Oospila absaloni, 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 : 180-181

Oospila absaloni sp. n.

(Figs 32, 35, 66)

Material. Holotype: male, Ecuador, Napo prov., Carlos Julia , 950 m, 10.02.0 8, 01°15'33"S, 77°49'27"W (slide 8911) ( IZBE0120659 ).

Paratypes: 1♂, Ecuador, Napo prov., Cotundo , 1080 m, 19.05.2007, 00°41'28"S, 77°43'56"W (slide 510) (A. Lindt) ; 2♂, Ecuador, Napo prov., Cotundo , 1080 m, 15.05.2007, 00°42'46"S, 77°42'27"W ; 1♂, Ecuador, Zamora Chinchipe prov., Los Ecuentros , 1460 m, 21.04.2007, 03°48'47"S, 78°36'39"W ; 1♂, the same data (slide 504) (I. Renge) ; 2♂, Ecuador, Zamora Chinchipe prov., Zamora 1000 m, 19.04.2007, 04°06'30"S, 78°57'49"W ; 1♂, Ecuador, Morona Santiago prov., Gualaquiza 1570 m, 23.04.2007, 03°17'59"S, 78°33'28"W (slide 8175) (A. Lindt) ; 3♂, northern Ecuador [Sucumbios], Station de pompage de Lumbaqui , 850 m, 04.– 05.02.1975 (C. Herbulot; ZSM / Herbulot) (slide ZSM G 17489) ; 1♂, Colombia, Cundinamarca, dept . Vereda la Concepciòn, Bosque la Guajira, 4°47’34” N, 75°46’50” W, 9.– 12.4.2014, leg. R. Brechlin, coll. ZSM (slide ZSM G 20567) ; 3♂, Colombia, Meta Restrepo, Alto del Caney , 910 m, 4°17’31” N, 73°35’41” W, 28.– 30.9.2014, leg. V. Sinyaev, M. Marquez & J. Machado, via coll. Brechlin, ZSM ; 2♂, Colombia, Boyacá, Sendero Almenara, Mcp. Santa Maria , 1220 m, 4°52’45” N, 73°17’17” W, 16.– 19.10.2014, leg. V. Sinyaev, M. Marquez & J. Machado, via coll. Brechlin, ZSM ; 1♂, id., Sendero Hyque Quye, Mcp. Santa Maria, 1050m, 4°53’25“ N, 73°17’17“ W, 16.–19.X.2014 (slide ZSM G 20568).

Diagnosis. In wing pattern and coloration very similar to O. ecuadorata and O. bifida , but smaller, fore wing tornus blotches usually much smaller, apical blotch narrower. In male genitalia differing from O. bifida by the long and narrow apex of valva, from O. ecuadorata by the large central bulbed extension of the valva with two larger spines and (usually) by the lacking spines at the tip of valva. The base of fore wing costa is suffused dark underneath in O. absaloni but not in O. ecuadorata and O. bifida (compare Fig. 35 with Figs 34 and 36).

Description. Wingspan, males 14.5–18 mm (Figs 32, 35). Frons red brown, interantennal fillet broad, white, vertex narrow, reddish brown. Length of external and inner pectinations on the tenth antennal segment in males 0.6–0.7 and 0.4–0.5 mm long, respectively. The labial palpi are short, not exceeding diameter of eye. Wings: Fore wing costa narrowly pale brown and speckled greyish. Discal spots on wings present, small. The blotches to the distal margin of wings are orange-brown with dark brown spotting and with cream-coloured and brown-grey perimeters. The apical blotch of the fore wing is narrow, reaching the fore margin of the wing at small distance from apex. The tornus blotch of fore wing is usually comparatively small (one exception observed in Colombia), reaching to less than ½ of inner margin. The marginal line is contrasting, the fringe is pale brown at vein endings chequered darker.

Male genitalia (Fig. 66): Genitalia very small. The uncus is reduced, the socii are large, roundish, and the gnathi hooked. The anellar complex has large dorsolateral parts and ventrolateral projections towards the sacculi. Valva distally slender, at centre strongly dilated dorsally (bulbed extension broader than width of valva). Valva with two long blackish spines at the centro-ventral edge (sometimes one lacking due to artificial loss), without spines at the tip (exceptionally one spine). The projection of the sacculus is curved. The aedeagus is short (0.8–0.9 mm only), pointed distally, tip of aedeagus sclerotized cornutus-like. The sternite A8 is smoothly bilobed to its distal edge. The configuration of male genitalia is similar to that in O. brehmi , O. moseri and O. euchlora . O. ecuadorata and O. absaloni are the only species in this group with a very long and narrow tip of valva, whilst O. absaloni is characterized by a very large central extension of valva (much smaller in O. ecuadorata ) and usually by lack of spines at the apex of valva.

Female genitalia: not examined.

Genetic data. Not yet DNA barcoded.

Distribution. Ecuador.

Biology. The specimens were collected in montane rainforest, from 850 m up to 1570 m, one specimen from 2910 m (thus usually lower than the preceding species), from February to May, September and October.

Etymology. Named after Martin Absalon, who was a cameraman on a Bolivian expedition where some of the Oospila specimens examined in this paper were collected.