Silenoides Brown, 2024

Brown, John W., 2024, New genera and species of tortricid moths from Chile and Argentina (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Zootaxa 5551 (1), pp. 51-90 : 73-76

Silenoides Brown , new genus

LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 584C69D0-A32F-4605-8A8D-FA2F77755BBB

Type species: Silenoides divergens Brown , new species.

Remarks and Diagnosis. Silenoides appears to be most closely related to Razowskiina Kemal & Kocak, 2005 (a replacement name for Silenis Razowski, 1987 ). It shares with a few species of that genus (e.g., R. senilis Razowski ) a similar forewing pattern, including a pair of very narrow lines extending obliquely from near mid-costa to the tornus that represent the inner and outer margins of the median fascia, and a blotch from the hind margin near the base of the wing. The male genitalia of Silenoides share several features with those of Razowskiina , including a somewhat parallel-sided valva; a long, free, apically-pointed termination of the sacculus; and a large cornutus in the vesica of the phallus. The most conspicuous character uniting the two genera is the presence of an elongate process from mid-dorsum of the juxta at the point of articulation with the phallus.

Superficially, Silenoides can be distinguished from Razowskiina by its slightly longer forewing length, and by the pale gray forewing ground color with a distinctive triangular basal blotch ( Fig. 18 ). The female genitalia of S. divergens lack the characteristic strongly sclerotized, cup-like antrum and the band-shaped, spiny sclerites of the corpus bursae of Razowskiina , the latter of which are somewhat reminiscent of those of Inape Razowski. The male genitalia of Silenoides are highly divergent from those Razowskiina , with the uncus absent (well developed in Razowskiina ), the gnathos reduced (well developed in Razowskiina ), and the transtilla simple and slender (usually somewhat broadly bilobed medially in Razowskiina ).

Description. Head: Vertex rough-scaled, scales directed anteriorly; upper frons rough-scaled, scales of lower frons shorter, sparser; antenna ca. 0.5 length of forewing, weakly serrate, with one row of scales per flagellomere, sensory setae ca. 0.1 times width of flagellomere in both sexes; ocellus small; chaetosemata present; labial palpus with scaling expanded medially on second segment, third segment exposed, combined length of all segments ca. 2 times diameter of compound eye in both sexes. Haustellum well developed, presumably functional.

Thorax: Dorsum smooth-scaled, metathoracic tuft weak. Legs with rudiment of euliine hairpencil (only a few setae present, possibly damaged). Forewing length 6.5 mm (n = 1) in male, 9.0 mm (n = 2) in female, length ca. 2.3 times width, slightly expanded apically; costa slightly and evenly arched throughout, male costal fold absent; termen straight, oblique; all veins present and separate, chorda absent, M-stem present, R 4 to costa, R 5 to termen. Hindwing with all veins present and separate; CuP weak at margin; frenulum with one bristle in male, three in female.

Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Fig. 38 ) with tegumen rounded dorso-posteriorly, vinculum V-shaped; uncus reduced to tiny triangular process; socius short, hairy, lobelike; gnathos arms greatly reduced, extremely short, slender, lacking median plate; transtilla a slender lateral band lacking spines; valva slender, broadest at base, abruptly narrowed ca. 0.3 from base, distal 0.7 nearly parallel-sided, only weakly attenuate to rounded apex, costa straight, sacculus broad basally, attenuate distally, terminating in a long, free, curved tip; juxta a subtriangular plate; phallus long, slightly curved near middle, phallobase rounded; vesica with single cornutus adjacent to narrow sclerotized plate ca. 0.6 length of phallus. Female genitalia ( Fig. 49 ) with papillae anales rather slender, ca. 4 times as long as wide, with long setae from small papillate lobes; apophyses slender, posteriores only slightly shorter than anteriores; sterigma a simple broadly U-shaped band; ductus bursae broad, sclerotized throughout, ca. 0.35 length of corpus bursae, gradually broadening into corpus bursae; corpus bursae ovoid, with ill-defined pouch on left side near junction with ductus bursae (several patches of short striae likely fungal artefact); signum absent.

Etymology. The genus name refers to the original, preoccupied name of the genus— Silenis .

Figures

FIGURES 17‒20. Adults of tortricid species from Chile and Argentina. 17. Galomecalpa decolorana, holotype male. 18. Silenoides divergens, paratype female. 19. Archipimima clarkei, holotype male. 20. Archipimima clarkei, paratype female.

FIGURES 37‒38. Male genitalia of tortricid species from Chile and Argentina. 37. Archipimima clarkei, USNM slide 154,864. 38. Silenoides divergens, USNM slide 154,803.

FIGURES 45‒49. Female genitalia of tortricid species from Chile and Argentina. 45. Chapoania dentigera, USNM slide 88,636. 46. Endemulia urrai, USNM slide 154,831. 47. Paratepa argentinana, USNM slide 154,859. 48. Archipimima clarkei, USNM slide 154,860. 49. Silenoides divergens, USNM slide 154,882.