Megalota macrosocia Brown, 2009

Brown, John W., 2009, The discovery of Megalota in the Neotropics, with a revision of the New World species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutini), Zootaxa 2279 (1), pp. 1-50 : 14-15

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2279.1.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038E7928-FFCD-FF91-FDB0-E278FE8DF98F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Megalota macrosocia Brown
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

7. Megalota macrosocia Brown View in CoL , new species Figs. 7 View FIGURES 1–12 , 31 View FIGURES 31–33

Diagnosis. The single specimen of M. macrosocia is extremely worn, hence comparisons of the facies with other species are meaningless. The male genitalia are typical of the submicans group, with a short, stout, parallel-sided basal process of the valva and a short, broad incurved projection from near the middle of the valva. They can be distinguished from those of other members of the group by the denser patch of much shorter setae in the subbasal group of the left valva, and the large, rounded, pendant socius, the latter of which represents the most conspicuous autapomorphy for the species.

Description. Head: Vertex and frons mostly creamy white, labial palpus banded creamy white and brown. Thorax: Dorsum creamy white and beige. Hind tibia in male with appressed, flattened, shiny creamy white sex scales, with cream-colored hairpencil. Forewing length 6.2 mm (n = 1); mostly ocherous with scattered tawny brown; darker brown triangular patch from near mid-costa attenuating near lower edge of discal cell; oblique obovate blotch from near mid-termen angled near distal end of discal cell intersecting vertex of triangular patch from costa. Fringe pale brown. Hindwing gray brown, anal margin in male without distinct fold. Fringe pale ocherous. Abdomen: Creamy white and beige. Male genitalia ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 31–33 ; 1 View FIGURES 1–12 preparation examined) with tegumen typical of the genus, weakly concave laterally, with small triangular expansion ventrad of attachment of uncus; uncus large with shallow mesal notch, each lobe obovate, densely setose; socius comparatively large, rounded, pendant, free; valva typical of the species group with short, triangular, incurved projection from near middle bearing dense cluster of spiniform setae; subbasal patch a dense cluster of short spiniform setae rather than the patch of elongate setae typical of other members of the group; basal process of valva short, stout, with three small distal spines and a longer one. Phallus short, slightly curved, with a single extremely tiny thorn subbasally at dorsum; cornuti inconspicuous (or absent). Female genitalia unknown.

Holotype. Male, Ecuador, Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Colorados , 22 Sep 1970, R. E. Dietz ( USNM), USNM slide 124,139.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the comparatively large socii of this species.

Remarks. Razowski et al. (2008) recently described M. johni based on a single male from the Galapagos Islands, off the western coast of Ecuador. Although I have not examined the holotype, the images of the adult and genitalia provide ample characters for its identification. The male genitalia of M. johni are most similar to those of M. macroscia , but those of M. johni have a shorter, more curved basal process of the valva bearing a row of long spines, and the notch at the middle of the uncus is extremely shallow.

B. The delphinosema group

The delphinosema group consists of 15 species. The female genitalia are characterized by a pair of sclerotized, slightly rugose lateral bands that extend from a rounded or subquadrate sclerotized perimeter of the ostium. The strongly sclerotized colliculum comprises about 0.5 or more of the ductus bursae in all but M. ochreoapex and M. simpliciana . The signum consists of a single, flattened, tongue-shaped or fin-shaped sclerite. Male genitalia in the delphinosema group are somewhat variable, but the valva is usually slender in the basal 0.5 and broadened in the distal 0.5, mostly parallel-sided, bearing one or two patches of setae. Usually, one cluster is a circular, dense fascicle of short setae (= cluster of spiniform setae) and the other, usually more basal and more ventral, a patch of more elongate, slender setae (= patch of elongate setae) (see Fig. 37 View FIGURES 37–39 ). The basal process of the valva is long and slender, usually smooth and slightly curved along the outer surface and elbowed before the middle on the inner surface. Most species have one or more thornlike spines along the dorsum of the phallus.