Eupterote elisavetae, Spitsyn & Bolotov, 2020

Spitsyn, Vitaly M. & Bolotov, Ivan N., 2020, Eupterote elisavetae sp. nov. from Flores Island, Indonesia (Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 29 (2020), pp. 51-55 : 53-54

Eupterote elisavetae sp. nov.

Figs 1-3

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:95CA86F1-89F5-4DD4-BCF6-0CF3A1987751

Type material. Holotype male RMBH Sph 0826: INDONESIA, East Nusa Tenggara Islands, Flores Island , Bajawa , Manulalu Ecolodge , eucalyptus plantation with fragmented areas of natural vegetation, altitude 1120 m, 8º51'45"S, 120º59'40"E, 01-02.ii.2020, E. Spitsyna leg.

Diagnosis. This species is externally similar to Eupterote multiarcuata Holloway, 1976 , E. naessigi Holloway, 1987 , and E. chinensis Leech, 1898 but could be distinguished from these taxa by having a clear postdiscal band on both wings. The new species is much larger than Eupterote jaresia Swinhoe, 1904 and differs from the latter species by wing marking patterns. It can be distinguished from Eupterote celebica Nässig, Holloway & Beeke, 2011 by the lack of zigzag submarginal band, and by the presence of rounded spot on the forewing and two rounded spots on the hindwing. Additionally, Eupterote celebica does not have semicircular spots with silver scales. The new species differs from Eupterote multiarcuata and E. naessigi by having a well-developed apical process of the aedeagus (vs a small tubercle in those two species) and from E. celebica by having a longer vinculum with rounded apex.

Description. Male morphology: Wingspan 84 mm, forewing length 49 mm. Eye grey. Antenna bipectinate, yellowish-brown. Base of antenna yellow. Head brown with scarce yellow scales. Labial palpus short (equal to eye diameter), brown, with yellowish ventral side. Thorax, patagium, and tegula yellow. Legs yellow, with brown stripe dorsally. Forewing upperside ochraceous; unclear dark brown spots along costal margin; postdiscal narrow brown band; several unclear zigzag stripes between the wing base and postdiscal band; submarginal dark-brown rounded spot close to anal margin; a series of marginal spots, with three upper spots densely covered by silver scales. Hindwing upperside is similar to that of the forewing; postdiscal band slightly curved; two submarginal dark-brown rounded spots (one spot in apical part and second spot close to anal margin); unclear submarginal zigzag brownish band. Underside of both wings bright yellow; marking patterns are mostly similar to those of the wing upperside. Abdomen yellow.

Male genitalia: Typical structure for the genus. Tegumen very broad, strongly sclerotized. Uncus broad, its dorsal process large, broad near the base and tapering apically. Saccus large, densely sculptured. Vinculum elongated, rounded apically. Juxta rounded, covered by saccus ventrally. Valva strongly curved, sclerotized, with a rounded apex. Aedeagus small, with a curved, claw-like apex and a spinulose field on vesica.

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. This species is not known beyond its type locality on Flores.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Elisaveta Spitsyna (Arkhangelsk, Russia) who collected the holotype specimen.

Figures

Figure 1. Holotype male of Eupterote elisavetae sp. nov., Flores Island, Indonesia: A) upperside; B) underside. Scale bar = 10 mm. Photos: Vitaly M. Spitsyn.

Figure 2. Holotype male genitalia and aedeagus of Eupterote elisavetae sp. nov., Flores Island, Indonesia. Scale bar = 1 mm. Photos: Vitaly M. Spitsyn.

Figure 3. Type locality of Eupterote elisavetae sp. nov. near Bajawa, Flores Island, Indonesia. Photo: Vitaly M. Spitsyn.