Agdistis cambriana, Arenberger & Beard & Karisch, 2016

Arenberger, Ernst, Beard, Annalea M. & Karisch, Timm, 2016, A new Agdistis from St. Helena Island (Lepidoptera, Pterophoridae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 66 (2), pp. 325-328 : 327-328

Agdistis cambriana spec. nov.

Holotype, ♂: “ St. Helena, Rupert’s Valley , WGS 84 15°55.460'S, 5°42.650'W, 36 MASL, 02-23/V/2014, Malaise trap, coll. David Pryce ”. Coll. MNVD.

Paratypes: 6 ♂♂ (2 ♂♂ GU 3320 , 3321 KARISCH) with the same data as holotype, coll. MNVD, NHMW, BMNH ; 1 ♀ ( GU 6450 , ARENBERGER) St. Helena, Upper Jamestown , Cambrian House, 05.II.2011, leg. A. M. BEARD, coll. NHMW .

Etymology: Named from the locality at Cambrian House, Jamestown, St. Helena.

Diagnosis (Figs 5, 6): Wingspan: 11.5– 13 mm. Head, thorax and abdomen grey-brown; palpi at base dark brown, tips grey; antenna brown, whitish spotted. Forewing grey-brown, covered with numerous brown scales. Costal margin with two dots, lower fold margin with two large, brown patches which extend to the fringes. Hindwing monochrome grey-brown, anal margin with scattered dark brown scales. Hind legs grey, tarsi white, terminally brown.

Genitalia ♂ (Fig. 2): uncus similar to that of A. marionae , but caudal margin concave incised, lateral tips divergent. Valvae symmetrical, basal parts dumpy, in distal half slender, strip-shaped; outer parts of valva bent, bar-shaped, broadened at the end, but not crenate as in A. marionae ( Fig. 1 ); costal arms slender, strongly curved distally. Aedeagus rather slender, slightly arcuate. 8 th sternite plate-shaped, caudal margin with two broad lobes.

Genitalia ♀ (Fig. 4): antrum similar to that of A. marionae (Fig. 3), but considerably shorter and lateral setae of antrum are less bent.

Biological notes: The caterpillar of A. cambriana spec. nov. is unknown. The imago has been caught in February and May. The habitat is an area with sparse scrub vegetation and some gardens near the north coast of the island ( Fig. 7 ).

Differential diagnosis: Imago of A. cambriana spec. nov. with two costal dots, lacking in A. marionae . In A. marionae only basal part of forewing darkened, in A. cambriana spec. nov. the whole forewing uniform grey-brown, scattered with brown scales. In ♂ -genitalia, distal end of uncus in A. cambriana spec. nov. broad with two divergent tips, in A. marionae tips strongly approximated. Tip of right valva rounded, in A. marionae crenate. Caudal margin of 8 th sternite bilobed in both species, but in A. marionae tips are short, outwardly bent, and in A. cambriana spec. nov. they form broad plates. Antrum in A. marionae considerably longer and more slender than in A. cambriana spec. nov.

Distribution: Likely endemic to St. Helena.

Figures

Fig. 1: Agdistis marionae ARENBERGER, BEARD, HASENFUSS & KARISCH, 2012; male genitalia.

Fig. 7: Cambrian House and its surroundings, habitat of Agdistis cambriana spec. nov. Photograph by E. THORPE.