Agripialus variabilis, Mielke & Grehan & Koike, 2021

Mielke, Carlos G. C., Grehan, John R. & Koike, Ricardo M., 2021, Descriptions of two new genera and six new species of ghost-moths (Lepidoptera Hepialoidea: Hepialidae) from south-eastern and southern Brazil, Zootaxa 5020 (3), pp. 561-580 : 564-565

Agripialus variabilis sp. n.

( Figs 2–4 , 21 , 29 , 32 , 37 , 52 )

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( Figs 2a–b ): Brazil – SC [Santa Catarina], Urubici, Santa Bárbara , 1360 m, 25.- 27.XII.2019, 28° 8’30.70’’ S, 49° 38’6.84’’ W, C. Mielke & E. Joerke leg./ 41.065 Col. C. Mielke / HOLOTYPUS, Agripialus variabilis C. Mielke, Grehan & Koike, 2021 / ( DZUP) .

Paratypes (7♀). BRAZIL. Paraná : 2♀, Curitiba : 4.II.1975 ( CGCM 15.404 ( MGCL)) ; 18.II.1975, V. O. Becker leg. ( CGCM 15.746 ( CGCM)) . Santa Catarina: 1♀, São Bento do Sul, Rio Natal , 4.IX.1999, A. Rank leg. ( CGCM 7261 ( CGCM)) ; 2♀, same locality and collector as the holotype, 1.–3.II.2019 ( CGCM 38.744 ( CGCM), CGCM 38.764 ( DZUP)) ; 1♀, São Joaquim , 22–24.I.1983, 1400 m, V. Becker leg. ( CGCM 15.036 ( CGCM)) . Rio Grande do Sul: 1♀, 28–31.I.2000, São José dos Ausentes, Silveira, 1200 m, A. Moser leg. ( CGCM 3.652 ( CGCM)) .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from its most similar species by differences in the shape of the subrectangular subanal plate, particularly the narrow lobate dorso-posterior corner, and the narrower (by about half) ductus bursae ( Fig. 52 ).

Description. Male. Unknown.

Female ( Figs 2–4 , 21 , 29 , 32 , 37 , 52 ).

Head. Antenna with ~42 antennomeres. Basal and distal labial palpomeres equal in length, second segment one and a half to two times longer.

Thorax. Forewing length: 15–22 mm, wingspan: 35–45 mm. Wing ornamentation as shown in Figs 2–4 .

Genitalia ( Fig. 52 ). Dorsal plates connected by thickened membranous cuticle or by a narrow sclerotised bar. Dorsal plate subrectangular with shallow convex lateral edge; shallow dorsal, ventral, and medial edges with lobe shaped dorsal corner. Lamella antevaginalis weakly sclerotized, in some cases with a ventrally oriented anterior tip. Subanal plate slightly sclerotised, subrectangular. Ductus bursae length subequal to corpus bursae.

Geographical distribution. Known from southern Brazil in eastern Paraná, Santa Catarina and northeastern Rio Grande do Sul at altitude ranging from 800 to 1400 m ( Figs 58 , 62 ) .

Host plants. Unknown.

Etymology. The proposed specific name alludes to variation in the ornamentation of the forewing dorsally ( Figs 2a, 3–4 ). It is treated as an adjective in the nominative singular.

Figures

FIGURE 58. Distribution of Agripialus gen. n. spp. and Mutipialus gen. n. spp. within southern southeastern and southern Brazil and records of Agripialus gen. n. in Argentina (see remarks at the description of the genus).

FIGURES 1−4. Agripialus gen. n. spp. Adults. 1, A. campos sp. n.: HT ♀: dorsal view (1a), ventral view (1b) (DZUP). 2–4, A. variabilis sp. n.: 2, HT ♀: dorsal view (2a), ventral view (2b) (DZUP); 3, PT ♀ (CGCM 38.764): dorsal view (DZUP); 4, PT ♀ (CGCM 38.744): dorsal view (DZUP).

FIGURES 16−24. Transverse scales and legs. Figs 16–19. Transverse scales (arrowed). 16, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n. PT ♂ (CGCM 23.689). 17, M. monticolus sp. n., HT ♀. 18, Parapielus luteicornis ♂ (CGCM 28.544, Argentina, Rio Grande; CGCM). 19, Hepialiscus htayaungi ♂ (CGCM 33.586, Myanmar; CGCM). Figs 20–24. Legs. 20, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT ♀ (CGCM 31.875). 21, A. variabilis sp. n., HT ♀. 22, A. itatiaia sp. n., HT ♂. 23, A. caparao sp. n., HT ♂. 24, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., PT ♂ (CGCM 27.435).

FIGURES 25−30. Wing venation and tergosternal sclerite. Figs 25–28. Wing venation. 25, Agripialus caparao sp. n., ♂. 26, A. itatiaia sp. n., ♀. 27–28, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., ♂ (27), ♀ (28); arrow pointing to the connection between CuP and A veins in forewing. Figs 29–30. Tergosternal sclerite. 29, Agripialus variabilis sp. n., ♀; arrows pointing to the notch and the posterior portion. 30, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., ♂.

FIGURES 31−35. Female abdomen (upper side, tergites; lower side, sternites). 31, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT (CGCM 31.875). 32, A. variabilis sp. n., HT. 33, A. itatiaia sp. n., PT (CGCM 25.532). 34, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801). 35, M. monticolus sp. n., HT.

FIGURES 36−46. Abdomen. Figs 36–39. Female segments VI (lower)–VIII (upper). 36, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT (CGCM 31.875); arrows pointing to the sclerotised sternites VII and VIII. 37, A. variabilis sp. n., HT. 38, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801). 39, M. monticolus sp. n., HT; arrow pointing to the membranous sternite VIII. Figs 40–42. Male abdomen (upper side, tergites; lower side, sternites). 40, Agripialus caparao sp. n., HT. 41, M. dilatus sp. n., PT (CGCM 27.435). 42, M. monticolus sp. n., PT (CGCM 29.697). Figs 43–46. Male segments VII (lower)–VIII (upper). 43, Agripialus itatiaia sp. n., HT; arrows pointing to the two plates of the sternite VII. 44, A. caparao sp. n., HT; arrows pointing to the two plates of the sternite VII. 45, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., PT (CGCM 27.435); arrow pointing to the sternite VIII. 46, M. monticolus sp. n., PT (CGCM 29.697); arrow pointing to the sternite VIII.

FIGURES 51−57. Female genitalia. 51, Agripialus campos sp. n., PT: posterior view and ductus and corpus bursae; arrow pointing to W-shaped lamella antevaginalis. 52, A. variabilis sp. n., HT: posterior view and ductus and corpus bursae. 53, A. itatiaia sp. n., PT (CGCM 25.532): posterior view and ductus and corpus bursae. 54, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801): posterior (54a), lateral (54b); arrow pointing to slight mesal projection of the lamella antevaginalis. 55, M. monticolus sp. n., HT: posterior (55a), lateral (55b); arrow pointing to slight mesal projection of the lamella antevaginalis. 56, Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., HT (CGCM 5.801): ductus and corpus bursae. 57, M. monticolus sp. n., HT: ductus and corpus bursae.

FIGURES 59−62. Habitats in Brazil. 59, Caparaó National Park, 2200 m, Espera Feliz, Minas Gerais (Agripialus caparao sp. n.). 60, Lavrinhas, 1900 m, Campos do Jordão, São Paulo (A. campos sp. n., Mutipialus dilatus sp. n., and M. monticolus sp. n.). 61, Itatiaia National Park, 2400 m, Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro (A. itatiaia sp. n.). 62, São Joaquim National Park, 1600 m, Urubici, Santa Catarina (A. variabilis sp. n.).