Parascepsis ignobilis Grados & Mantilla, 2020

Grados, Juan, Mantilla, Karla & Ramírez, Juan José, 2020, The genusParascepsis Dognin, 1923 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Ctenuchina) in Peru, with the description of three new species, a new combination and their geographical distributions, Zootaxa 4868 (2), pp. 221-242 : 237-241

Parascepsis ignobilis Grados & Mantilla , sp. nov.

( Figs. 51–58 )

Diagnosis: Together with P. ingenium these are the two species with the first two tergites forming an androconial organ. It is possible to differentiate them because P. ignobilis does not have the postdiscal spot on the forewings, and the white area near the posterior margin is wider in P. ingenium . In the genital capsule, P. ignobilis presents the following: wide valvae, somewhat more in its medial part; dorsal process membranous, narrowing towards the distal end; the beginning of the dorsal process narrower than the valvae; in P. ingenium valvae elongated and narrow; beginning of the dorsal process the same width as the valvae and the same width throughout its length. In P. ingenium the patch of cornuti on the dorsal and right part of the vesica is developed, while in P. ignobilis it is small.

Description. Male ( Figs. 51–52 ). Head. Proboscis dark brown. Labial palpi curved upwards, exceeding the vertex. Palpi grayish brown; the second segment 1.5 times the length of the first; the third one, a third of the second; second and third both with scales somewhat lighter on the frontal part. Frontoclypeus brown; upper part with piliform scales whitish gray. Vertex brown. Occiput whitish gray, with three brown lines: a straight central one and two lateral ones directing towards the antennae. Postgena grayish brown. Eye margin gray. Ocelli light brown. Antennal alveolus whitish. Antennae brown, with a soft metallic hue. Scape and pedicel grayish brown. Proximal rami small increasing in length towards the middle part. Middle rami twice the width of the flagellum. Distal rami decrease in length towards their end. Thorax. Patagia and tegulae grayish. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum grayish brown, with a brown line along the central part. Mesoscutellum grayish. Pleura gray. Tymbal organ at the katepisternum with gray scales. First pair of legs. Grayish brown with a slight iridescent purple hue; coxae with a whitish area at the anterior and the ectal part. Epiphysis brown. Second and third pairs of legs. Grayish brown.

Forewing. Forewing span (15–17 mm) (n = 16). Dorsal: Brown with purple hue, the veins barely noticeable. Ventral: Brown with veins dark. Frenulum brown and retinaculum grayish brown. In CuP-1A+2A white scales from the base to a little more than half the length.At the anal cell, a creamy white androconial patch on the subproximal area. Below the patch, piliform yellow scales. Hindwing. Dorsal: Brown. Costal margin to R S -M 1, includes the discal cell and near the subproximal area of M 1 -M 2 with scales whitish, slightly iridescent. Costal cell with an area elongated and somewhat ovoid with small light brown spicules. An area slightly whitish gray comprising the proximal half of Cu 2 -1A+2A. Anal cell whitish in the two proximal thirds. Ventral: Same as the dorsal side except for the area with spicules. Abdomen. Brown with bluish hue. The dorsal part of the first two tergites modified into an androconial organ of hexagonal shape; part of the first tergite margin with whitish scales; internal part of the androconial organ with modified dark brown scales ( Fig. 50 ). Sternites brown. Male Genitalia ( Figs. 53–56 ) (Genitalia # JGA 719 MUSM). Tegumen “H”-shaped; anterior part wider than the posterior one, with wide branches; anterior part rounded; a translucent subtriangular area present; at the lateral part of the translucent area, from the base to a little more than half its length with a projection weakly sclerotized. Joining of the tegumen and uncus membranous. Saccus elongated, digitiform with rounded apex. Uncus with the anterior margin somewhat rounded in dorsal view, with the two anterior processes elongated, sclerotized, with few setae; the branches converge towards the center, forming an elongated structure, wide at its base with elongated setae, slightly constricted in its central part and expanding towards the distal part: lateral view, wide at its base with numerous setae, somewhat rounded at its distal part, ending in a sclerotized hook in ventral direction. Valvae short, straight, sclerotized, almost as wide as long; presence of few setae at the dorsal and ventral side; ventral process not developed; dorsal process elongated, membranous, with short setae and sharp towards the dorsal part; an evagination in dorso-distal position, directed towards the internal part, somewhat triangular, sclerotized, with setae; ventral view, elongated and narrow, slightly wider at its base, and curved inward. Juxta slightly sclerotized, subquadrangular, three times wider than the base of the valvae, with tiny ornaments resembling spicules. Aedeagus elongated. Coecum penis slightly developed. Vesica slightly longer than aedeagus, in ventral direction the end is narrow and elongated; patch of cornuti present at the ventral left part; patch of small cornuti at the proximal and dorsal part, and large ones at the proximal ventral part.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology: ignobilis is a neutral adjective in nominative that means “unknown.”

Distribution ( Fig. 60 ): In the Amazonian area of the departments of Loreto, Ucayali, Pasco, Cusco and Puno, reaching the lower part of the mountain forests of the Eastern Slope of the Andes (890 m).

Holotype male ( Figs. 51–52 ): PERU, Loreto, Coconilla , 02°42’S, 75°06’W, 160 m, 19.vii.2003, J.J.Ramírez, (LT / MV/ 8 :30-9:00 pm) . Paratypes (15 males). Loreto , 3 males, Trompeteros , 03°12’56.1’’S, 75°38’26.9’’W, 140 m, 21-22.xi.2008, C. Carranza ; 1 male, idem except, (Genitalia # JGA 770 MUSM) ; 1 male, 2.1 km S de Mishana, Río Nanay , 03°53’50’’S, 73°29’32’’W, 103 m, 09.iii.2018, C. Espinoza & C. Ampudia, (Voucher DNA-Artc # 00844- JGA MUSM) ; 1 male, C.I. Allpahuayo-Mishana, 03°58’01’’S, 73°25’08’’W, 118 m, 04.ii.2011, J. Grados, (Genitalia # JGA 980 MUSM) . Ucayali, 1 male, 37 km NE Monte Alegre ( Río Tapiche ) 06°23’01’’S, 74°04’35’’W, 175 m, 18-19.x.2008, A. Garcia, (Genitalia # JGA 719 MUSM) . Pasco, 1 male, P.N. Yanachagua Chemillén, Est. Biol. Paujil , 10°19’25.0’’S, 75°15’48.8’’W, 375 m, 22.v.2008, J. Grados, S. Carbonel & C. Calderón . Cusco, 1 male, Segakiato, Río Camisea , 11°48’S, 72°52’W, 330 m, 29.ix.1997, J. Grados, (LT/ MV) ; 1 male, 10 km SE de Puerto Huallaga ( Río Picha ), 11°49’25’’S, 73°03’19’’W, 504 m, 12-16.ix.2015, P. Sánchez ; 1 male, 1.3 km SSO de Las Malvinas , 11°51’30’’S, 72°57’00’’W, 418 m, 14.ix.2017, C. Espinoza, (Voucher DNA-Artc # 00712- JGA MUSM) ; 1 male, 4 km NO de Timpia , 12°03’30’’S, 72°51’ 13’’W, 535 m, 20.ix.2010, C. Espinoza & E. Rázuri ; 1 male, 6 km OSO del Pongo de Mainique , 12°15’02’’S, 72°52’28’’W, 890 m, 01.x.2010, C. Carranza & C. Cavero ; 1 male, 2 km SO del Pongo de Mainique , 12°15’24.42’’S, 72°50’27.18’’W, 598 m, 11.xi.09, C. Carranza & C. Rossi . Puno, 1 male, P.N. Bahuaja-Sonene, 4.5 km NO Qba. Aguajal, Río Tambopata , 13°23’31.8’’S, 69°29’58.7’’W, 335 m, 16.ix.2011, J. Grados, E. Rázuri & E. Guillermo ; 1 male, idem except, (Genitalia # JGA 902 MUSM) .

Comments: Similar to P. solox in the habitus. However, they are easy to differentiate, because P. ignobilis has the first two tergites modified forming an androconial organ.

Figures

FIGURES 60. Geographical distribution of Parascepsis ignobilis Grados & Mantilla new species, and P. ingenium Grados & Mantilla new species.

FIGURES 51–52. Parascepsis ignobilis Grados & Mantilla new species. 51. Holotype male, dorsal view. 52. Ventral view. Scale= 5 mm.

FIGURES 53–56. Male genitalia of Parascepsis ignobilis Grados & Mantilla new species. (Genitalia # JGA 719 MUSM). 53. Dorsal view. 54. Ventral view. 55. Lateral view. 56. Aedeagus. Scale= 1 mm.

FIGURES 57–58. Wings of Parascepsis ingenium Grados & Mantilla new species. 57. Forewing. 58. Hindwing.

FIGURES 49–50. Two first tergites modified into androconial organs. 49. Parascepsis ingenium Grados & Mantilla new species. 50. Parascepsis ignobilis Grados & Mantilla new species.