Megalota spinulosa 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 : 17-19

9. Megalota spinulosa Brown , new species Figs. 9 , 33 , 55

Diagnosis. Adults of M. spinulosa are superficially similar to most congeners, but the forewing maculation is slightly darker. Males are easily distinguished from the similar and sympatric M. vulgaris by the distinct anal roll of the hindwing, which is poorly developed or absent in the latter. The male genitalia are easily distinguished by the comparatively small uncus; the relatively straight basal process of the valva; the conspicuous, narrow, flangelike projection from the valva about 0.65 the distance from the base; and the absence of spiniform setae from the basal 0.5 of the valva. The female genitalia are characterized by a rugose bandlike sterigma with a trapezoidal mesal lobe and a sclerotized colliculum that occupies the posterior 0.6 of the ductus bursae.

Description. Head: Vertex mostly brown with some tawny brown, frons tawny brown; labial palpus tawny brown to creamy white, with small areas of brown and red brown. Thorax: Dorsum brown and tawny brown; metascutum with tuft of bronze brown scales. Hind tibia in male with dense patch of white sex scales concealing hairpencil. Forewing length 6.0–7.0 mm (mean = 6.5); ground color reticulated brown and tawny brown, with lesser amounts of pinkish ocherous and red brown; ill-defined region of gray and creamy white scales separating basal blotch from median fascia; median fascia ill-defined, dark brown at costa, fading to olive brown at dorsum; oblique blotch arched from mid-termen, intersecting median fascia near distal end of discal cell, bordered by silvery gray. Fringe brown. Hindwing dark brown, anal margin in male with well- developed roll bearing sex scales. Abdomen: Shiny bronze gray. Male genitalia ( Fig. 33 ; 6 preparations examined) with tegumen subrectangular, slightly narrowed dorsally, with weak triangular expansion immediately before junction with uncus; uncus somewhat rounded, comparatively short, only slightly wider than tegumen; socius membranous, inconspicuous; valva parallel-sided, slightly more narrow in distal 0.33, with slender, attenuate flange ca. 0.65 distance from base to apex, with patch of elongate setae from venter of valva just basad of flange; basal process of valva rather broad, straight, as in ochreoapex , without elbow, attenuate and spined in distal 0.2. Phallus rather short, curved, with a short external subdorsal thorn subapically; vesica with two cornuti, one short and stout, the other twice as long, slender. Female genitalia ( Fig. 55 ; 4 preparations examined) with papillae anales relatively broad; sterigma a parallel-sided, spinulose band, divided mesally by invaginated, subrectangular lobe with blunt posterior end; colliculum lightly sclerotized, occupying posterior ca. 0.6 of ductus bursae, with pair of long, strongly sclerotized internal struts along edge of ductus bursae, one ca. 0.9 length of colliculum, the other ca. 0.7 length of colliculum; remainder of ductus bursae membranous; corpus bursae rounded-oblong; signum a subrectangular, finlike plate from a small, ill-defined base.

Holotype. Male, Costa Rica, Heredia, La Selva Biological Station , 10°26N, 84°01W, 9 Feb 2003, MV light, D. Wagner ( INBio), USNM slide 95,334.

Paratypes (147♂, 15♀). COSTA RICA: Cartago: Turrialba , 13–17 Mar 1965 (8♂), 17–21 Feb 1965 (4♂), S. S. & W. D. Duckworth ( USNM) . CATIE, 3 km SE Turrialba , 600 m, 15 May 1985 (1♀), J. Chemsak ( EME) , 29–30 May 1985 (1♀), J. Powell & J. Doyen ( EME) . Guanacaste: Est. Pitilla , 9 km S Santa Cecilia, 700 m , 12–30 Jan 1993 (1♂), C. Moraga, 6–18 Aug 1993 (1♂), P. Rios ( INBio) . Heredia: Est. Biologica La Selva , 10°25N, 84°01W, 50–150 m , 9 Jan 1993 (3♂), 10 Jan 1993 (3♂), 10–17 Jan 1993 (1♂), 11 Jan 1993 (1♂), 12 Jan 1993 (2♂, 1♀), 13 Jan 1993 (3♂), 14 Jan 1993 (3♂), 15 Jan 1993 (1♂), 20 Mar 1993 (2♂), 30 Mar 1993 (1♂), 13 Apr 1993 (1♂), 11 Sep 1993 (1♂), 12 Oct 1993 (1♂), 11 Nov 1993 (1♂), 27 Jun 1994 (1♀), 28 Jun 1994 (1♂), 5 Feb 1996 (1♀), 6 Feb 1996 (1♂), 7 Feb 1996 (1♂), 10 Feb 1996 (1♂), 12 Feb 1996 (1♂), 15 Feb 1996 (1♂, 1♀), 19 Feb 1996 (1♂), 22 Feb 1996 (1♂), 13 Mar 1996 (1♂), 17 Mar 1996 (1♂), 10 May 1996 (1♂), 12 May 1996 (1♂), 13 May 1996 (1♂), 17 May 1996 (1♂), 20 May 1996 (2♂), 16 Jan 1998 (4♂), 17 Jan 1998 (1♂), 19–30 Jan 1998 (2♂, 1♀), 28 Jan 1998 (2♂, 1♀), 3 Feb 1998 (3♂), 5 Feb 1998 (1♂), 9 Feb 1998 (2♂), 10 Feb 1998 (1♂, 1♀), 17 Feb 1998 (2♂), 25 Feb 1998 (1♂, 1♀), 4 Mar 1998 (3♂), 5 Mar 1998 (1♂), 16 Mar 1998 (1♂), 24 Mar 1998 (2♂), 1 Apr 1998 (1♂), 2 Apr 1998 (1♂), 22 Apr 1998 (4♂), 29 Apr 1998 (1♂), 12 May 1998 (1♀), 27 May 1998 (1♂), 14 Jul 1998 (1♂), 14 Oct 1998 (1♂), 21 Oct 1998 (1♂), 22 Oct 1998 (1♂), 12 Nov 1998 (1♂), 16 Nov 1998 (1♂), 18 Nov 1998 (1♂), 19 Nov 1998 (1♂), 9 Dec 1998 (1♂), 15 Dec 1998 (1♂, 1♀), 16 Dec 1998 (1♂), 20 Jan 1999 (1♂), 2 Feb 1999 (1♂), 16 Mar 1999 (2♂), 18 Mar 1999 (1♂), 23 Mar 1999 (1♂), 7 Apr 1999 (2♂), 14 Apr 1999 (1♂), 22 Apr 1999 (2♂), 5 May 1999 (1♂), 1 Jun 1999 (1♂), 9 Jun 1999 (3♂), 22–29 Jan 2000 (1♂, 1♀), 19 Feb 2003 (1♂), INBio-OET-ALAS (all INBio) . 10 km SE La Virgen , 10°20N, 84°05W, 450–550 m , 14 Feb 2003 (1♂), 19 Feb 2003 (1♂), 20 Feb 2003 (1♂), 21 Mar 2003 (1♂), 23–29 Feb 2004 (1♂), 7 Mar 2006 (1♂), INBio-OET-ALAS transect (all INBio) , 17 Jan 1998 (2♂), J. Powell ( EME) , 27–28 Mar 1992 (2♂), J. McCarty & J. Powell ( EME) . 11 km ESE La Virgen , 250–350 m, 10°21’N, 84°03’W, 19 Mar 2004 (1♀), INBio-OET-ALAS transect ( INBio) . Braulio Carrillo N.P., Est. Magsasay , 200 m, Jan 1991 (2♂), R. Aguilar ( INBio) . Limón: Valle de la Estrella, R.B. Hitoy Cerere, E. Hitoy Cerere , 100 m, Mar 2001 (1♂), L. Chavarria ( INBio) . Sector Cerro Cocori, Finca de E. Rojas, 150 m , Nov 1991 (1♂), Jan 1992 (1♂), E. Rojas ( INBio) . Puntarenas: Est. Sirena, P.N. Corcovado, Oso Peninsula , 0-100 m, 5–11 Jan 1981 (1♂), D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs ( INBio) , Oct 1990 (1♂), Dec 1990 (2♂), Mar 1991 (1♂), Apr 1991 (1♂), Oct 1991 (1♂), Nov 1991 (1♂), Jan 1994 (1♂), G. Fonseca (all INBio) , Dec 1991 (2♂), J. C. Saborio ( INBio) . VENEZUELA: Yaracuy: Yurubi N.P., 20 km SE Yumare , 9 Mar 1978 (1♂), J. B. Heppner ( USNM) . Aragua: Rancho Grande , 1100 m , 16–23 Oct 1966 (1♂, 1♀), 11–15 Jan 1966 (1♂), S. S. & W. D. Duckworth ( USNM) .

Distribution and Biology. This species is known from the Costa Rican provinces of Heredia and Puntarenas below 500 m elevation, and from the Venezuelan provinces of Yaracuy and Aragua at slightly higher elevations. It is recorded throughout much of the year, but records are absent from January-February and July. Nothing is known of the early stages.

Etymology. The species name refers to the flangelike spine on the valva of the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–12. Adults of Megalota. 1. M. submicans (holotype), 2. M. synchysis (paratype), 3. M. peruviana (paratype), 4. M. aquilonaris (holotype), 5. M. vulgaris (paratype), 6. M. cacaulana (holotype), 7. M. macrosocia (holotype), 8. M. ochreoapex (holotype), 9. M. spinulosa (holotype), 10. M. simpliciana (paratype), 11. M. delphinosema (Costa Rica), 12. M. jamaicana (holotype).

FIGURES 31–33. Male genitalia of Megalota; valva spread, phallus removed. 31. M. macrosocia, image of USNM slide 124,139; 32. M. ochreoapex, image of USNM slide 85,863; 33. M. spinulosa, image of USNM slide 84,895.

FIGURES 52–55. Female genitalia of Megalota. 52. M. aquilonaris, image of USNM slide 124,109; 53. M. vulgaris, image of USNM slide 95,323; 54. M. ochreoapex, image of USNM slide 85,864; 55. M. spinulosa, image of USNM slide 84,874.