Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout, 1910

Hausmann, Axel, Chainey, John, Heard, Tim A., Kay, Fernando Mc & Raghu, S., 2016, Revision of the genus Eueupithecia Prout, 1910 from Argentina (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Sterrhinae), Zootaxa 4138 (2), pp. 392-400 : 394-396

Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout, 1910

Figures 1, 2

Prout, 1910: 275, Plate XLVIII, fig. 5.

Holotype female, Argentina, Buenos Aires, 30.I.1903, specimen no. 958956, slide no. Geom 24856 (NHM). Holotype examined by the first and second author (see Figure 2 ). Female holotype genitalia photographed.

Material examined. Holotype (see above). Paratypes. 4 males, 1 female, “ Argentina. Gran Chaco. Nr.Florenzia. Oct. 1902. S.R.Wagner. 1903-180.” (confirmation of conspecifity requiring further examination); 1 male, 1 female, “Buenos Ayres 86.15 Eueupithecia cisplatensis Berg ”; 1 male, “Buenos Aires A.F.Bayne (I)” / “487” / “ Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout cotype” [in Prout’s hand]; 1 male, 1 female, “Buenos Aires 29.1.0 5 A.F.B. VI.” / “ Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout cotype” [in Prout’s hand]; 1 female, “Buenos Aires 19.1.0 9 A.F.B. VI.” / “ Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout cotype” [in Prout’s hand]; holotype and all paratypes in coll. NHM. Other material examined. Coll. NHM. 1 female “R. Zapenaga, near Florencia, Gran Chaco, XII. 1902. (Wagner)” / “Rothschild bequest. B.M.1939-1” / “ Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout ” [in Prout’s hand], coll. NHM; 1 female, “Belgrano, Argentina ” / “43.2I” / Joicey Coll. B.M.1931-444”, coll. NHM. Coll. ZSM. 5 males, 1 female, Arg., Corrientes Prov., Rd. 14, km 455, 6 Dec 2008, leg. Mc Kay, 13004, collected as larva feeding on leaves of Parkinsonia aculeata , gen.prp. ZSM G 14540; 5 males, 3 females, Arg., Buenos Aires Prov., Rd. 11, 12km SE La Plata, 24 Nov 2008, leg. Sosa & Mc Kay, 13002, collected as larva by beating on branches of Parkinsonia aculeata , gen.prp. ZSM G 14514, BC ZSM Lep 24266; 1 male, Arg., Buenos Aires Prov., Rd. 11, 20km SE La Plata, 24 Nov 2008, leg. Sosa & Mc Kay, 13003, collected as larva by beating on branches of Parkinsonia aculeata ; 3 males, Arg., Entre Rios Prov., Rd. 14, Chajari, 1 Dec 2008, leg. Mc Kay, 13005, collected as larva by beating on branches of Parkinsonia aculeata , gen.prp. ZSM G 14527, 14513, BC ZSM Lep 24265; 1 male, Arg., Corrientes, 34km NE Mercedes, March 2009, leg. Cabrera Walsh, 13007, collected as larva feeding on Parkinsonia aculeata ; 1 male, Argentina, La Pampa Prov., Rt. 188, 51Mi W La Pampa, San Luis border, Nov-24-1977, sweeping Parkinsonia aculeata, J.D. Holloway det. Eueupithecia cisplatensis , gen.prp. ZSM G 14550; 6 males 3females, Entre Rios & Corrientes provinces, Dec 2009, F. Mc Kay & A. Sosa, from Parkinsonia aculeata , ex Brisbane quarantine colony, CSIRO;

Redescription (from holotype). Wingspan 21 mm in the female holotype, in the other examined material male 15–20 mm, female 16–22 mm. External morphological characters (examined from additional material) see description of genus. Ground colour of forewing pale brown, of hindwing slightly paler. Discal spots large, slightly diffuse on all wings, in the female holotype somewhat less expressed. Postmedial line dissolved to a row of dark dots, parallel to termen, at forewing costa projecting towards base, only slightly darker at costa. Antemedial line of forewing reduced to 2–4 inconspicuous dots. Fringe dots present, but inconspicuous. No further wing pattern. On underside discal spots and fringe dots conspicuous, with dotted postmedial lines, also on hindwing.

Variability. Size of discal spots and darkness of ground colour variable, postmedial dots sometimes connected by a thin line.

Male genitalia ( Figure 5). Uncus and gnathos comparatively stout, uncus sub-truncate at tip. Valva long and slender, at tip rounded. Saccus small. Aedeagus comparatively narrow, with two cornuti, the basal one straight, narrow, tapering, slightly dilated at base. Distal cornutus smaller, strongly hook-shaped. Length of aedeagus 1.1 mm, width at tip 0.3 mm.

Female genitalia ( Figure 6). Papillae anales with conspicuous lateral lobi and a conspicuous elongate sclerite between. Apophyses posteriores short and thin. Colliculum small, sclerotized. Ductus bursae short. Corpus bursae pyriform, at posterior margin with paired sclerites, covering the posterior third or half.

Fig. 1 : Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout, 1910 , male ( Argentina, Entre Rios)

Fig. 2 : Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout, 1910 , female holotype, upperside

Fig. 3 : Eueupithecia vollonoides Hausmann , sp. n., male paratype (prov. Salta) Fig. 4 : Eueupithecia vollonoides Hausmann , sp. n., female holotype (position of hindwings digitally corrected)

Differential analysis. See following species.

Distribution. Eastern Argentina with centre of distribution in the province Entre Rios. Eueupithecia cisplatensis was recorded as far south as near La Plata, Buenos Aires (34.97°) ( Figure 9 ). No overlap of the distribution range of the two species has been found, with Eueupithecia vollonoides sp. n. having a more northwesterly distribution than E. cisplatensis ( Figure 9 )”.

Biology. Brown cylindrical eggs are usually laid individually or in strings on the leaflets. The eggs hatch after ca five days and go through four instars, with a total larval duration of ca 3–4 weeks. The body colour of larvae changes progressively from light brown-greenish in the early instars to green-purple in the later instars mimicking P. aculeata leaf rachises and young shoots. As larvae develop, they eat most of the leaflets and parts of the rachises.

Genetic data. BOLD:AAF1788. Two DNA barcodes available: BC ZSM Lep 24265: Entre Rios, 24266: Buenos Aires, both with exactly the same sequence. For genetic distance from E. vollonoides and genus Euacidalia see under following species.

Remarks. Wingspan is stated to range from 21–23 mm in the original description, it is not excluded that the larger specimens in the type series (“Florenzia” = Florencia/Santa Fe?) refer to the next species.

Fig. 5: Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout, 1910 , male genitalia, slide no. ZSM G 14513 Fig. 6: Eueupithecia cisplatensis Prout, 1910 , female genitalia, slide no. ZSM G 14514 Fig. 7: Eueupithecia vollonoides Hausmann , sp. n., male genitalia, slide no. ZSM G 14512 Fig. 8: Eueupithecia vollonoides Hausmann , sp. n., genitalia of female holotype, slide no. ZSM G 14538

Figures

FIGURE 9. Occurrence records (confirmed by genitalia dissections; symbols) and hypothesized distribution (hatching) for Eueupithecia cisplatensis (red squares; red, horizontal hatching) and E. vollonoides sp. n. (golden circles; blue, vertical hatching) in Argentina based on sampling effort to date.

FIGURES 1 – 4: Adults. Scale bar = 1 cm.