Leucosigma chloe (Schaus, 1914) Schaus, 1914

Goldstein, Paul Z., Janzen, Daniel H., Proshek, Benjamin, Dapkey, Tanya & Hallwachs, Winnie, 2018, A review of Leucosigma Druce, 1908: a newly discovered case of fern-feeding and descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), ZooKeys 788, pp. 87-133 : 96-100

Leucosigma chloe (Schaus, 1914) comb. n. Figs 7-12, 21, 22, 31, 32; Male genitalia: Figs 63, 64, 89, 90, 117, 118(terminalia in situ), 119-123; Female genitalia: Figs 100, 101, 107, 129, 130 (abdominal terminus, ventral aspect)

Chytonix chloe Schaus, 1914. Type locality: French Guyana.

Chytonidia chloristis Schaus, 1914: 489.

Material examined.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♀: St Jean, Maroni, Fr Guiana, Chytonix chloe Type Schs, Type No. 16531 U.S.N.M., Collection Wm Schaus, USNM Dissection 148175, USNMENT01370295. Type at USNM.

Other material examined.

(11♂, 14♀). FRENCH GUIANA (2♀):[HOLOTYPE of Chytonidia chloristis , syn. of chloe ]: ♀ St Jean, Maroni, Fr Guiana, Chytonidia chloristis Type Schs, Collection Wm Schaus, Type No. 16533 U.S.N.M., USNM Dissection 148185, USNMENT01370300; Dates 6-8 Mar 1982 Guyane Francaise G. Tavasillian [illeg.] leg. BORWE I [illeg.], 376, USNMENT01370375.

COSTA RICA (11♂, 11♀): Males: COSTA RICA: Turrialba 17-21.II.65 SS&WD Duckworth, USNM Dissection 148151, USNMENT01437357 [♂]; Guanacaste (10♂): Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 11/10/1996, ecl. 10/21/1996, 96-SRNP-11370, USNMENT01437307; Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 11/12/1996, ecl. 10/21/1996, 96-SRNP-11369, USNM Dissection 148,289, USNMENT01437372; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 03/18/2010, ecl. 02/15/2010, Ricardo Calero, collector, 10-SRNP-70814, USNMENT01437206; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 03/21/2010, ecl. 02/15/2010, Dinia Martinez, collector, 10-SRNP-70815, USNM Dissection 148200, USNMENT01437250; Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 11/13/1996, ecl. 10/21/1996, 96-SRNP-11375, USNM Dissection 148070, USNMENT01438814; Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 11/12/1996, ecl. 10/21/1996, 96-SRNP-11372, USNM Dissection 148071,USNMENT01437315; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 08/22/2010, ecl. 07/23/2010, Ricardo Calero, collector, 10-SRNP-72329, USNM Dissection 148168, USNMENT01437257; Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.88449, -85.47306, el. 557m, 09/11/2007, R. Franco & S. Rios, collector, 07-SRNP-108955, USNM Dissection 148055, USNMENT01437367; Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 11/11/1996, ecl. 10/21/1996, 96-SRNP-11373, USNMENT01437360; Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 11/13/1996, ecl. 10/21/1996, 96-SRNP-11371, USNMENT01370286.

Females: Guanacaste (9♀): Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 10/21/1996, ecl. 11/21/1996, 96-SRNP-11376, USNMENT01437271; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 07/20/2010, ecl. 08/17/2010, Ricardo Calero, collector, 10-SRNP-72238, USNMENT01437347; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 07/22/2010, ecl. 08/19/2010, Dinia Martinez, collector, 10-SRNP-72308, USNMENT01437272; Sector Pitilla: Quebradona, 10.99102, -85.39539, el. 475m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 02/04/2010, ecl. 03/10/2010, Ricardo Calero, collector, 10-SRNP-70655, USNMENT01437302; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 08/02/2010, ecl. 09/11/2010, Ricardo Calero, collector, 10-SRNP-72520, USNMENT01437280; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 11/07/2010, ecl. 12 /20/2010, Ricardo Calero, collector, 10-SRNP-73250, USNMENT01437292; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 07/13/2010, ecl. 08/15/2010, Ricardo Calero, collector, 10-SRNP-72038, USNM Dissection 148072, USNMENT01437382; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 02/04/2012, ecl. 03/07/2012, Ricardo Calero, collector, 12-SRNP-70275, USNM Dissection 148054, USNMENT01437297; Sector Pitilla: Estacion Quica, 10.99697, -85.39666, el. 470m, larva on Microgramma percussa : 07/16/2013, ecl. 08/10/2013, Ricardo Calero, collector, 13-SRNP-71183, USNMENT01437287. Alajuela (2♀): Sector Rincon Rain Forest: Estacion Botarrama, Manta Porton, 10.96048, -85.28237, el. 147m, F. Quesada & R. Franco, collector, 09-SRNP-108544, USNM Dissection 148169, USNMENT01437380; Sector Cacao: Estacion Gongora, 10.887, -85.47443, el. 570m, larva on Bolbitis portoricensis : 10/21/1996, ecl. 11/12/1996, 96-SRNP-11374, USNMENT01370299.

BRAZIL (1♀): Sao Paulo de Olivenca Amazones Fassl Novembre-Decembre, USNM Dissection 148152, USNMENT01437322

Diagnosis.

Forewing similar to that of L. reletiva but forewing overall more darkly shaded in specimens examined; reniform spot with a straight outer edge, squared at the lower corner as in L. reletiva and L. schausi ; male hind wing pale basally in males, not uniformly shaded as in L. reletiva . Cucullus with highly distinct asymmetrical deformations along both edges subapically, the apical point (≈ anal spine) ventrally curved.

Re-description.

Head. Antennae setose-ciliate, bifasciculate in males, scaled above with indistinctly banded tan and brown scales. Frons, vertex, and labial palpi with scales heterochromously shaded in tannish brown. Eyes sparsely hairy.

Thorax. Prothoracic vestiture brown, sprinkled with green; dorsal tuft well developed. Wings. Forewing length 11.8 mm (holotype, female), average 11.3 mm (males, n = 8), 11.7 mm (females, n = 8). Legs. Femora thickly scaled with brown and black, the mid- and hind-femora with green scaling in addition; tibiae uniformly less densely scaled, in pale tan; a single pair of striped mid-tibial spurs, two pairs on hind-tibiae; three rows of tibial spines on all legs.

Abdomen. Dorsum covered in uniformly tannish-brown scales and hairs; dorso-lateral tufts of hairs on anterior segments; ventral side more darkly scaled with two rows of paler tan scales on either side of the medial (cf. L. reletiva , above).

Male genitalia. Most similar to L. uncifera in size, but with the shape of the cucullus at its apex highly distorted, asymmetrical. Uncus crested, distended medially, upwardly turned with long apical point and ventral crest of short setae. Tegumen with dorsal edge nearly straight, the lateral edges outwardly sub-parallel. Vinculum cup-shaped. Saccus bluntly triangulate. Juxta spade-shaped, with a mid-dorsal projection; annellar arms fused, hoop-like. Sacculus (1) tapered to a dull point, the dorsal and ventral edges straight. Edges of cucullus (2) asymmetrical, sinuate, apical spine produced along ventral edge; dorsal process (3) undifferentiated. Clasper (4) robust, recurved to a point (cf. L. reletiva ). Aedeagus with distal sclerotization faintly strap-like, and minimally rugose, somewhat granular towards vesica. Vesica likewise faintly granular basad, without cornuti; subbasal diverticulum moderately distended with a pair of smaller lobes and a pouch-like invagination with a weakly sclerotized margin as in L. reletiva .

Female genitalia. Posterior apophyses more than twice as long as anterior apophyses. Lamella antevaginalis invaginate. Colliculum well developed. Ductus intermediate for genus, 2 –4× as long as wide. Corpus bursae sub-triangular when distended; appendix bursae a small bulbous out-pouching.

Immature stages. No images or specimens available.

Biology.

Caterpillars found in ACG rain forest feeding on foliage of Bolbitis portoricensis ( Dryopteridaceae ) and Microgramma percussa ( Polypodiaceae ). Of 20 reared specimens (6 males, 14 females) an average of 19 days elapsed between the onset of the prepupal stage and adult eclosion, with most individuals requiring 19 or more days.

Distribution.

Costa Rica, French Guiana.

Remarks.

Leucosigma chloe , its synonym (and the type species) L. chloristis , and L. reletiva were all described from female holotypes.