Ethmia turnerorum Phillips

Phillips-Rodriguez, Eugenie, Powell, Jerry A., Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, A synopsis of the genus Ethmia Huebner in Costa Rica: biology, distribution, and description of 22 new species (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Depressariidae, Ethmiinae), with emphasis on the 42 species known from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, ZooKeys 461, pp. 1-86 : 36-37

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Depressariidae

Ethmia turnerorum Phillips sp. n. Figures 33, 78, 123, 144

Diagnosis.

Ethmia turnerorum can be distinguished from Ethmia lesliesaulae , its most similar species, by a thinner marked pre-medial diagonal band in the FW. In the male genitalia, sacculus narrow, slightly elevated posteriorly at 0.5 × from base; signum deeply notched in female genitalia.

Description.

Male: FW length 10.2-10.6 mm (n = 3). Head: Labial palpus elongated, reaching collar anteriorly, white with dark narrow rings basal, medial and subapical in II segment, basal and subapical in III segment; proboscis, front and crown white, occipital tuft black at mid-dorsum. Thorax: Ground color whitish, four large black spots near apices of tegula and at sides of scutellum. FW ground color whitish, markings blackish, two distinct spots at base. An oblique irregular dark blotch from before middle bellow costa connecting with an elongated mark dark from middle to termen. HW ground color whitish darker at margins, a narrow costal fold with blackish long fringe at ventral, with a thin white pencil. Abdomen: Dorsal pale brownish, genital scaling pale ochreous. Genitalia (Fig. 78) with uncus membranous; basal process narrow, broadened basally; distal margin of valva with five flat curved spines; sacculus narrow, slightly elevated posteriorly at 0.5 × from base.

Female: FW length 10.3-10.7 mm (n = 3). Head and thorax: As described for male except HW unmodified. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 123) with sterigma narrow; antrum sclerotized; posterior base of ductus with sclerotized patch; signum deeply notched.

Holotype.

Male: 05-SRNP-45922, DNA barcoded, Costa Rica: Guanacaste, ACG, Sector Cacao, Quebrada Otilio, 550m, 16.vii.2005, Dunia García. Reared from Cordia panamensis ( Boraginaceae ) ( Janzen and Hallwachs 2013). Deposited in INBio. Paratypes: Costa Rica: Guanacaste: ACG: Sector Cacao: Quebrada Otilio 550 m, 1F 11/16.vii.2005, D. García; Sector Del Oro, Quebrada Salazar 560 m, 1M 1F 18.xii.2006, Roster Moraga; Sector Maritza, Maritza 548 m, 1F 29.ix.2011, H. Cambronero & S. Ríos; Sector Mundo Nuevo, Punta Plancha 420 m, 1F 15.xii.2010, José Cortéz; Sector Santa María, Santa María 832 m, 1M 11.v.2012, R. Franco & F. Quesada; Sector Santa Rosa, Luces 575 m, 1M 31.v.2011, H. Cambronero & S. Ríos, Mirador Río Cuajiniquil 242 m, 1F 24.vi.2009, H. Cambronero & R. Franco (INBio, EME, USNM).

Distribution and biology.

This species has been collected in Costa Rica (Fig. 163) at both sides of Cordillera Volcánica de Guanacaste from 242 to 832 m in the intersection of ACG dry forest and rain forest.

Food plant records.

Ethmia turnerorum has been reared from larvae feeding on Boraginaceae : Cordia panamensis .

Immature stages

(Fig. 144). Dorsum: Head black, thoracic shield ochreous, T2 black, T3-A1 white with irregular black band in middle of each segment, A2 black and white posteriorly, A3 black, A4 black whitish posteriorly, A5 black, white posteriorly, A6-A7 white with irregular black band in middle of each segment, A8 white, black posteriorly, A9 black, A10 whitish with small black dots. Small paired black dots visible on dorsum of white segments. Lateral: As in dorsum.

Etymology.

Ethmia turnerorum is named in honor of J. D. and Nancy Turner of Ardmore, Tennessee for being insanely in love with Riodinidae butterflies and for funding the BioLep building in the ACG Administration Área in Sector Santa Rosa, the building that is the action center for the inventory and DNA barcoding of the total Lepidoptera fauna of ACG.