Amorbia rhombobasis Phillips & Powell, 2007

Phillips-Rodríguez, Eugenie & Powell, Jerry A., 2007, Phylogenetic relationships, systematics, and biology of the species of Amorbia Clemens (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Sparganothini)., Zootaxa 1670 (1670), pp. 1-109 : 43-44

25. Amorbia rhombobasis Phillips & Powell , new species

Figs. 1, 53, 54, 87, 109, 126, 127, 138

DIAGNOSIS. Amorbia rhombobasis is the largest species of the group. It is similar to A. chlorolyca , but A. rhombobasis can be distinguished by its subrectangular valva, its sclerotized sacculus, which extends beyond the end of the valva, and its diamond-shaped uncus base.

DESCRIPTION. MALE. FW length 9.7–11.2 mm (mean = 10.5; n =10). HEAD: Frons concave, unscaled (membrane white), vertex smooth straw yellow, hood concolorous. Antenna pale yellow with white scales. Labial palpus mostly dark golden honey laterally, inner surface beige; length 2.0X the distance between antennal bases. THORAX: Dorsum smooth scaled, ground color brown, tegula straw yellow, line of dark brown scales over base of tegula and anterior margin of thorax. FW with narrow costal fold (0.02 mm), 0.25 length of FW. Ground color straw yellow, U-shaped discontinuous mark of patches of darker scales between median and postmedian area from costa to R2. Four discontinuous lines of darker scales at subterminal fascia. Fringe yelowish. Termen slightly produced. HW tan. ABDOMEN: Light brown. Genitalia as in Fig. 87 (slide # 2798251, INBio, Costa Rica, Cartago, Tapantí; n = 5). Uncus well developed, thin, curved, with diamondshaped base. Transtilla rectangular, with numerous spines, most dense on mid-posterior margin. Valva subrectangular, apex truncate. Sacculus sclerotized, 0.75X length of valva, emarginate, extending beyond margin as lobelike process, with finlike longitudinal process, ca. 0.5 length of valva. Aedeagus 0.85X length of valva, stout, bent in middle.

FEMALE. FW length 12.0–14.0 mm (mean = 12.9; n =10). HEAD and THORAX: As described for the male, except U-shaped mark on FW absent; subbasal, median, and subterminal fascia darker, and labial palpus 3.0X length between antennae. ABDOMEN: Genitalia as in Fig. 109 (slide # EPR-03 (VBC), Brazil, Parana, Quatro Barras ; n = 2). Lamella antevaginalis developed into lateral pockets; median sinus rounded. Ductus bursae 2.0X length of papillae anales. Ductus seminalis from posterior end of ductus bursae.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype: Male: COSTA RICA: GUANACASTE: Area de Conservación Arenal, Pilón , Bijagua-Upala , Río Celeste , 600

Paratypes. BOLIVIA: LA PAZ: Sud Yungas, Puente Villa, 4500 ft, 1M, 19.v.1989 (C. Covell, Jr., EME). BRAZIL: MATO GROSSO: Caraca, 1300m, 1M, 1/ 2.iv.1992 (V. Becker, VBC). PARANA: Guaraquecaba , 1M, 9.xii.1970 (V. Becker, VBC). Curitiba, 920 m, 1M, 15.xii.1974, 1M, 10.x.1975 (V. Becker, VBC); Quatro Barras, 800 m, 1F, 1.viii.1970 (V. Becker & Laroca, VBC). RIO DE JANEIRO: Teresopolis, 1000 m, 1M, 15.i.1985 (V. Becker, VBC). SANTA CATARINA: New Bremen, 1M, 19.viii.1936 (F. Hoffman, USNM), Nova Teutonia, 500 m, 27º11’W, 52º23’S, 1M, x.1948 (F. Plaumann, USNM). SÃO PAULO: Campos do Jordao, 1500 m, 1M, 8.i.1983 (V. Becker, VBC). COSTA RICA: CARTAGO: Tapantí, Río Grande de Orosi, 1300–1400 m, 1M, 23.i.1985 (D. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, INBio). GUANACASTE: Est. Pitilla, 9 km S Santa Cecilia, 700 m, 1F, x.1994 (P. Ríos, INBio), 1M, i.1995 (C. Moraga, INBio); Tierras Morenas, Z.P. [Zona Protectora] Tenorio, sector Alto Masís, 900 m, LN 288200, 427850, 1M, xi.1996 (G. Rodríguez, INBio); Area de Conservación Arenal, Pilón, Bijagua-Upala, Río Celeste, 600 m, 1F, xi.1999 / i.2000 (rearing record, EPR-104- 99) (E. Phillips, INBio). PUNTARENAS: Buenos Aires, PILA [Parque Internacional La Amistad], Sector Altamira, Cerro Biolley, Orillas del Sendero, LS 332450, 572100, 1760 m, 1M, 1/ 15.v.2005 (voucher number RGT-00812, r.f. Posoqueria latifolia (Rubiaceae) (R. G. Tenorio, INBio). ECUADOR: PICHINCHI: Tinalandia, 700 m, 1M, 4.vi.1983 (C. Covell, Jr., EME). ZAMORA: Chinchipe, 3 air km SE Zamora, 2M, 1/ 3.vi.1986 (S. McKamey, EME). VENEZUELA: T.F.A., Cerro de la Neblina, 1250 m, 1F, 23/ 24.iii.1984 (O. Flint, USNM). ARAGUA: Rancho Grande, 1100 m, 1F, 29.v.1943, 1F, 3.viii.1943 (R. Lichy, EME), 3M, 1F, 24/ 31.x.1966, 2M, 7/ 8.vi.1967 (W. D. Duckworth, USNM), 7M, 10F, 31.x.1966 (J. Salcedo, 1F, EME, MIZA), 1M, 2F, 21/ 25.i.1966, 37M, 17F, 16/ 31.x.1966, 1M, 2F, 11/ 19.i.1966, 22M, 9F, 1/ 5.xi.1966 (S. S. & W. D. Duckworth, USNM), 3M, 1F, 8/ 21.vi.1967, 1M, 2F, 22/ 31.vii.1967, 9M, 3F, 1/ 31.viii.1967 (R. Poole, USNM), 1M, 1F, 19.ii.1966, 1F, 22.ii.1966 (R. Fernández, MIZA), 3M, 5F, 3.x.1966, 1M, 21.xi.1966, 1M, 1F, 3.i.1967, 2F, 11.i.1967 (R. Fernández & Salcedo, MIZA), 2M, 26.i.1967 (Salcedo, MIZA), 3M, 3.v.1967 (R. Rodríguez & M. Gelvez, MIZA), 1M, 10.v.1967 (R. Rodríguez & C. Andara, MIZA), 1F, 2.iii.1967 (C. Rosales & A. Acoli, MIZA), 1M, 26/ 27.viii.1970 (R. Dietz, EME), 2F, 17/ 20.i.1978 (J. Heppner, USNM), 1F, 22/ 23.vi.1984 (C. Covell, Jr., EME), 1M, 2F, 30/ 31.v.1988 (M. Epstein, USNM).

DISTRIBUTION AND BIOLOGY. This species was collected in Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Venezuela (Fig. 138), from 600 to 1760 m elevation. It is multivoltine.

IMMATURE STAGES ( Fig. 126–127). Eggs are green, laid in patches of 20–40. Larvae hatched in 12 days and developed on synthetic diet. Last instars are ca. 2.0 cm in length; the head and prothoracic shield are dark brown. Development required ca. 9 weeks (E. Phillips rearing record EPR-104-99).

REMARKS. This species could be conspecific with A. maracayana Amsel 1956 , the type specimens of which we were unable to locate.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin “rhombo,” refering to the diamond-shaped base of the uncus .