Sparganocosma Brown

Brown, John W., Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie, 2013, A food plant specialist in Sparganothini: A new genus and species from Costa Rica (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), ZooKeys 303, pp. 53-63 : 54-55

Sparganocosma Brown gen. n.

Type species.

Sparganocosma docsturnerorum Brown, new species.

Diagnosis.

In facies, Sparganocosma are unlike any other known sparganothine genus. The forewing pattern is somewhat two-toned longitudinally, pale buff along the costal half, usually interrupted near the middle of the wing by an ill-defined area of darker scales, and dark brown along the dorsal half, broadening toward the termen and apex. The forewing also has a characteristic long, slender costal fold in the male. Adults are about the same size (forewing length) or slightly larger than Amorbia Clemens, 1860 and Aesiocopa Zeller, 1877 with similar sexual dimorphism in size - females are slightly larger than males. Dimorphism in forewing pattern in Sparganocosma is less pronounced than in Aesiocopa and slightly more pronounced than in Amorbia . The labial palpi in Sparganocosma are similar to those of many Amorbia - somewhat upturned-porrect, their combined (all three segments) length 2.2-2.5 times the diameter of the compound eye, and with little sexual dimorphism. In contrast, the labial palpi of most Sparganothini are conspicuously long and porrect and frequently exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism (see Powell and Brown 2012). Abdominal dorsal pits are absent in Sparganocosma , whereas they are present in Aesiocopa , many species of Amorbia , and a few other sparganothine genera (e.g., Coelostathma , Sparganopseustis ).

In the female genitalia, the signum of Sparganocosma is broad and band shaped, similar to that of several other sparganothines (i.e., Aesiocopa , Amorbia , Amorbimorpha , Coelostathma Clemens, 1860, Lambertiodes Diakonoff, 1959, Paramorbia Powell & Lambert, 1986, Rhynchophyllus Meyrick, 1932, Sparganopseustis Powell & Lambert, 1986, Sparganothina , and Sparganothoides ), but it is distinguished from that of other genera by its slightly rounded-triangular swelling in the middle, which is unique to Sparganocosma . The sterigma in Sparganocosma is weakly bilobed, and therefore similar to that of many Amorbia and Coelostathma .

In the male genitalia of Sparganocosma the secondary arms of the socius are absent, a character state shared with Amorbia , Paramorbia , Sparganothina , and Coelosthathma . The male genitalia are distinguished from those of all other Sparganothiini by the extremely short uncus (approximately 0.3 the length of the socius); the smooth (lacking spines), slender transtilla; and the long, upturned, free distal rod of the sacculus. The latter is reminiscent of that found in some species of Sparganothina , but the two genera are extremely dissimilar in forewing size and maculation.

Description.

Head: Vertex rough scaled with overhanging tuft, upper frons rough scaled, lower frons smooth scaled, without complex hood. Labial palpus (Figure 1) moderate in length, segment II 1.5-1.8 times horizontal diameter of compound eye, weakly upcurved; segment III exposed, porrect. Ocellus minute or inconspicuous. Antennal scaling in two bands per segment, sensory setae 0.7-0.8 times flagellomere width in male, shorter, sparser in female. Thorax: Tegula large, nota smooth scaled; legs unmodified. Forewing (Figure 2) broad, about 2.6 times as long as wide, with narrow costal fold in male, extending ca. 0.4 length of costa; no raised scales present; all veins present and separate, except R4 and R5 stalked in basal 0.35-0.40 in both sexes, with both extending to costa before apex; chorda and m-stem absent. Hindwing with Rs and M1 approximate at base, CuA1 and M3 connate, and M2 and M3 approximate at base; cubital hair pecten well developed in both sexes. Abdomen: Dorsal pits absent. Female lacking enlarged corethrogyne scaling. Male genitalia with uncus small, approximately 0.3 times length of socius, weakly curved ventrad; socius slender, slightly broadened posteriorly, densely clothed in long scales, mostly fused to tegumen, but with free, membranous posterior lobe, lacking secondary arm; gnathos absent; transtilla short, smooth (lacking spines), slightly arched medially; pulvinus weakly developed, represented by basal termination of linear patch of setae along costa of valva; valva broad, short, mostly parallel-sided, with concave “notch” apically (similar to Amorbia ); row of strong setae along subcosta, except basally; sacculus well defined, weakly undulate, with a long, free rod near termination. Phallus approximately 0.75 length of valva, curved at about 135° angle at approximately 0.3 distance from base, with small dorsal spur in distal 0.3; vesica with dense bundle of 40-50 aciculate, subbasally attached, deciduous cornuti. Female genitalia with papillae anales, simple, unmodified, slightly narrowed anteriorly; apophyses simple, about as long as papillae anales, posteriores only slightly longer than anteriores; sterigma a shallow, weakly bilobed bowl, with conspicuous subcircular sclerite in postostial sterigma; ostium defined posteriorly by narrow, strongly scleritozed ridge; ductus bursae relatively broad throughout, slightly longer than corpus bursae, with short, well defined but membranous colliculum; corpus bursae round or slightly bilobed, densely and finely wrinkled; signum a broad, curved ribbon with small, rounded-triangular expansion near middle, truncate at each end, situated in anterior half of corpus bursae; tiny, semi-membranous, knob-like process on exterior surface of corpus bursae near signum (as in Amorbia and Aesiocopa ).

Etymology.

The genus name is from the Latin “spargano,” to scatter or throw around, and “cosm,” referring to the universe. It is interpreted as masculine.