Oospila falcata, Lindt & Hausmann & Viidalepp, 2018

Lindt, Aare, Hausmann, Axel & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2018, Review of some species groups of the genus Oospila Warren, with descriptions of nine new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae), Zootaxa 4497 (2), pp. 151-194 : 157-158

Oospila falcata sp. n.

(Figs 5, 41, 73)

Holotype: 1♂, French Guiana, Envorons de Cayenne, 1989 (de Toulgoet, Navatte, Lalanne Cassou; ZSM / Herbulot) (slide ZSM G 17198; barcode ID 69637, failure)

Paratype: 1♀, French Guiana, St. Jean du Maroni, Piste Plateau des Mines PK 1 / PK 6, 0 1.02.1986 (de Toulgoet, Lalanne Cassou, Gibeaux; ZSM /Herbulot) (slide ZSM G 20344).

Diagnosis. In wing colour and pattern reminiscent of O. flavilimes and O. cristae sp. n. but having fore wing apex shape and tornus of fore- and hind wing angulate and distal margin of both wings straighter. Hind wing discal spot black. Male genitalia similar to those of O. nigripunctata , in the short costa and membranized valvula, differing in the long sacculus curved to a 90° angle (almost straight in O. nigripunctata ). The bursa copulatrix is very long.

Description (Fig. 5): Wingspan, ♂ 14.5, ♀ 15.5 mm. Fore wing apex pointed. Ground colour bright green. Fore wing costa and fringe yellow, apical streak present, blackish. Black cell spots sharp and very fine, present on all wings, but on hind wing almost invisible. Frons and palpi of O. falcata are pale brown, the interantennal fillet contrasting white. The male antennae are bipectinate in the basal two-thirds, the length of the external and inner pectinations reaching 0.55 and 0.35 mm, accordingly. Female antennae thick filiform. The palpi are short and slender in the male, not reaching the frons. Female palpi slightly longer, slightly exceeding diameter of eye.

Male genitalia (Fig. 41): Uncus with tapered distal projection. The costa of valva is reduced to a stub which is connected to the valvula via a thin membrane, the sacculus and valvula are completely fused to a long process, tapering and curved to an angle of 90° at tip. Length of aedeagus 1.45 mm, with a short cornutus on the vesica. The sternite A8 is not sclerotized, posteriorly convex.

Female genitalia (Fig. 73): The papillae anales are subacute, apophyses posteriores about three times length of the apophyses anteriores. Antrum broadly bulbed, ductus bursae short. Corpus bursae very long (2.7 mm) and narrow, signum absent.

Genetic data. Not yet DNA barcoded (DNA barcode specimenID BC ZSM Lep 69637: failure).

Distribution. French Guiana, Guiana (cf. Cook & Scoble 1995).

Biology. Collected in lowland tropical forest, in February.

Etymology. The name refers to the rectangularly curved (falcate) valva.