Euclidiodes frayjorgeana Parra

Parra, Luis E., Villagrán-Mella, Romina & Marquet, Pablo A., 2009, Phylogeny of the genera Euclidiodes and Hasodima (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and description of two new species from the Fray Jorge relict forest in northern Chile, Zootaxa 2273, pp. 59-68 : 61-63

Euclidiodes frayjorgeana Parra sp. nov.

Types. 1 male, Holotype, Fray Jorge, 31 April to 1 May, 2005, Romina Villagrán- Mella coll. (UCCC- MZUC); 1 female, Allotype, Fray Jorge, 31 April to 1 May, 2005, Romina Villagrán- Mella coll., Museo de Zoología, Universidad de Concepción (UCCC-MZUC). Paratypes: 8 males, Paratypes, Fray Jorge, 31 April to 1 May, 2005, Romina Villagrán- Mella coll.; 3 males, Paratypes, Fray Jorge, 1 to 2 May, 2005, Romina Villagrán- Mella coll.; 2 females, Paratypes, Fray Jorge, 31 April to 1 May, 2005, Romina Villagrán- Mella Coll.; 1 female, Paratype, Fray Jorge, 4 to 5 May, 2005, Romina Villagrán- Mella coll.; 1 male, Paratype, 6 to 7 June, 2006, Romina Villagrán- Mella coll. (UCCC-MZUC).

Diagnosis. Euclidiodes frayjorgeana and E. ophiusina are very similar, but are easily distinguished by the form of the anellus process, the cornuti of the aedeagus, the shape of the corpus bursae and the position of the signum. In male genitalia of E. frayjorgeana the anellus process is acicular and the aedeagus has a conical distal spine, while these traits are not present on E. ophiusina . In the female, the anterior part of the corpus bursae is ovoid in E. frayjorgeana and spherical in E. ophiusina ; furthermore, the signum of E. frayjorgeana is positioned on a protuberance, while this trait is absent in E. ophiusina .

Description. Adult ( Fig. 1 b). Head light brown, antennae simple, light brown. Thorax light brown, legs concolorous, tibial formula 0-2-4. Forewings, light ash brown, with traces of dark brown basal, medial and postmedial fasciae; basal and medial fasciae are barely perceptible towards costa, but form a conspicuous dark brown angle at the anal margin; the postmedial line is thin, dark brown, and positioned obliquely from the costal to the inner termen; subterminal fascia with an aristae inclined towards forewings termen on apical third. The region between the external margins and postmedial line has a diffuse, ash brown shadow which originates in the R5 sector of the vein, diverging at the postmedial band and moving sinuously to the anal margin of the wing. Forewing underside ash brown, with darker diffuse areas corresponding to the transverse fascie. Hindwing upperside ash brown, underside light brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 a, b). Uncus long and narrow, hook-shaped, lateral socii at base of uncus short, setose, digitiform, ½ length of valva; gnathos "W-shaped", tapering cetrally, with a series of small spines on each side; juxta “U-shaped”, arms of the U are subtriangular; acicular anellus process, 1/3 length of valva; valva elongate, subrectangular, simple; cristae present, at tip near costa, approximately 4 to 5 setae on each side (removed by NaOH in figure 3a); saccus-vinculum subtriangular, anterior border deeply concave. Straight aedeagus, lanceolate at tip; vesica with a group of short and long spines, the latter being thin.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 3 c). Corpus bursae ovoid, ductus bursae tubular to conical, membranous in the posterior half and slightly sclerotized and striate on the anterior portion, ½ length of corpus bursae; circular, starred signum, located on the membranous protuberance on the lateroposterior part of the corpus bursae; the ductus seminalis arises ventrally from a small conical bag at the end of the corpus bursae; the antrum is sclerotized, subtriangular; posterior apophyses twice as long as the anterior.

Length of forewing. Measured from the base to the apex. Male: 13–14 mm (n=12); female: 15 mm (n = 4).

Distribution. This species has only been collected in Fray Jorge National Park, in Region IV of Chile.

Flight period. Specimens of this species have only been collected during the Austral fall, in the months of April and May.

Etymology. The name of this species refers to the type locality, Fray Jorge National Park, in Coquimbo Region of Chile.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult specimens of the genera Hasodima and Euclidiodes. (a) H. ediliacarmenae Parra sp. nov., (b) E. frayjorgeana Parra sp. nov. Scale 1 cm.

FIGURE 3. E. frayjorgeana Parra sp. nov. (a) ventral view of male genitalia, (b) lateral view of aedeagus, (c) ventral view of female genitalia. Scale 1 mm.