Dicepolia venezolalis, Hayden, James E., 2009

Hayden, James E., 2009, Taxonomic revision of Neotropical Dicepolia Snellen (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Zootaxa 2237, pp. 1-33 : 27-28

Dicepolia venezolalis sp. nov.

Figures 13, 28, 44

Material examined: Holotype 3 ( MIZA): Sn. Carlos / de Rio Negro / Venezuela T.F. / Amazonas. / 7–13- XI-1982 // A. Chacon / G. Yepez // [red label] HOLOTYPE Dicepolia venezolalis Hayden // J.E. Hayden SLIDE No. 179 3 // Propiedad del MIZA / Fac. Agronomia UCV / Maracay, Venezuela. Dissected.

Paratypes: Venezuela: 13: VENEZUELA; T.F. Amaz. / Santa Lucia - R. Negro / 23 Nov. 1984 / R. L. Brown ( USNM). French Guiana: 13: Pied Saut, / Oyapok River, / French Guiana, / S. M. Klages / C. M. Acc. 6111 // Dec. 1917 // J.E. Hayden SLIDE No. 359 3 ( CMNH unique specimen no. CMNH-500,379). Unknown: 13: Escot. [?] B., // Pyralidae (mèlange) 107 // J.E. Hayden SLIDE No. 284 3 ( MNHN).

Diagnosis: Frontoclypeal arch a right angle. S8 posterior margin uniquely a broad, straight-lined V with small medial spine and lamelliform structures extending halfway over the edge. Forewings yellow-brown with aspersion of darker scales; without scale tooth on posterior margin. Valve oblong in outline; costa with well-developed plicae; phallus moderately twisted.

Description: General color grayish yellow- to orange-brown. Frontoclypeus moderately prominent, projecting 0.13 ± 0.02 mm (n = 4), frontoclypeus a round arch with right-angled sides. Frons flat, gray with red scales. Vertex orange. Eye 0.71 ± 0.02 mm long (n = 4). Labial palpi 1.35–1.73 mm (mean 1.48 ± 0.02 mm, n = 4), mixed brownish red and grayish brown, more brown distally. Mean palpi:eye ratio 2.1. Antennae brown. Male antennae strongly ciliate. Haustellar scales white. Cervical scales white. Dorsal thorax pale orange. Ventral thorax and legs white, except dark gray foreleg tibia, foreleg femur pale gray medially to dark gray distally, dorsal edge of midleg tibia pale gray along whole length. Male foreleg without femoral androconia. Outer: inner spur ratios: midleg, 0.33; hindleg, 0.6–0.7.

Forewing length 6.3–6.9 mm (mean 6.6 ± 0.1 mm), width 3.2–3.8 mm (mean 3.47 ± 0.1mm), mean length:width ratio 1.9 (n = 4) (fig. 13). Color grayish yellow-brown, with mixed dark brown scales, more concentrated in basal section, best specimen pale rosy in terminal and subcostal areas. Costa and transverse lines dark brown, sharp, continuous. Antemedial line complete, slanted basad from discal cell to costa; rectilinear from cell to posterior edge. Postmedial line parallel to termen, smoothly bent basad on 1A. Marginal fringe darker gray basally, lighter gray distally. Scale-tooth absent from posterior edge. Underside glinting brown, white anal area; lines absent. Hindwings semi-translucent off-white. Terminal area pale brownish, narrowly colored and smoothly blending into basal white. Postmedial line present only as a few scales around 1A. Underside pale grayish/yellowish white.

Abdomen dorsally dirty yellow-brown, ventrally pale yellowish cream. Male genitalic scales yellowish cream, T8 with orange tint. S7 tuft present, cream.

Male genitalia (figs 28, 44): S8 anterior emargination broadly triangular. S8 posterior edge in broad, shallow V, bent below lamelliform chaetae or lateral of them (179), with nearly straight edges, with small medial spine. A8 pleural androconium absent. Lamelliform structures on square shoulders with bases slightly converging laterally; lamelliform chaetae extending halfway over S8 posterior edge. Vinculum flat. Gnathos arms converging at 100-degree angle; gnathos lateral arms not robust; median element as long as arms. Costal flutes present. Valva oblong. Phallus with 1 spiral. Cornutus single, rather long, but to apex only in Fr. Guiana specimen.

Female genitalia: unknown.

Etymology: In reference to the known distribution.

Distribution: Venezuela: Amazonas Territory, French Guiana, and one undetermined locality.

Flight period: November ( Venezuela), December ( French Guiana).

Similar species: D. aerealis and D. rufitinctalis have a gray or black marginal scale-tooth, male valvae nearly circular in outline, and a more contorted cornutus. It differs from D. roseobrunnea in the small size, absence of foreleg androconium, and S8 margin. D. amazonalis is much larger, brown in color, has a concave saccus with medial prominence, and lacks a cornutus.

Remarks: Externally nondescript, this species is recognizable when dissected. It is possible that unassociated female specimens could belong to this species.