Catoptria apenninica Bassi, 2017

Bassi, Graziano & Huemer, Peter, 2020, Notes on some Catoptria Huebner, 1825 (Crambidae, Lepidoptera) from the Central Apennines (Italy), with the descriptions of Catoptria samnitica sp. nov. and the male of Catoptria apenninica Bassi, 2017, Nota Lepidopterologica 43, pp. 253-263 : 257-258

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/nl.43.52520
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/04897AAD-96F9-5816-B936-4A2509B51AD9
treatment provided by	Nota Lepidopterologica by Pensoft
scientific name	Catoptria apenninica Bassi, 2017
status

Treatment

Catoptria apenninica Bassi, 2017: 55-57

Material examined.

5 males, 1 female, Italia centr.[ale], Prov.[incia] Rieti, Monte Terminillo, 42°29'0"N, 13°00'6"E, 1730-1780 m, 12.vii.2010, leg[it] Huemer, TLMF 2010-020, BC TLMF Lep 01470, BC TLMF Lep 01471, genitalia slide 6250 GB; 2 males, 6 females, Italia centr.[ale], Prov.[incia] Rieti, Monte Terminillo, 42°29'0"N, 13°00'6"E, 1730-1780 m, 16.vii.2010, leg[it] Huemer, TLMF 2010-020, BC TLMF Lep 01656, BC TLMF Lep 01657, genitalia slide 6250 GB; 5 males, 5 females, Italia centr.[ale], Prov.[incia] Rieti, Monte Terminillo Nordhang [North slope], 42°29'0"N, 13°00'6"E, 1800 m, 18.vii.2011, leg.[it] Huemer, TLMF 2012-010, genitalia slides 6669, 6675 and 6693 GB; 2 males, 2 females, Italia centr.[ale], Prov.[incia] Rieti, Monte Terminillo Nordhang [North slope], 42°29'0"N, 13°00'6"E, 1800 m, 19.vii.2011, leg[it] Huemer, TLMF 2012-010; 2 males, Italien, Abruzzen [Lazio], Monte Terminillo, 1730 m, 42°29'0"N, 13°00'6"E, 17.vii.2010, Mayr Toni leg.[it], GS 6260 and 6606 (TLMF, RCGB, RCTM).

Diagnosis.

See Bassi (2017: 55); Fig. 25 View Figures 19–26 shows female genitalia variation compared with the holotype ( Bassi 2017: fig. 3) and with C. europaeica Błeszyński 1965 (Fig. 26 View Figures 19–26 ). Like the females the males are also smaller (on average 25-26 mm) than those of C. europaeica (on average 28-30 mm). In the forewing the medial band of the longitudinal streak is darker and slightly larger, along the costa the subapical dot is larger and extending closer to the apex, and the fringes are white, tipped brown as opposed to white with medial and apical grey brown bands in C. europaeica . The hind wing is brown as opposed to pale grey brown in C. europaeica . In the male genitalia (Figs 9 View Figures 7–18 , 15 View Figures 7–18 , 17 View Figures 7–18 ) the phallus lacks the subapical tooth typical of C. europaeica (Figs 10 View Figures 7–18 , 16 View Figures 7–18 , 18 View Figures 7–18 ).

Description of the male

(Fig. 5 View Figures 1–6 ). Wingspan 25 mm. Labial palpi 3 times longer than widest diameter of eye, white, outer edge bronze brown. Maxillary palpi basally bronze brown, then white. Antennae thickened, brown with bronze brown costa and first segment dorsally white. Frons subconical, slightly produced, white. Ocelli and chaetosemata well developed. Head white, bright brown around chaetosemata. Patagia medially white, laterally brown. Tegulae brown. Thorax white bordered brown. Forewing ground colour brown; costa brown with large subapical white streak; longitudinal streak white, distally enlarged and edged black brown; medial band distally widening, postmedial band equal in width; narrow streak along 1a+2a vein white; dorsum white basally; terminal line dark brown with four black dots; fringes white, tipped brown; underside bronze brown with costa paler. Hindwing brown; fringes white; underside brown. Legs with inner edge white and outer edge pale bronze brown; claws black; pairs of tibial spurs of different length, the distal smaller than proximal. Abdomen bright brown with anal tuft yellow brown.

Male genitalia (Figs 9 View Figures 7–18 , 15 View Figures 7–18 , 17 View Figures 7–18 ). Uncus narrow, apically downcurved and pointed; gnathos clearly longer than uncus, with triangular and hooked apex; tegumen subrectangular, shorter than valva; juxta subtriangular, basally enlarged; vinculum stout, subrectangular; pseudosaccus well developed; valva slender, distally triangular, with medial process flat, long and slender; costa with strongly pointed and upcurved basal process, shorter than valva; phallus longer than valva, medially arched, apically sclerotized along lower edge; vesica with several spinulae and scobinations.

Biology.

Host-plant and early stages unknown. The holotype was collected in the daytime in cloudy weather conditions, whereas the vast majority of the specimens was attracted to artificial light in a xeromontane habitat (Fig. 29 View Figuer 29 ).

Remarks.

The female holotype of C. apenninica was collected about 100 km south of the population at Monte Terminillo. The species appears to be an endemic of the Central Italian mountains, with the northern and southern limits of its distribution still to be fully investigated.