Blastobasis erae Adamski

Adamski, David, 2013, Review of the Blastobasinae of Costa Rica (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Blastobasidae), Zootaxa 3618 (1), pp. 1-223 : 37-38

Blastobasis erae Adamski , new species

( Figs. 11 , 79–80 , 283 , 326 , Map 9)

Diagnosis.— Blastobasis erae is similar to B. deae in facies but differs from the latter by having a narrower uncus; a wider gnathos; a less inwardly curved digitate process of the dorsal part of the valva; a wider proximal flange of the dorsal part of the valva; and a narrower base of the phallus. B. erae also has a posteroventral margin of the gnathos that is not anteriorly directed; a dorsal strut; a shallowly sigmoid-shaped sclerite of phallus; and an anellus that is setose along its lateral margins that are lacking in B. deae .

Description.—Head: Scales on vertex and frontoclypeus pale brown, narrow. Outer surface of labial palpus pale brown intermixed with few brown scales, inner surface pale brown. Antennal scape and pecten pale brown, flagellum brownish gray; first flagellomere in male dilated, inner surface of dilated part with 13 palmate sex scales (n=1), ( Fig. 283 ). Proboscis pale brown intermixed with few brown scales.

Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum pale brown. Legs brown intermixed with pale-brown scales near midsegments and apical margins of all segments and tarsomeres. Forewing ( Fig. 326 ): Length 5.4–6.5 mm (n = 12), pale brown intermixed with brown scales; costa brown near base and near 1/3; submedian fascia absent; cell with three spots, one near middle, two on apical end along crossvein; apical area from apical part of cell to apex mostly brown intermixed with pale-brown scales; marginal spots present. Undersurface brown. Venation ( Fig. 11 ) with M3 and CuA1 arising from a common point on distoposterior part of cell; cubital veins divergent from bases with CuA1 slightly curved and CuA2 broadly curved. Hindwing: Translucent brown gradually darkening to apex. Venation ( Fig. 11 ) with crossvein of cell weak; cubitus 4-branched with all veins arising submarginally from cubitus.

Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Figs. 79–80 ): Uncus parallelsided for most of length, narrowly rounded apically, slightly downcurved, sparsely setose, slightly longer than width of anal opening. Dorsal strut of tegumen linear, fused with base of uncus. Gnathos wide, confluent with tegumen, posteroventral margin slightly protracted mesially, bidentate; midwidth of pigmented part of gnathos much wider than midwidth of uncus. Sockets of tergal setae not extending to midlength of tegumen. Valva divided; ventral part wide, narrowed apically, forming inwardly curved spinelike process; process setose on outer surface, planate on inner surface; ventral margin setose, slightly upturned basally, forming narrow fold, extending to base of apical process; dorsal part with apical portion of costa extending dorsolaterally, forming setose digitate process; area beneath costa overlaid with densely packed microtrichiate membrane extending above and below phallus to opposite side; basal ridge of digitate process protracted ventrally fusing with dorsolateral ridge of proximal flange; basal margin of proximal flange slightly cleft, extending linearly to rounded and protuberant ridge; membrane above proximal flange bearing many conical setae intermixed with densely packed microtrichiae and short spinules. Juxta bandlike. Vinculum semicircular. Phallus and sclerite of phallus longer than valva; sclerite of phallus sigmoid-shaped; anellus parallelsided throughout most of length from base, broadly rounded apically, setose along margin. Female Genitalia: Unknown.

Holotype, 3, “Est[ación] Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S S[an]ta Cecilla, Prov[incia] Guan[acaste], COSTA RICA, C. Moraga, Abr[il] 1991, L-N-330200, 380200”, “INBio: COSTA RICA: CRI000, 484793” [barcode label], “INBio 3 Genitalia Slide by D. Adamski, No. 3556” [yellow label].

Paratypes (11 3): 1 3, same data as for holotype except, “ Dic. 1989, C. Moraga & P. Rios”, “CRI000, 081169 ”, “Slide No. 3562”; 1 3, “C. Moraga, Jun. 1991 ”, “CRI000, 699944”, “Slide No. 3569”; 1 3, “P. Rios, Jul. 1991 ”, “CRI000, 346817”, “Slide No. 3543”, “USNM 83759”; 1 3, “ 22 Set.-14 Oct. 1992 ”, “CRI000, 824351”, “Slide No. 3553”, “USNM 83760”; 1 3, “Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E. Rios, 150 m, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA, E. Rios, May. 1992, L-N-286000, 567500”, “CRI000, 373613”, “Slide No. 3962”,“USNM 83761”; 1 3, “ 2 km N. Colonia Blanca, 800 m, P.N. Rincón de la Vieja, Prov. Alajuela, COSTA RICA, 13–23 Jun. 1992, III Curso Parataxon., L-N-308800, 397800”, “CRI000, 703386”, “Slide No. 3983”; 1 3, “Buenos Aires, La Amistad, Sector Altamira, Prov. Punt., COSTA RICA, Nov. 1993, R. Delgado, L-S-572100, 331700, # 2455”, “CRI001, 166381”, “Slide No. 3952”, “Wing Slide No. 7040”; 1 3, “Fca. San Gabriel, 2 km SW Dos Rios, Prov. Alajuela, COSTA RICA, 600 m, May. 1989, GNP Biodiv. Survey, L-N-318800, 383500”, “CRI000, 081066 ”, “Slide No. 3981”; 1 3, “Ref. Nac. Fauna Silv. Tapanti, 1250 m, Prov. Cartago, COSTA RICA, G. Mora, Set. 1991 , L-N-194000, 559800”, “CRI000, 441698”, “Slide No. 3994”, “USNM 83762”; 1 3, “Estación Magsasay, Prov. Heredia, COSTA RICA, 0–200 m, May. 1991, R. Aguilar, L-N-264600, 531000, # 2035”, “CRI001, 903984”, “Slide No. 3970”; 1 3, “Est. Sirena, 0–100 m, P.N. Corcovado, Prov. Punt., COSTA RICA, May. 1993, G. Fonseca, L-S- 270500, 508300”, “CRI001, 205177”, “Slide No. 3925” [7 in INBio, 4 in USNM].

MAP 9. Distribution of Blastobasis erae (●) and B. iuanae (˔).

Distribution (Map 9). Blastobasis erae is known from three collecting sites along the western most part of the Cordillera de Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica, two collecting sites north of the Cordillera Central, two sites along the eastern and western ends of the Cordillera de Talamanca; and a single site on the Osa Peninsula. Etymology. The specific epithet erae is derived from the Latin era, meaning mistress.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 20. Wing venation of Blastobasinae. 11, Blastobasis erae (slide 7040). 12, Blastobasis iuanae (slide 7045). 13, Blastobasis graminea Adamski, 1999 (slide 83226). 14, Blastobasis neniae (slide 7055). 15, Blastobasis orithyia (slide 7053). 16, Blastobasis babae (slide 7049). 17, Blastobasis echus (slide 7036). 18, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925) (USNM slide 83227). 19, Blastobasis rotullae (slide 7041). 20, Blastobasis deliciolarum (slide 7047).

FIGURES 75 – 80. Male genitalia of Blastobasinae. 75 – 76, Blastobasis furtivus (slide 3579). 77 – 78, Blastobasis deae (slide 3017). 79 – 80, Blastobasis erae (slide 3556).

FIGURES 276 – 283. Male sex scales on first flagellomere of Blastobasis. 276, Blastobasis paludis. 277, Blastobasis lygdi. 278, Blastobasis dapis. 279, Blastobasis balucis. 280, Blastobasis caetrae. 281, Blastobasis furtivus. 282, Blastobasis deae. 283, Blastobasis erae.

FIGURES 320 – 327. Imagos of Blastobasinae. 320, Blastobasis lygdi, holotype. 321, Blastobasis dapis, holotype. 322, Blastobasis balucis, holotype. 323, Blastobasis caetrae, holotype. 324, Blastobasis furtivus, holotype. 325, Blastobasis deae, holotype. 326, Blastobasis erae, holotype. 327, Blastobasis iuanae, holotype.