Callistege clara Homziak & Metzler, 2021

Homziak, Nicholas T., Lightfoot, David C., Metzler, Eric H. & Miller, Kelly B., 2021, The Lepidoptera of Cuatrocienegas Protected Area 1. A new species in the genus Callistege Huebner, [1823] (Erebidae, Erebinae, Euclidiini) from the Chihuahuan Desert, Coahuila, Mexico, ZooKeys 1044, pp. 783-796 : 783

Callistege clara Homziak & Metzler sp. nov. Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5

Material.

Holotype: adult male, pinned: Mexico: " Coahuila: Cuatro Cienegas [sic] Nat [iona]l Preserve , 18-IX-2011, 26.91851°N 102.10211°W, D.C. Lightfoot et al. col[lecto]rs; Site C7, Rio Mezquites , basin floor ponds streams, general collecting" MSBA 72901 . Paratypes: 2 males, slide numbers E.H.M. 585, E.H.M. 586 (USNM) and 3 females, slide number E.H.M. 587 (USNM), MSBA 72902, slide number E.H.M. 588, MSBA 72903 (MSBA): MEXICO: "Coahuila: Cuatro Cienegas [sic] Nat[iona]l Preserve, 18-IX-2011, 26.91851°N 102.10211°W, D.C. Lightfoot et al. col[lecto]rs; Site C7, Rio Mezquites , basin floor ponds streams, general collecting."

Diagnosis.

Callistege clara adults (Figs 1 , 2 ) are easily recognized. The ground color of the forewing is white with two conspicuous triangular patches of dark brown, one conspicuous polygon patch of dark brown, and inconspicuous gray and dark brown markings. The hind wing is white with gray-brown postmedial, subterminal, and terminal lines. The ground color of the other three species in the genus is gray and brown; males and females of all four species respectively are similar. The male and female genitalia of C. clara (Figs 3 - 5 ) are markedly asymmetrical. In comparison, the respective genitalia of C. triangula (Figs 6 , 7 ) are less asymmetrical. The dorsal margin of the valvae forms a hooked, claw-like lobe in C. clara ; in C. triangula , these structures come to a peak. In C. clara , the sterigma is complex and sclerotized, versus simple and lightly sclerotized sterigma of C. triangula . Callistege triangula has spicules on the corpus bursae, whereas C. clara does not have spicules on the corpus bursae.

Description.

All three males and all three females in the type series are the basis for the following descriptions. Adult male (Fig. 1 ). Head: front smooth, scales appressed, dark brown tipped with cream; vertex scales rough proximally; labial palpi stout, porrect, scales appressed, similar to rest of head, but lighter color, basal segment and second segment wide, laterally flattened, third segment 0.4 × length and width of second segment; haustellum well developed; antenna fasciculate, dorsoventrally flattened, oval cross section, dorsal surface scales cream, appressed, ventral surface naked, numerous sensory setae. Thorax: dorsum: anterior scales appressed, dark brown, cream tipped, posterior scales light brown, lateral scales long, hair-like, tegulae scales mixed spatulate and long, hair-like; venter white, scales mixed lamellar and piliform; fore leg: femurs with elongate, light brown and cream lamellar scales, tibia, epiphysis spatulate, tarsomeres with two rows of spines on ventral surface, terminal claws, mid leg: femurs with light brown spatulate scales, tibia and tarsomeres with two rows of spines, one pair of tibial spurs at distal end, tarsomeres spined on ventral surface; hind leg: femur scales spatulate, dorsal surface scales brown and cream, ventral surface white, two pairs of tibial spurs, tarsomeres ventrally spined, three rows; forewings: length 16.0-17.0 mm, mean 16.6 mm, n = 3; dorsal surface white and cream, scattered brown scales; costal margin base to postmedial line white, posterior margin base to tornus white, diagonal line from mid costa to tornus white, streak from base to diagonal mark white, broad, filling discal area, parallel white streaks from white diagonal line, along M2 and M3 to postmedial line, postmedial line two elements: basal element white, broad, second element gray, subterminal line three elements: basal element white, middle element gray, terminal element white with gray intrusions on the veins, terminal line black, three triangle marks, dark red brown, basal and dorsad of white posterior margin to curved white line, distal of curved white line and dorsad of white posterior margin, sub-costal and distal of curved white line, fringe brown, becoming cream towards tornus, underside a mixture of brown and white scales, appearing a dirty cream color, darker at costal and terminal areas, terminal lines same as above, discal spot crescent-shaped, brown, with streak extending basally from center, together forming a “Y” shape; Hind wings white, dusted with darker scales, postmedial line brown, not sharply defined, fringe cream colored, underside color as FW, apically fewer brown scales, becoming white towards the anal area, medial, subterminal, and terminal lines faintly visible, fringe concolorous. Abdomen: scales appressed, color light cream; underside similar. Male genitalia (Fig. 3 ): tegumen with lightly sclerotized lens-shaped region surrounded by lateral heavier sclerotization; juxta moderately sclerotized with a rough texture; vinculum narrow at base, widening distally, vaguely Y shaped, outer margins dark and sclerotized, becoming clear and more membranous mesially; valvae asymmetrical; saccular region smooth at base, with raised, setose patch in middle; cucullar region sparsely setose distally, distal end on each side divided in to two claw-like lobes, membranous projection originating between lobes on dorsal surface, larger of the lobes on left side with a pointed tip, right side with a more rounded tip; uncus setose, pointed downward at tip; aedeagus (Fig. 4 ): slightly curved, slightly expanded at base, sclerotized at distal end, vesica with patch of fine cornuti.

Adult female (Fig. 2 ). Similar to male, forewings: length 16.0-17.5 mm, mean 16.6 mm, n = 3. Female genitalia (Fig. 5 ): anterior apophyses ca. 2/3 length of posterior apophyses; sterigma asymmetrical, complex, approximately trapezoidal forming two peaked corners anterior to ostium bursae, small bumps on surface; ostium bursae approximately circular; antrum more sclerotized on left side with numerous small bumps and spicules; ductus bursae sclerotized, narrowing anteriorly towards corpus bursae; corpus bursae membranous, narrowed at insertion of ductus bursae; appendix bursae small, projecting from right side of corpus bursae at base; posterior apophyses widened, flattened, wavy at tip; papillae analis membranous, setose, setae stout, variable length.

Distribution and biology.

This species is described from a wetland area adjacent to Río Mezquites, in a gypsum/limestone desert basin in the Cuatrociénegas Protected Area of the Coahuila de Zaragoza state in Mexico. The larva and its food plant(s) are unknown.

Etymology.

The specific epithet, Callistege clara , is chosen because of the much lighter ground color of this species relative to other members of this genus. It is treated as a singular adjective.

Remarks.

This species is placed in the genus Callistege on the basis of the following features: light colored angled bands over a darker ground color, a forewing pattern shared with other North American members of the genus, and the bifurcated valvae of the male genitalia.

While C. clara can clearly be distinguished from the other three North American species in the genus, our research revealed that the identity of C. intercalaris may be uncertain. Grote (1882) described C. intercalaris from an unknown number of specimens collected by Professor Snow in "New Mexico." Todd (1982) stated the existence of two syntypes of C. intercalaris ; one at the Natural History Museum, London (BMNH) and the other in the Snow Collection at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS (SEMC). Todd suggested the two syntypes represent two species. Poole (1989) stated the holotype of C. intercalaris was in the BMNH. Examination of specimens at SEMC, and photographs of the the type specimen at the BMNH demonstrated that C. clara is distinct in color and wing pattern from syntpes of Callistege intercalaris .

Careful attempts to evert the vesica of two male syntypes of C. clara were unsuccessful. Because the differences noted in the diagnosis separate C. clara from the other described species of Callistege of the Nearctic, prudence dictated that we leave the abdomen of the third male, the holotype, intact.

Figures

Figure 1. Callistege clara Homziak & Metzler, sp. nov., male (holotype). Mexico, Cuatrocienegas (MSBA 72901). Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 2. Callistege clara Homziak & Metzler, sp. nov., female (paratype). Mexico, Cuatrocienegas (MSBA 72903). Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 3. Callistege clara Homziak & Metzler, sp. nov. Mexico, Cuatrocienegas (paratype), male genitalia. Slide E. H. M. 585 (USNM). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 4. Callistege clara Homziak & Metzler, sp. nov. Mexico, Cuatrocienegas (paratype), aedeagus. Slide E. H. M. 586 (USNM). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 5. Callistege clara Homziak & Metzler, sp. nov. Mexico, Cuatrocienegas (paratype), female genitalia. Slide E. H. M. 587 (USNM). Scale bar: 2 mm.

Figure 6. Callistege triangula male genitalia. JGF slide number 6533. John G. Franclemont Slide Collection, Cornell University. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 7. Callistege triangula female genitalia. JGF slide number 6534. John. G. Franclemont Slide Collection, Cornell University. Scale bar: 2 mm.