Zaphanta beckeri, St Laurent & Giusti, 2019

St Laurent, Ryan A. & Giusti, Alessandro, 2019, Revision of Zaphanta Dyarı 1910 (Lepidoptera: Mimallonidae: Zaphantinae) ı with descriptions of nine new species, Journal of Natural History 53 (19), pp. 1209-1246 : 1234-1235

Zaphanta beckeri sp. nov.

( Figures 18 , 34, 42) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:11AA3541-C7A4-4292-A5CA-10B89C5FAD2C

Diagnosis

This miniscule mimallonid is not outwardly very distinct from other Zaphanta , but has slightly more acute fore wing apices and particularly faint wing markings. The male genitalia are unlike those of any of the previous species and are recognisable by the extremely narrow and elongated valvae, a pair of molar-like subuncus projections and a rectangular uncus tip which is more heavily sclerotised and angled more sharply downward than in any other Zaphanta .

Description

Male. Head: As for genus. Thorax: As for genus. Legs: As for genus. Fore wing dorsum: Fore wing length: 9 mm, wingspan: 18 mm, n = 1. As for genus, but apex more acute; markings, although typical of the genus, are very faint except for the black costal marks which are apparent; postmedial line essentially absent. Fore wing ventrum: As for genus, but antemedial line nearly devoid of purple-pink scales; ante- and postmedial lines well developed, black, discontinuous. Hind wing dorsum: As for genus, but colouration and markings particularly faint. Hind wing ventrum: As for genus; ante- and postmedial lines particularly well defined as for dorsum. Abdomen: As for genus; colouration slightly pink. Genitalia: ( Figure 34 ) n = 1. Vinculum ovoid, but constricted when valvae spread. Tegumen broad, somewhat triangular. Uncus triangular and heavily sclerotised apically with distal rectangular projection, angled downward. Subuncus forming a closed ring with lateral margins of tegumen, mesally heavily sclerotised with pair of minutely toothed molar-like protuberances; uncus-tegumen complex similar in width to vinculum, but longer overall. Transtilla apparently absent. Valvae extremely narrow, elongate, slightly curved upward. Costal base of valvae (valva apodeme) apparently unmodified, but small sclerotised processes present. Juxta well developed as a pair of parallel sclerotisations which are affixed ventrally to phallus. Caecum of phallus less than one-quarter length of overall phallus; caecum phallus rounded. Phallus distally broadened, somewhat flattened, not projected apically/ventrally, or with any more heavily sclerotised extension; ventrum of phallus covered in minute spines.

Female. Unknown.

Type material

Holotype ♂. Brazil: Rondônia: BRASIL: RO, Ariquemes, 180 m 13–16.iv. 1989, V.O. Becker / Col. BECKER 61841/USNM-Mimal: 2334/ St Laurent dissection: 5-16-18:1 / HOLOTYPE Zaphanta beckeri St Laurent and Giusti, 2019 /(ex. USNM, to be transferred to VOB). No paratypes .

Distribution

Zaphanta beckeri is only known from the type locality in north-central Rondônia, Brazil.

Etymology

The specific epithet for this new species was chosen to honour the collector, Dr Vitor O. Becker, who may very well be the only individual to have collected this species.

Remarks

Despite the type localities of Z. stiletto and Z. beckeri being separated by only about 200 km in the Amazon rainforest biome, the two taxa are markedly distinct morphologically. It is worth noting that the type locality of Z. beckeri is centred within a region of extreme deforestation in Ariquemes, Rondônia, Brazil. When the holotype was collected in 1989, deforestation was seemingly minor and limited to the narrow roadways; however, by 2016 the region had been ravished by rampant deforestation (St Laurent pers. obs., via Google Earth). Zaphanta beckeri , known from a single specimen, could be imperilled or perhaps even extinct if it is endemic to the vicinity of Ariquemes.

Figures

Figures 15–18. Zaphanta adults; a = dorsal, b = ventral. 15. Z. stiletto Ƌ holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Calama, Rio Madeira (NHMUK). 16. Z. machaera Ƌ holotype, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, 800 m (VOB). 17. Z. machaera ♀, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, 800 m (VOB). 18. Z. beckeri Ƌ holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Ariquemes, 180 m (VOB). Scale bar = 1 cm.

Figures 32–34. Zaphanta male genitalia; a = ventral, b = lateral, c = phallus, lateral aspect. 32. Z. stiletto holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Calama, Rio Madeira, genitalia vial NHMUK 010402345 (NHMUK). 33. Z. machaera holotype, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, 800 m, genitalia slide 5296 (VOB). 34. Z. beckeri holotype, Brazil, Rondônia, Ariquemes, 180 m, St Laurent diss.: 5-16- 18:1 (VOB). Scale bar = 1 mm.