Catoptria samnitica, Bassi & Huemer, 2020

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 : 254-257

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/nl.43.52520

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8458B59C-2072-5620-9D8F-780268E69A8C

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Nota Lepidopterologica by Pensoft

scientific name

Catoptria samnitica
status

sp. nov.

Catoptria samnitica sp. nov.

Type material.

Holotype male: "Italien, Abruzzen / NP [National Park, Parco Nazionale del] Gran Sasso / ex Miniera di Lignite / 1750 m / 42°55.6'N, 13°42.8'E / 14.7.2010 / Mayr Toni leg.[it]" (TLMF).

Paratypes: 5 males, 8 females, Italia, Prov.[incia] l'Aquila, NP [National Park, Parco Nazionale del] Gran Sasso, ex Miniera di Lignite, 42°25'6"N, 13°42'8"E, 1750 m, 14-15.vii.2010, leg[it] Huemer, TLMF 2010-020, BC TLMF Lep 01573, BC TLMF Lep 01575, genitalia slides 6251, 6265, 6266 and 6292 GB; 6 males, 9 females, same data as holotype, genitalia slides 5750 and 5751 GB; 5 males, 3 females, same data, but 15.vii.2010 (TLMF, RCGB, RCTM).

Etymology.

The species name is derived from the ancient Latin region established by Rome's Emperor Augustus, the Regio IV, dubbed Samnium, which included Mt. Gran Sasso.

Diagnosis.

Catoptria samnitica is similar in habitus (Figs 1 View Figures 1–6 , 3 View Figures 1–6 ) to C. spatulellus (Figs 2 View Figures 1–6 , 4 View Figures 1–6 ) in having a uniform white streak in the forewing, but the ground colour appears grey brown and the forewing markings include a large white costal subapical area and a narrow white subdorsal streak. The male genitalia (Figs 7 View Figures 7–18 , 11 View Figures 7–18 , 13 View Figures 7–18 ), considering the species with a uniform streak, are similar to those of C. spatulellus (Figs 8 View Figures 7–18 , 12 View Figures 7–18 , 14 View Figures 7–18 ), differing in the less upcurved basal process of the costa, in the slightly less developed medial process of the valva and in the phallus being more strongly sclerotized distally. In the female genitalia (Figs 19-21 View Figures 19–26 ), both the large shape of the lamella antevaginalis of the sterigma and abdominal sternite VIII distinguish the new species from C. spatulellus (Figs 22-24 View Figures 19–26 ). Catoptria spatulelloides , endemic to the Southern Apennines, is also similar in habitus to C. samnitica , but its genitalia ( Bassi 1999: figs 15, 16) place it closer to C. casperella Ganev, 1983 and C. myella ( Hübner, 1796). DNA barcodes are shared with C. apenninica , a species with which it cannot be confused based on external morphology.

Description

(Figs 1 View Figures 1–6 , 3 View Figures 1–6 ). Wingspan: 23-26 mm, the female slightly larger than the male on average. Labial palpi 3 times longer than widest diameter of eye, white, outer edge bronze brown. Maxillary palpi basally bronze brown, then white. Antennae thickened in male, simple in female, grey brown with bright brown costa and first segment partially white. Frons subconical, slightly produced, white. Ocelli and chaetosemata well developed. Head white. Patagia medially white, laterally brown. Tegulae brown. Thorax white. Forewing ground colour grey brown; costa brown with a rather large subapical white dot; longitudinal streak white, distally enlarging and edged dark brown; narrow streak along 1a+2a vein white; terminal line dark brown; fringes white, grey brown at apex in male; female on average paler than male; underside bronze brown in male, bronze brown with costa and dorsum white in female. Hindwing brown with scattered white scales, especially basally at origin of M2-M3; fringes white; underside white suffused with brown, veins brown. Legs with inner edge bright yellow brown and outer edge white; spurs black; pairs of tibial spurs of different length. Abdomen bright yellow brown.

Male genitalia (Figs 7 View Figures 7–18 , 11 View Figures 7–18 , 13 View Figures 7–18 ). Uncus narrow, apically downcurved and pointed; gnathos 1.2 × length of uncus, with triangular and hooked apex; tegumen subrectangular; juxta subtriangular; vinculum stout, subrectangular; pseudosaccus well developed; valva slender, distally triangular, with medial process 0.3 × length of valva, enlarging distally; costa with strongly pointed and upcurved basal process; phallus longer than valva, medially arched, apically sclerotized; vesica with several spinulae and scobinations.

Female genitalia (Figs 19-21 View Figures 19–26 ). Papillae anales subtriangular, with sclerotized section narrowing dorsally. Apophyses posteriores subtriangular, rather short. Apophyses anteriores absent. Abdominal segment VIII large, sclerotized, with sternite strongly modified especially in the large basis and medially. Ostium bursae opening inside sterigma, subtriangular, produced. Ductus bursae more than twice as long as corpus bursae, sinuous, sclerotized up to 0.75 of its length, then enlarging, membranous and distally scobinate. Ductus seminalis branching at 0.75 the length of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae suboval, scobinate and with rounded signum.

Biology.

Host-plant and early stages unknown. The adults were attracted to artificial light during the night in a dry rivulet bed with xeromontane vegetation (Fig. 28 View Figure 28 ).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Crambidae

Genus

Catoptria