Alychna ayonis Grishin, 2023

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian & Grishin, Nick V., 2023, Supplementary Materials and Appendix, Insecta Mundi 2023 (26), pp. 1-115 : 47

Alychna ayonis Grishin , new species

https://zoobank.org/ 050EC67D-FC69-4005-B871-A861C7D74835

( Fig. 5 part, 107–108, 334–335)

Definition and diagnosis. Phylogenetic trees reveal that specimens from Ecuador and Peru identified as Alychna exclamationis (Mabille, 1898) (type locality in Bolivia, lectotype sequenced as NVG-18042G08) show prominent genetic differentiation from it while being its sister ( Fig. 5): e.g., their COI barcodes differ by 1.5% (10 bp) and, therefore, represent a new species, more distantly related to Alychna zenus (E. Bell, 1942) (type locality in Ecuador) (COI barcodes differ by 3.5%, 23 bp). This new species keys to “ Psoralis exclamationis ” (J.43.3) in Evans (1955) but differs from it by narrower stigma, narrower white spots and streaks on forewing, a semi-circle of discal pale dots on ventral hindwing ( Fig. 107–108), undivided uncus, harpe strongly upcurved and protruding beyond ampulla dorsad, terminally rounded in lateral view and plate-like in dorsal view, costa-ampulla with a bump closer to ampulla, concave on both sides of the bump ( Fig. 334–335). Due to the cryptic nature of this species, most reliable identification is achieved by DNA and a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic in the nuclear genome: aly420.62.5:G73T, aly420.62.5:G84A, aly 2041.8.2:A195C, aly2012.47.1:G1269C, aly25.10.1:G48C, and COI barcode: A85T, T163A, T169A, T205A, A553C, A631G.

Barcode sequence of the holotype. Sample NVG-22035H07, GenBank OR837672, 658 base pairs: AACTTTATATTTTATTTTTGGTATTTGAGCAGGTATACTAGGAACTTCATTAAGTTTATTAATTCGTACAGAATTAGGAAATCCTGGATCTTTAATT GGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATACTATTGTAACAGCTCATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTAATACCAATTATAATTGGAGGATTTGGAAATT GATTAGTTCCATTAATATTAGGAGCTCCTGATATAGCTTTCCCACGAATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGAATATTACCCCCTTCCTTAATATTATTAAT TTCAAGAAGAATTGTTGAAAATGGTGCAGGTACTGGATGAACTGTTTATCCCCCCCTTTCTTCTAATATCGCACACCAAGGATCATCTGTTGATTTA GCAATTTTTTCTTTACATTTAGCTGGGATCTCTTCTATTTTAGGAGCTATTAATTTTATTACTACAATTATTAATATACGAATTAGAAATATATCCT TTGATCAAATACCTTTATTTGTATGATCTGTAGGAATTACAGCTTTATTATTACTTTTATCTTTACCCGTATTAGCTGGAGCTATTACAATACTTTT AACTGATCGAAACTTAAATACTTCTTTTTTTGATCCAGCTGGAGGAGGGGACCCTATCTTATATCAACATTTATTT

Type material. Holotype: ♂ deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC, USA ( USNM), illustrated in Fig. 107–108, bears the following three rectangular labels, two white: [ ECUADOR Napo | Papallacta 2800m | 23 Sept. ’87 | S. S. Nicolay], [DNA sample ID: | NVG-22035H07 | c/o Nick V. Grishin], and one red [HOLOTYPE ♂ | Alychna | ayonis Grishin ] . Paratype: 1♂ NVG-19021H01 the same data as the holotype but collected on 17-Sep-1987, genitalia H962 by S. S. Nicolay [ USNM].

Type locality. Ecuador: Napo Province, Papallacta, elevation 2800 m.

Etymology. The name is given for the “i” on the forewing. A close relative of this species is named exclamati- onis, probably for the exclamation mark pattern on the forewing. In the new species, the exclamation mark is thinner and resembles the letter “i” [ay]. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality in Napo, Ecuador.