Rhomba pulla Grishin, 2023

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian & Grishin, Nick V., 2023, Supplementary Materials and Appendix, Insecta Mundi 2023 (26), pp. 1-115 : 55

Rhomba pulla Grishin , new species

https://zoobank.org/ 8AE2A86B-97B8-4871-B55F-994B301AA720

( Fig. 5 part, 127–128, 359–360)

Definition and diagnosis. Phylogenetic trees reveal that a nearly unmarked Hesperiidae specimen from San Pedro Lodge in Peru is closely related to Rhomba gertschi (E. Bell, 1937) (type locality in Panama) while showing prominent genetic differentiation from it ( Fig. 5): e.g., their COI barcodes differ by 4.3% (28 bp) and, therefore, represents a new species. This species is similar to R. gertschi in the shape of brands (although the brand segments are bulkier), spotting of the ventral hindwing, and morphology of genitalia, but differs from it by the lack of hyaline spots, which gives it a very different appearance. This species is not cryptic and is diagnosed reliably by phenotype. In DNA, a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic in the nuclear genome: aly728.22.1:A207G, aly 2163.5.1:A138C, aly 2163.5.1:T169G, aly736.5.4:A39G, aly736.5.4:T87C, aly 1585.9.2:G97G (not T), aly 2011.4.1:A84A (not G), aly 2011.4.1:T90T (not C), aly85.11.3:G162G (not A), aly3312.7.2:T120T (not A), and COI barcode: T16C, C235T, A241T, T406C, A433G, T457C.

Barcode sequence of the holotype. Sample NVG-19023E08, GenBank OR837682, 658 base pairs: AACTTTATATTTTATCTTTGGTATTTGAGCAGGAATATTAGGAACTTCTTTAAGTTTATTAATTCGTACAGAATTAGGTAATCCAGGATCATTAATT GGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATACTATTGTAACAGCTCATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTAATACCTATTATAATTGGAGGTTTTGGAAATT GATTAGTACCATTAATATTAGGGGCCCCAGATATAGCCTTTCCACGTATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGAATATTACCACCTTCATTAATATTACTAAT TTCAAGAAGAATTGTAGAAAATGGTGCAGGAACTGGTTGAACAGTTTATCCACCTTTATCCTCTAATATCGCTCATCAAGGATCTTCTGTAGATTTA GCAATTTTTTCCCTTCACTTAGCAGGAATTTCATCAATTTTAGGGGCAATTAATTTTATTACAACAATCATTAATATACGAATTAGAAATTTATCAT TTGATCAAATACCTTTATTTATTTGATCAGTAGGTATTACAGCACTTTTATTACTTTTATCTTTACCTGTTCTAGCTGGTGCTATTACTATACTTTT AACAGATCGAAATTTAAATACTTCATTTTTTGATCCAGCTGGTGGAGGTGATCCAATTTTATATCAACATTTATTT

Type material. Holotype: ♂ currently deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC, USA ( USNM), illustrated in Fig. 127–128, bears the following five rectangular labels, four white: [ PERU: Cuzco, 1450m. | San Pedro Lodge | Cosnipata Rd 548 | 9-XI-2008 Kinyon], [DNA sample ID: | NVG-19023E08 | c/o Nick V. Grishin], [USNMENT | {QR Code} | 01532850], and one red [HOLOTYPE ♂ | Rhomba | pulla Grishin ]. Type locality. Peru: Cuzco Region, Cosñipata Road, San Pedro Lodge, elevation 1450 m.

Etymology. In Latin, pullus means blackish or dark colored. The name is given for this darker (thus far) nearly unspotted species of the genus and is a feminine adjective.

Distribution. Currently known only from the holotype collected in the Cosñipata Valley, Peru.