Argyrotaenia pomililiana, Trematerra, Pasquale & Brown, John W., 2004

Trematerra, Pasquale & Brown, John W., 2004, Synopsis and descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 574, pp. 1-12 : 2-3

Argyrotaenia pomililiana , new species

Figs. 1, 2 , 9 , 16

Diagnosis. Argyrotaenia pomililiana appears to be related to the polvosana Obraztsov species group which occurs primarily in Mexico (see Obraztsov, 1961 for comparisons). It can be distinguished from other Argentine Argyrotaenia by the following: larger wingspan (18–19 mm) and more speckled forewing maculation; a slightly longer valva bearing a concave costa; vesica of the aedeagus with 8–10 short cornuti; a smaller, cup­shaped antrum than other species, with distinct microsetae; a distinct sclerotized anteostial portion of the sterigma; and the colliculum slightly broader than the ductus bursae.

Description. Adult. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Head: Frons with sparse, smooth scaling below mid­eye, pale brown; vertex roughened above, yellowish ochre­brown. Labial palpus yellowish ochre, brown terminally, speckled with brown scales laterally. Antennal scaling pale yellow speckled with brown scales. Thorax: Forewing length 6.8–8.1 mm (mean = 7.3; n = 7); forewing weakly expanding terminally, costa slightly concave subapically; termen slightly concave beneath apex, then convex. Forewing ground color yellowish ochre, with scattered brown specks and/or reticulation; basal and subbasal blotch obsolete or reduced to a few brown spots; oblique median fascia weak, brown, slender at costa; subapical blotch and pretornal fascia brown; marginal line brown, more evident in apical 0.3. Cilia pale yellowish ochre. Hindwing pale whitish yellow, tinged grey in apical third; cilia whitish yellow. Variation rather slight, with forewing markings varying in intensity and development. Abdomen: Genitalia ( Fig. 9 ) with uncus relatively long, nearly parallelsided, weakly dilated distally, rounded apically, with weak ventral hairs; tegumen small; socius small, with weak hairs; gnathos arm slender, terminal plate pointed; vinculum with distal fold sclerotized; valva broad, elongate, with costa weakly concave, and distal portion below costa nearly straight; pulvinus distinct with long slender hairs; sacculus simple, convex in median part, attenuate distally, without free termination; transtilla plate­shaped, narrowed medially; juxta small. Aedeagus long and slender ( Fig. 9 ), with sharp termination; caulis small, coecum penis well developed; vesica with 8–10 short, lanceolate, deciduous cornuti forming a dense fascicle (only one specimen still possessed cornuti; the number present in other specimens was estimated by counting the sockets in the vesica).

Female ( Fig. 2 ). Head, thorax: Essentially as described for male, but forewing lacking reticulation, with more uniform brown ground color, length 7.2–8.3 mm (mean = 7.9, n = 7). Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 16) with papillae anales large, well developed; apophyses anteriores long; sterigma large, weakly sclerotized, with distinct microsetae, anteostial portion distinct, sclerotized; antrum small, cup­shaped, concave in middle dorsally, with distinctly sclerotized anterior edge; colliculum broader than ductus bursae, strengthened with internal sclerite; ductus bursae moderately long; ductus seminalis postmedian and receptaculum seminis developed; proximal sclerite of ductus bursae absent; corpus bursae spherical; signum typically archipine with well developed internal spine and external capitulum, length more than 0.5 of the corpus bursae.

Holotype, ɗ, Argentina , Río Negro Province, Alto Valle de Rio Negro, 242 m, 10 July 1998, L. I. Cichón (PTC).

Paratypes. Argentina : Río Negro Province: Río Negro, Gral Fernandez Oro, 17 Feb 1978 (13 ɗ), C. M. & O. S. Flint (USNM, PTC); [no specific locality, assumed to be from Alto Valle de Rio Negro], 2000 (8ɗ, 8Ψ), L. Cichón (USNM, PTC). Buenos Aires Province: Laguna de Gomez, Junin, 12 Dec 1979 (1ɗ), C. M. & O. S. Flint (USNM).

Distribution. Known only from the provinces of Río Negro and Buenos Aires, Argentina .

Biology. The larvae feed on leaves and fruit of apple trees ( Malus spp., Rosaceae ) in the Alto Valle de Río Negro in Río Negro Province. Their damage to fruit, which is economically significant, resembles that caused by others leafrollers. Adults have been collected in February, July, and December. Pheromones of this species have been the subject of investigation by Witzgall et al. (pers. comm.), and it is the need for a name that stimulated this taxonomic research.

Remarks. Association of the sexes is based on the series of specimens collected and reared at Alto Valle de Rio Negro, Argentina .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from apple, pomi, and the Argentine entomologist Liliana I. Cichón, who collected the species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Adults of Argyrotaenia species. 1, A. pomililiana (male); 2, A. pomililiana (female); 3, A. tucumana (male); 4, A. tucumana (female); 5, A. loxonephes (male); 6, A. loxonephes (female); 7, A. sphaleropa (male); 8, A. sphaleropa (female).

FIGURES 9 – 12. Male genitalia of Argyrotaenia species; valvae spread and aedeagus removed. 9, A. pomililiana; 10, A. tucumana; 11, A. loxonephes; 12, A. sphaleropa.