Ethmia baliostola Walsingham

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 : 21-22

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Depressariidae

Ethmia baliostola Walsingham Figures 19, 64, 109, 141, 154

Ethmia baliostola Walsingham, 1912: 144.

Ethmia baliostoma Busck 1914: 54 [spelling error].

Diagnosis.

Ethmia baliostola is similar to several other gray-streaked species in Costa Rica but is distinguished externally by its large size. Ethmia lichyi is the only other gray species of comparable size, and can be distinguished by the number of spots on the dorsal thorax (8 in Ethmia baliostola , and 6 in Ethmia lichyi ). The presence of a whitish double costal brush on the hindwing in Ethmia baliostola distinguishes it from other similar species.

Description.

Male: FW length 11.3-13.6 mm (n = 5). Head: Labial palpus elongated surpassing base of antenna, white scaling with blackish rings in segments II and III; proboscis, frons and crown whitish. Thorax: Dorsal scaling whitish, pronotum with paired blackish spots near collar, under tegula, at apices of tegula and at sides of scutellum, a single spot at middorsum. FW ground color light brown with irregular dark brown elongated markings; base of FW at posterior half without such markings; terminal line composed of ten blackish dots from before costa to tornus. HW ground color whitish becoming brownish at margin; costal brush divided at base. Abdomen: Dorsal scaling brown, ventral light brown. Genitalia (Fig. 64) with uncus not well defined, hoodlike, membranous; gnathos rudimentary; apex of valva produced into a lobe with a “plume” exteriorly, distal end of sacculus with row of spines of different lengths, sacculus with a protruded spine at 0.5 × from base.

Female: FW length 13.6-14.3 mm (n = 4). Head and thorax: As described for male, except by HW not modified and the yellow genital scaling reduced. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 109) with posterior apophyses long, sterigma simple; ductus with a long, strongly sclerotized antrum; signum a four pointed star covered with minute spines and a row of larger teeth in the longitudinal axis.

Holotype.

Male: Costa Rica, Banana River, March 1906, USNM Type No. 68203 [USNM, examined].

Distribution and biology.

This species has been recorded from southern Mexico to northwestern South America (coast of Colombia). In Costa Rica (Fig. 154) Ethmia baliostola has been found in the lowlands of the Caribbean (Tortuguero, Sarapiquí), on both slopes of Cordillera de Guanacaste and Cordillera de Tilarán from 600 to 1000 m and Península de Osa, from 0 to 900 m elevation. It occurs in ACG rain forest.

Food plant records.

Ethmia baliostola has been reared from larvae feeding on Boraginaceae : Bourreria oxyphylla , Bourreria costaricensis .

Immature stages

(Fig. 141). Dorsum: Head black, thoracic shield black-reddish anteriorly, T2 black, T3 white, A1, A2, A4, A7, A9 black with white spots evenly spaced; A3, A5, A8 white, A6 black, A10 black with middle white dot. Lateral: black with white short streaks in each segment.

Parasitoids.

Diptera : Tachinidae : Hemisturmia Janzen03 (n = 4).