Parategeticula ecdysiastica, Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara & Segraves & Althoff & Littlefield, 2008, Pellmyr & Balcázar-Lara & Segraves & Althoff & Littlefield, 2008

Pellmyr, Olle, Balcázar-Lara, Manuel, Segraves, Kari A., Althoff, David M. & Littlefield, Rik J., 2008, Phylogeny of the pollinating yucca moths, with revision of Mexican species (Tegeticula and Parategeticula; Lepidoptera, Prodoxidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 152 (2), pp. 297-314 : 307

PARATEGETICULA ECDYSIASTICA PELLMYR &

BALCÁZAR- LARA SP. NOV. ( FIG. 7 )

Described from the female only, as male is unknown.

Wingspan: f 25 mm. Integument pale amber brown.

Head: With off-white scales. All mouthparts amber. Maxillary palp four-segmented, with fully developed tentacle in female. Labial palp three-segmented, with scattered linear dark brown scales on two terminal segments. Antenna ~0.4¥ length of forewing, with ~40 segments; scattered, semi-translucent linear scales on basal half, remainder bare.

Thorax: With white scales. Legs sandy brown, with scattered white, linear scales and brown patches dorsally and near lower joint of third tibia; foretibial epiphysis absent. Forewing length in female 11.7 mm, width 3.9 mm; both dorsal and ventral side tannish white, with very light scattering of linear white scales (visible only under magnification); fringe reduced to a few scales at vertex. Hindwing clear-translucent, with very scattered white linear scales above and below; basal half with light fringe of white scales. Underside as upperside. Frenulum absent; humeral lobe present.

Abdomen: With light white scaling in all regions.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 8 ): Seventh tergite slightly elongated, with clusters of sensilla lining posterior edges; 20 sensilla on ventral edge, lateral edges with rows of 12–16 sensilla each, dorsally a much protruding blunt edge with ~20 sensilla arranged in a fan shape. Dark membrane of ninth segment forming a rim surrounding protruding ovipositor tip. Posterior apophyses 2.78 mm long, very heavily melanized and sclerotized, with nodular surface in outermost dorsal portion and then bent downward 90°, ending in a sharp trifid scraper with largest medial cusp; anterior apophyses 2.4 mm long, relatively slender; ductus bursae 0.5 mm long, without hard elements; moderately pyriform corpus bursae 1.21 mm long, 0.60– 0.68 mm in diameter, wider in anterior portion; two vestigial signa in anterior portion clear round plates with ~75–100 tiny nodules on interior surface.

Figures

Figure 7. Parategeticula ecdysiastica sp. nov., female (BCS. SW San Bartolo). Wing span = 25 mm.

Figure 8. Parategeticula ecdysiastica sp. nov., female external genitalia. Ovipositor in (A) lateral view, (B) dorsolateral view, (C) ventral view, (D) dorsal view.