This species is closely related to Amorbia nuptana . Amorbia cacao can be distinguished by the symmetrically bifurcate spines in the costal fold of the male and the presence of unmodified anal scales on the HW that are concolorous with the wing. The female HW of A. cacao is brownish orange with darker scales scattered over the anal area.

DESCRIPTION. MALE. FW Length 10.4–12.0 mm (mean = 11.2; n = 10). HEAD: Frons concave, naked. Labial palpus hazel brown laterally, paler on inner surface. THORAX: Dorsum tan, tegula concolorous. FW hazel brown with subbasal and median fasciae and termen chestnut. Costal fold 0.33 length of wing. Sc enlarged in basal 0.5, with row of symmetrically bifurcate spines medially. HW dark brown, apex with hazel brown and chestnut scales. Anal area with unmodified scales. ABDOMEN: Hazel brown. Genitalia as in Fig. 78 (slide # 700494, INBio, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Estación Cacao; n = 3). Transtilla rectangular with spines evenly distributed. Sacculus sclerotized, 0.6X length of valva, emarginate in middle. Aedeagus 0.8X length of valva, straight basally, bent at 0.75 from base .

FEMALE. FW length 12.8–16.0 mm (mean = 14.2; n = 15). HEAD and THORAX: Similar to male but FW pattern obscure, base pale brown with hazel brown fasciae. HW brownish orange with brown scales scattered over anal area. ABDOMEN: Genitalia as in Fig. 101 (slide # 125475, INBio, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Estación Cacao; n = 5). Pockets of lamella antevaginalis rounded; sinus rounded. Ductus bursae with sclerotized boot-shaped region in posterior 0.2 .

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype: Male: COSTA RICA: GUANACASTE: Estación Cacao, 1000–1400 m SW side Volcán Cacao , LN 323300, 375700, viii.1997 (E. Phillips rearing record EPR-05-97) E. Phillips ( INBio).

Paratypes. CARTAGO: Tapantí, Río Grande de Orosi, 1300–1400 m, 1 F, 23.i.1985 (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio). GUANACASTE: 2M, 4F same data as holotype (1M, 4F, INBio, 1M, EME). Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Sector Cacao, 1M, 5.iii.1997 (r.f. Alfaroa guanacastensis (Juglandaceae) , voucher 97-SRNP-754) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1M, 26.ii.2000 (r.f. Inga sp. (Fabaceae) , voucher 00- SRNP-9046) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1M, 8.iii.2000 (r.f. Ocotea sp. (Lauraceae) , voucher 00- SRNP-9136) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1F, 16.iv.2000 (r.f. Licaria sp. (Lauraceae) , voucher 00- SRNP-9245) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio). 1F, 5.ix.2000 (r.f. Beilschmiedia sp. (Lauraceae) , voucher 00-SRNP-10256) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1F, 7.ix.2000 (r.f. Rosa sinensis (Rosaceae) , voucher 00-SRNP-10352) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1F, 10.iii.2001 (r.f. Erechtites hieracifolia (Asteraceae) , voucher 01-SRNP-7408) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1F, 8.iv.2001 (r.f. Licaria sp. (Lauraceae) , voucher 01-SRNP-6509) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1M, 24.viii.2001 (r.f. Cinnamomum brenesii (Lauraceae) , voucher 01-SRNP-7144) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1F, 18.ix.2001 (r.f., Ocotea veraguensis (Lauraceae) , voucher 01-SRNP-7398) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1M, 1.x.2001 (r.f. Rosa sinensis (Rosaceae) , voucher 01-SRNP-7387) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1F, 9.ix.2002 (r.f. Xylosma chlorantha (Flacourtiaceae) , voucher 02-SRNP-23377) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1M, 7.iii.2003 (r.f. Meliosma glabrata (Sabiaceae) , voucher 03-SRNP-3337) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1F, 9.iii.2003 (r.f. Connarus sp. (Connaraceae) , voucher 03-SRNP-3283) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio), 1M, 11.iii.2003 (r.f. Chrysochlamys glauca (Clusiaceae) , voucher 03-SRNP-3340) (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio). Derrumbe, Estación Cacao, 1 km W de Cerro Cacao, 1100–1400 m, LN 3237000, 376700, 1F, 15.iii.1987 ( USNM), 1M, 13/ 26.vi.1987, 1M, 1F, vii.1987, 2F, 7.v.1988 (1F, EME), 1F, vi.1988, 1M, 5.vi.1988, 1F, vii.1988, 1F, 11.vii.1988 (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio); Derrumbe, lado SO (SW) Volcán Cacao, P.N. Guanacaste, 1000–1400 m, LN 323300, 375700, 8 M, v.1988, 1M, 1F, ii.1989 (GNP Biodiversity Survey, INBio), 1M, x.1989 (R. Blanco & C. Chaves, INBio), 1M, xii.1990, 1M, iii.1991, 11M, 3F, iv.1991, 3M, v.1991, 5M, 8/ 30.vi.1991 (1M, USNM), 1M, 8/ 29.vii.1991, 1M, viii.1991, 1M, ix.1991 (C. Chaves, INBio), 2M, xi/ xii.1990 (C. Chaves & R. Espinoza, INBio), 1M, 21/ 29.v.1992 (D. Brenes, INBio), 1M, 21/ 29.v.1992 (E. Phillips, INBio), 1M, 21/ 28.v.1992 (G. Rodríguez, INBio), 1M, viii.1991 (D. García, INBio), 3M, vi/ viii.1991 (A. Guadamuz, INBio), 3M, vi.1990 (II Curso Ptx., INBio), 1M, vi.1996 (I. Villegas & C. Moraga, INBio), 1M, vii.1996 (C. Moraga, INBio); Finca La Luz, W side Volcán Cacao, 1000 m, 4M, 2F, 3/ 8.viii.1986 (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio). P.N. Rincón, 4 km E Casetilla, 1F, 11.iv.1983 (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs); Est. Pitilla, 9 km S Sta. Cecilia, 700 m, 85º25'40"W, 10º59'26"N, 1M, iii.1989 (GNP Biodiversity Survey, INBio), 1F, 12/ 30.i.1993 (C. Moraga, INBio). GUATEMALA: SOLOLA: Panajachel, 5000 ft, 1F [no date] (Walsingham, USNM).

DISTRIBUTION AND BIOLOGY. Amorbia cacao was found in northwestern Costa Rica and Guatemala at 1000–1400 m elevation ( Fig. 135). Flight records include most months of the year.

IMMATURE STAGES ( Fig. 121). Larvae hatched 8 days after eggs were laid and fed on synthetic diet. Pupation occurred after an average of 36 days (n = 7), and adults emerged an average of 16 days after pupation. Last instar larvae are ca. 2.5 cm in length (n =3) with a dark genal band; the prothoracic shield lacked the dark lateral band present in other species. The anal comb is well developed. Pupal cases (n = 7) have evidence of a residual dorsal pit not evident on the adults. Janzen & Hallwachs (2006) report that larvae collected in the field measured 2.0 to 2.1 cm as last instars, and they described the larvae as green with white lateral bands and a yellowish to reddish head.

HOST PLANT RECORDS. Amorbia cacao has been reared from larvae collected on Asteraceae : Erechtites hieracifolia ; Fabaceae : Inga longispica , Inga sp. ; Flacourtiaceae : Xylosma chlorantha ; Juglandaceae : Alfaroa guanacastensis ; Lauraceae : Beilschmiedia sp. , Ocotea veraguensis , Ocotea sp. , Licaria sp. , and Cinnamomum brenesii ; Rosaceae : Rosa sinensis ; Sabiaceae : Meliosma glabrata ; Clusiaceae : Chrysochlamys glauca ( Janzen & Hallwachs, 2006) .

ETYMOLOGY. The species name refers to the collecting locality of most of the material examined: Volcán Cacao, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It is treated as a noun in apposition.