Eupithecia penablanca Ferris

Ferris, Clifford D., 2007, Three new species of Eupithecia Curtis from Arizona and New Mexico with discussion of associated species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Eupitheciini), Zootaxa 1516, pp. 49-60 : 57-60

Eupithecia penablanca Ferris , New Species

( Figs. 44–56 )

Diagnosis. Because of the poor condition of available specimens only a limited diagnosis is possible. General color is gray-brown, separated from other North American species by the large diffuse DFW discal spot and three submarginal dark patches (costa, above midline, tornus); positive identification requires examination of the genitalia.

Description. MALE ( Figs. 44–45 , 55 ): Forewing length (base to apex): 7.0–8.0 mm. Head and Body: Palpi length ca. 0.9 width of eye, porrect, medium width, speckled brownish, paler at tips. Frons, head, thoracic collar, thorax, and tegulae brownish-gray. Antennae finely setose, brownish-tan with brown dorsal patch on each segment, scape brownish-tan. Abdominal segments brownish-tan scales with pale scales at tip of terminal segment. Legs pale brownish-tan, not noticeably ringed; hind-tibial spurs well developed. Wings: Ground color pale gray-brown. DFW: dark brown large diffuse discal spot; series of alternate short and long brown bars along costa with larger patch near apex; dark median area below discal spot; dark brown patch near tornus and submarginally above wing mid-line; brown segmented adterminal line; pale grayish-brown fringe. DHW: mottled aspect; indistinct discal spot; indistinct median band; adterminal line and fringe as in DFW. Ventrally paler; D pattern repeated, more contrasted on VHW. Genitalia (Figs. 50–53) [3 dissections]: Medium hair pencils (not illustrated). Valve uniformly broad with rounded apex (Fig. 50); uncus dorsoventrally bifid; socii well-developed and typical. Aedoeagus (Fig. 51) very narrow, length-to-width ratio ca. 5.4; prominent spine projects from tip. Aedoeagus diameter too narrow to accommodate available hypodermic needles, making possible only partial vesica eversion (Fig. 52). Vesica armed with one very large, long (ca. 0.6 aedoeagus length) tapered spine and small irregular chitinous piece. Genital plate caliper-like (Fig. 53, 8th sternite at top) with triangular lateral projections unique in North American Eupithecia .

FIGURES 50–54. Eupithecia penablanca genitalia. Male structures: 50, genitalia with aedoeagus removed; 51, aedoeagus; 52, lateral view of partially everted vesica; 53, 7th and 8th (top, genital plate) abdominal sternites. 54, ventral view of entire female genitalia, arrow points to point of origin of ductus seminalis.

FEMALE ( Figs. 46–47 , 56 ): Forewing length (base to apex): 7.0–9.0 mm. Color and maculation similar to male. Legs as in male. Antenna nearly filiform, very slightly setose; colored as in male. Genitalia (Fig. 54) [4 dissections]: Papillae anales short appearing semicircular, lightly setose; apophyses slender, anterior-toposterior ratio ca. 0.25; caudal spurs weak and embedded in genital plate. Ostium bursae very weakly sclerotized, nearly membranous, cup-like; ductus bursae membranous, short, broad with no visible colliculum, thus giving the false impression that ostium appears to open directly into corpus bursae. Corpus bursae with lobed aspect and hemispherical fundus; ventral linear triangular array of spines; narrow tubular ductus seminalis projects outward at apex of triangle.

Based on the limited number of specimens available for examination and their generally poor condition, variation cannot be assessed.

Holotype: male: ARIZONA, Santa Cruz Co., Peña Blanca Lake, 1170 m, Coronado N.F., 9,11. viii.1999, E. Buckner & P. A. Opler, GMAD.

Paratypes: 4m, 4f. ARIZONA, Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts., Carr Cyn., 1710 m, 15.viii.1999, D. C. Ferguson (1f, USNM); Santa Cruz Co., Peña Blanca Lake, 1170 m, Coronado N.F., 9,11. viii.1999, E. Buckner & P. A. Opler (2m, 1f, GMAD, 1m, author’s collection), 19.viii.1971, L. M. Martin (1f, G. J. Balogh collection); just south of Peña Blanca Lake, SW of Upper Thumb Butte, 31.vii.2005, J. & E. Adams & D. Yanega (1m, 1f, J. Adams collection).

Etymology. The specific epithet penablanca is a noun in apposition denoting the type locality.

Biology. Unknown; oak chaparral habitat ( Figs. 58 , 62 ).

Flight period. August.

Distribution. Known from type locality and Carr Canyon.

Discussion. In his revision of North American Eupithecia, McDunnough (1949: 638) stated: “The conclusion of the filmata group leaves us with a large number of species, mostly of western and southwestern origin, that cannot apparently be arranged in any compact groups either among themselves or in connection with groups that have already been discussed.” E. penablanca falls into this category. The female genitalia are unlike other known North American species. The male genital plate bears some similarity to the Chilean species E. atacama (Vojnits) and E. seatacama Rindge, 1987 , but both lack the side projection from the caliper arms. In other features, these two species do not resemble E. penablanca .

Figures

FIGURES 44 – 49. Eupithecia penablanca. 44, male holotype, D; 45, male holotype V; 46, female, D; 47, female, V; 48, holotype label; 49, holotype pin label.

FIGURES 55 – 56. Eupithecia penablanca. 55, male, SW Peña Blanca Lake; 56, female, Carr Canyon.

FIGURES 57 – 58. Eupithecia macfarlandi habitats, Huachuca Mts., Cochise Co., Arizona; 57, Ash Canyon (type locality), 1575 m; 58, Carr Canyon, 1710 m.

FIGURES 61 – 62. Eupithecia habitats. 61, E. nonanticaria, Upper Pinery Canyon, Chiricahua Mts., 2135 m, Cochise Co., Arizona; 62, E. penablanca, Peña Blanca Canyon, ca. 2130 m, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona.