Metecia hypothetica ( Köhler, 1961 ) Kohler, 1961

Navarro, Fernando R., Barrionuevo, M. Jose & Blas, German San, 2015, A revision of the South American genus Metecia Snellen (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), Zootaxa 4007 (4), pp. 567-579 : 576-578

Metecia hypothetica ( Köhler, 1961) new combination

Figs 5–7, 13, 14 , 27–29 , 34–36 .

Pareuxoina hypothetica Köhler, 1961: 78 , pl I, fig. 6; Köhler, 1967: 306, fig. 199 (checklist); Dapoto et al., 2003: 71 (checklist); Olivares et al., 2009: 395 (redescription). Holotype: male [ Argentina], Neuquén, Laguna blanca, 8.iii.1959 (M. Gentili) (Köhler) (IFML). Genitalia slide Nº 998 (P. Köhler coll.). Examined. Allotype: female [ Argentina], Neuquén (IFML). Genitalia slide Nº 2100FN. Examined.

Pareuxoa hypothetica (Köhler) : Poole, 1989: 779 (catalogue, new combination).

Diagnosis. Metecia hypothetica can be identified by the following characters: 1) prothoracic collar with transverse central whitish line; 2) head frons projection wide with rugous anterior margin; 3) juxta of the male genitalia with dorsal margin produced into two long triangular bars, not connected to anellus sclerotized plates, central horn absent; 4) digitus apex extending beyond posterior margin of valve; and 5) female genitalia with anterior 1/3 of ductus bursae membranous, with ventral right diverticulum of compact membrane.

Redescription. Male ( Fig. 5 ). Head frons pale brown with lateral whitish bands close to eyes, with central wide wart-like projection of rugous anterior margin, not crenate, without raised edge ( Figs 13, 14 ); labial palpus pale brown with brown traces on segments and ventral to second segment apex, third segment whitish continuing frons lateral bands, segments with long hairlike scales; antennae biserrate ( Fig. 7 ).

Prothoracic collar pale brown with whitish line extending from head vertex thickening toward collar dorsal margin.

Forewing length 14.9–16.5 mm, from pale brown to brown; costa and veins pale brown; anterior streak from cell to wing apical margin (less often originates from wing basal margin), not contiguous with cubitus, posterior streak along Cu vein, from base to middle of the wing, if reaching termen then faded on apical half of the wing.

Genitalia ( Fig. 27 ) with apical dorsal projection of uncus absent. Juxta dorsal margin laterally produced into two long triangular bars not connected to anellus sclerotized plates, central sclerotized horn absent ( Fig. 27 ). Valve 4X longer than wide; ampulla slender, faintly S-shaped, 0.25X as long as valve; clasper proper absent; digitus weakly sclerotized, free from inner surface of valve on apical 2/3, apex pointed and extending beyond valve posterior margin ( Fig. 27 ). Vesica ( Figs 28, 29 ) without ventral plate, basal diverticulum ventral and right, large, not twisted, with ventral anterior strong cornuti, 6X longer than wide; subbasal diverticulum short, 2.5X as long as wide, with apical cornuti, 0.3X as long as basal cornuti ( Fig. 28 ); apical diverticulum well differentiated.

Female ( Fig. 6 ) as in male except for: forewing length 14.2–16.1 mm and antenna filiform. Genitalia ( Figs 34, 35 ) with posterior apophysis 2.6X as long as anterior apophysis. Anterior 1/3 of ductus bursae membranous, with ventral right diverticulum of compact membrane ( Fig. 35 ). Corpus bursae without sclerotized plate, as long as appendix bursae, both fused along posterior 1/2 of their length.

Bionomics and distribution. Adults have been collected from January to March. Argentina (Chubut, Neuquén, Río Negro, and Santa Cruz) and Chile (Regions VII and VIII) ( Fig. 36 ).

Material examined. (298 males, 80 females). ARGENTINA: Chubut. Bajo Palangana, 150m, 1 female 28.iii.1970 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); El Maitén, 700m, 8 males 1 female 16.i.1986 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Esquel, 1 female 8.i.1960, genitalia slide Nº 2102FN ( IFML); Los Cipreses, 650m, 1 female 13.ii.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Trevelin, 1 male 13.ii.1982 (Gentili) (IADIZA). Neuquén. Aeropuerto Chapelco, 780m, 8 males 14.ii.1988 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); C. Cura, Carro quemado, 840m, 8 males 1 female 6.ii.1995 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); C. Cura, Rincón León, 650m, 1 male 15.iii.1997 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Catan Lil, 892m, 1 male 18.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Caviahue, 1650m, 1 male 17.i.1980 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Chapelco, Lenga, 1700m, 3 males 1 female 11.i.1983 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1650m, 1 male 3.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Chapelco, Techos, 1400m, 1 male 1.i.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 male 2 females 21.i.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 female 26.i.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 male 30.i.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 2 males 3.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 male 21.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Coloradas, Antena, 1000m, 23 males 3 females 25.i.1988 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 13 males 5 females 17.ii.1988 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 10 males 4 females 2.iii.1990 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 male 1 female 27.ii.1993 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Confluen. Traful, 700m, 14 males 3 females 17.ii.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Cordón Chapelco, 1750m, 1 male 14.i.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1700m, 1 male 21.i.1982 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Ea El Condor, 6 males 26.i.92 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Ea. Meliquina, 1 female 10.ii.1965 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); El turbio, 1 male 20.i.76 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); L. Lacar, Trompul, 1000m, 7 males 6.i.1983 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Lacar, Quechuquina, 900m, 14 males 8 females 14.i.1983 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Lago Queñi, 875m, 1 male 13.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Laguna blanca, 1270m, 1 male 3.iii.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Lagunas, Campament., 1350m, 12 males 8.i.1989 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Lagunas Lumabia, 1500m, 3 males 7.i.1989 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Lagunas Rosahuer, 1450m, 1 male 6.i.1989 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Moquehue Icalma, 1250m, 1 male 2.iii.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Neuquén, 1 male (paratype) ( IFML); Pampa Curaco, 1150m, 6 males 6.i.1987 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Pampa Puttkamer, 975m, 44 males 15 females 14.ii.1988 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Paso Córdoba, 1300m, 2 males 21.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA), 4 males 7.i.1981 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Pino Hachado, 1750m, 1 male 30.i.1974 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Quemquemtreu, Cañada Camino, 850m, 8 males 3 females 2.ii.1979 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Quilahuintos, 1000m, 1 male 4.i.1981 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Quilquihue, 750m, 3 males 9 females 8.iii.1980 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 male 12.i.1981 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA), 5 males 6 females 21.iii.1983 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); R. Aluminé, L. Loan, 1100m, 1 male 16.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Remeco, 1250m, 12 males 17.i.1984 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Rincón chico, 1 female 1.iii.1965 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); San Martin de los Andes, 1 male 1 female 31.i.1959 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 male (M. Gentili) genitalia slide Nº 2101FN ( IFML), 1 female 15.i.1960 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA), 1 female 30.i.1963 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); San Martín de los Andes, Parque Nacional Lanín, 1 female ii.1952 (Schajovskoi) ( BMNH). Río Negro. A. Pichi Leufu, 1100m, 7 males 1 female 17.i.1986 (M. y P. Gentili) (IADIZA); Bariloche, 850m, 1 male (paratype) 16.ii.1953 (Fleiss) ( IFML), genitalia slide Nº 997 (Köhler coll.); Fragna, 1 male 14.i.1965 (A. Giai) ( BMNH); Ea. El Cóndor, 900m, 38 males 6 females 26.i.1992 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); La fragua, 1 male 14.i.1965 (L.G. Giai) (IADIZA). Santa Cruz. El Turbio, 200m, 2 males 20.i.1974 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA), 3 males 20.i.1976 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA), 2 males 22.i.1976 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Fuentes Coyle, 300m, 2 males 27.i.1976 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Guer Aike, 25m, 1 male 2.ii.1976 (M. Gentili) (IADIZA); Lago Argentino, El Calafate, 200m, 1 male 12.i.1979 (Misión Científica Danesa) (IADIZA).

Data from bibliographical sources. CHILE: VII Region (Maule). Sector La Mina, 26–27.ii.2002. VIII Region (Bio–Bio). Las Trancas, Chillán, 9.ii.2002; Las Trancas, Ñuble, 10–16.ii.2007; Laguna Icalma, 7.ii.1980 (Olivares at al. 2009).

Figures

FIGURE 36. Distribution map of Metecia species. White circles = M. cornifrons, red stars = M. lacustris, yellow triangles = M. hypothetica.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Male and female of Metecia. 1, M. cornifrons, male. 2, M. cornifrons, female. 3, M. lacustris, male. 4, M. lacustris, female. 5, M. hypothetica, male. 6, M. hypothetica, female. Scale lines: 10 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 14. 7 – 8, male antenna. 7, biserrate, doubly bifasciculate (Metecia hypothetica). 8, deeply bipectinate (M. lacustris). 9 – 14, Frons projections. 9, M. cornifrons (lateral view). 10, M. cornifrons (anterolateral view). 11, M. lacustris (lateral view). 12, M. lacustris (anterolateral view). 13, M. hypothetica (lateral view). 14, M. hypothetica (anterolateral view).

FIGURES 19 – 29. Male genitalia. 19 – 23, Metecia cornifrons. 19, male genitalia. 20, aedeagus (lateral view). 21, sclerotized plate (close up). 22, subbasal diverticulum left margin (close up). 23, aedeagus (dorsal view). 24 – 26, M. lacustris. 24, male genitalia. 25, aedeagus (lateral view). 26, aedeagus (dorsal view). 27 – 29, M. hypothetica. 27, male genitalia. 28, aedeagus (lateral view). 29, aedeagus (dorsal view).

FIGURES 30 – 35. Female genitalia. 30, Metecia cornifrons (lateral view). 31, M. cornifrons (dorsal view). 32, M. lacustris (lateral view). 33, M. lacustris (dorsal view). 34, M. hypothetica (lateral view). 35, M. hypothetica (dorsal view).