Blastobasis fax Adamski

Adamski, David, 2013, Review of the Blastobasinae of Costa Rica (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Blastobasidae), Zootaxa 3618 (1), pp. 1-223 : 56-57

Blastobasis fax Adamski , new species

( Figs. 105–106 , 296 , 339 , Map 16)

Diagnosis.— Blastobasis fax is similar to B. coffeaella in facies but differs from the latter by having a more narrowly rounded apex of the uncus; a shorter pigmented part of the gnathos; a broader apical margin of the ventral part of the valva; and a more sparsely spinose apicoventral margin of the proximal flange of the dorsal part of the valva. B. fax also has a sclerite of the phallus that is curved at 2/3; and an anellus that is broadly rounded apically that are lacking in B. coffeaella .

Description.—Head: Vertex and frontoclypeus pale brown. Outer surface of labial palpus brown intermixed with pale-brown scales along apical margins of segments 1–2, inner surface paler [many scales missing]. Antennal scape pale brown; first flagellomere in male dilated, inner surface of dilated part with 25 palmate sex scales (n=1), ( Fig. 296 ). Proboscis pale brown.

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. 339 ): Length 4.4 mm (n = 1), pale brown intermixed with few brown scales. Undersurface brown. Hindwing: Translucent pale brown.

Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Figs. 105–106 ): Uncus gradually narrowing from base, broadly rounded apically, slightly downcurved, sparsely setose, shorter in length 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, shallowly bidentate; midwidth of pigmented part of gnathos wider than midwidth of uncus. Sockets of tergal setae extending beyond midlength of tegumen. Valva divided; ventral part slightly angled dorsolaterally from beyond base, narrowed apically, forming inwardly curved spinelike process; process setose on outer surface, planate on inner surface; ventral margin setose from near midlength, upturned slightly, forming narrow fold to near slightly raised, setose lobe at base of spinelike process; dorsal part with apical portion of costa extending dorsolaterally, forming setose digitate process; digitate process slightly curved inwardly; area beneath costa overlaid with densely packed microtrichiate membrane extending above and below phallus to opposite side; basal ridge of digitate process laterally widened, protracted ventrally fusing with dorsolateral ridge of proximal flange; ventral margin of proximal flange linear, extending laterally forming narrowly rounded, apicoventral ridge; proximal flange bearing few conical setae intermixed with sparse microtrchiae. Juxta bandlike. Vinculum semicircular. Phallus and sclerite of phallus shorter than valva; sclerite of phallus broadly curved near 2/3; anellus near parallelsided from base, broadly rounded apically, setose. Female Genitalia: Unknown.

Holotype, 3, “F[in]ca Jenny, 30 km N de Liberia, P[arque] N[acional] Guanacaste, Prov[incia] Guan[acaste], COSTA RICA, R. Espinoza, Jun[io] 1991, L-N-316200, 364400”, “INBio: COSTA RICA: CRI000, 323934” [barcode label], “INBio 3 Genitalia Slide by D. Adamski, No. 3454” [yellow label].

MAP 16. Distribution of Blastobasis fax (●) and B. coffeaella (˔).

Distribution (Map 16). Blastobasis fax is known from one collecting site south of the western most part of the Cordillera de Guanacaste in the dry-forest region in western Costa Rica.

Etymology. The specific epithet fax is derived from the Latin word facis meaning, a torch.

Figures

FIGURES 105 – 110. Male genitalia of Blastobasinae. 105 – 106, Blastobasis fax (slide 3454). 107 – 108, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925) (USNM slide 82543). 109 – 110, Blastobasis rotullae (slide 3894).

FIGURES 292 – 299. Male sex scales on first flagellomere of Blastobasis. 292, Blastobasis usurae. 293, Blastobasis echus. 294, Blastobasis litis. 295, Blastobasis chanes. 296, Blastobasis fax. 297, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925). 298, Blastobasis rotullae. 299, Blastobasis custodis.

FIGURES 336 – 343. Imagos of Blastobasinae. 336, Blastobasis echus, holotype. 337, Blastobasis litis, holotype. 338, Blastobasis chanes, holotype. 339, Blastobasis fax, holotype. 340, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925). 341, Blastobasis rotullae, holotype. 342, Blastobasis custodis, holotype. 343, Blastobasis deliciolarum, holotype.