Siculodes aurorula Guenée, 1858

Queiroz-Santos, Luziany, Casagrande, Mirna Martins & Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik, 2024, Taxonomic revision of Siculodes Guenée and revalidation of Aziba Walker (Lepidoptera, Thyrididae, Siculodinae, Siculodini), Zootaxa 5543 (4), pp. 501-538 : 507-512

Siculodes aurorula Guenée, 1858

( Figs 1 , 12 , 18 , 28 )

Siculodes aurorula Guenée, 1858 , in Boisduval & Guenée. Histoire naturelle des Insectes: species général des Lépidoptères,Atlas, Uranides, Phalénites, Siculides, Siculides, Atlas, plate 1, fig. 4 (female d); no data.—Herrich-Schäffer, [1858]. Sammlung neuer oder wening bekannter aussereuropäischer Schmetterling, 75, fig. 402 (d).— Guenée, 1877. Annales de la Société entomologique de France, (5) 7: 294.— Pagenstecher, 1892. Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift “Iris”, 5: 83; syn.: picta .— Whalley, 1964. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (13) 7 (74): 125.— Whalley & Heppner, 1995, Thyridoidea, in Becker et al. Checklist: Part 2, Hyblaeoidea— Pyraloidea—Tortricoidea, in Heppner (ed.). Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera 3: 31; syn.: picta .

Vadata aurorula ; Walker, 1865. List of the specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 32: 518.

Risama picta Walker, 1865 . List of the specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 32: 519; female, Brazil, collection Mr. Mornay.— Hampson, 1897. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1897 (1): 629, fig. 21 (female d); syn.: aurorula .— Dalla Torre, 1914. Lepidopterorum Catalogus, 20: 41; syn.: aurorula .— Gaede, 1936, in Seitz. Die Gross -Schmetterlinge des Amerikanischen Faunengebietes. Die amerikanischen Spinner und Schwärmer, 6: 1207, fig. 175b (d); syn.: aurorula .— Whalley, 1964. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (13) 7 (74): 126.

Siculodes picta ; Guenée, 1877. Annales de la Société entomologique de France, (5) 7: 295.

Risama aurorula ; Forbes, 1942. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 90 (2): 349.

Taxonomic history. Siculodes aurorula was originally described based on a female specimen, figured but not described textually. Guenée (1877) cited the species occurs in Brazil, with specimens deposited in various collections. Walker (1865) described Vadata ( Walker, 1865) and three species: V. macropterana ( Walker, 1865) , V. eurymenana ( Walker, 1865) , V. subchalybaea ( Walker, 1865) , and included V. aurorula . Vadata macropterana is the type species of the genus by subsequent designation by Hampson (1897) and currently is the only species in the genus. According to Whalley & Heppner (1995) Vadata is a monotypic and valid genus of Strigilinae, Thyrididae . Vadata eurymenana and V. subchalybaea are addressed below as valid species within Siculodes .

Risama picta was originally described based on one female from Brazil without illustration, from Mr. Mornay’s collection and was later synonymized by Pagenstecher (1892) with S. aurorula .

Type material. Siculodes aurorula : A pair of syntypes was found, the male in MNHN and the female in NHMUK, with the author’s original labels matching the information provided in the original description. To give stability to the proposed name and ensure the correct identification of the species, the male is herein designated as the lectotype. Lectotype male with the following labels: / TYPE / aurorula / 20 [18]54 / Muséum Paris Brésil Pechetto 1854 / Siculodes aurorula Gn. Spec. génér. Lepid., 1857, Atlas, PL. 58, fig. 4 (P. Viette VIII-1952) /, and the following labels will be added: / LECTOTYPE / LECTOTYPE Siculodes aurorula Guenée, 1858 , Queiroz-Santos, Casagrande & Mielke det. 2024 .

Risama picta : Walker (1865) described the species based on one female deposited in NHMUK, with the author’s original labels matching the information provided in the original description with the following labels: / Type / Holotype / 1438 / ♀ Pyralidae Brit. Mus. Slide n° 8294 / RISAMA PICTA / BRAZIL Mr. Mornay’s coll. / HOLOTYPE Risama picta Walker det. M. Shaffer, 1989 / NHMUK 010921242 /.

Note. The female syntype bears the following labels: /. Paralectotype female with the following labels: 3. S. Aurorula Gn. pl. du Spec. pl. 1. f. 4.—HS.—Wlk 518 Brésil. / Siculodes aurorula Brésil / Ex. Musaeo Ach. Guénée [sic]/ Ex Oberthür Coll. Brit. Mus. 1927—3. / PARALECTOTYPE Siculodes aurorula Guenée det. M. Shaffer, 1989 / NHMUK 010921243 /, and the following labels will be added: / PARALECTOTYPE / PARALECTOTYPE Siculodes aurorula Guenée, 1858 , Queiroz-Santos, Casagrande & Mielke det. 2024 /.

Diagnosis. Siculodes aurorula can be easily distinguished from S. satellifera and all its congeners by wings overall light pink, as the tegulae, with ferrugineous marks, single semi-translucent spot on the hindwing ( Figs 1A–D ) and signum along the dilated portion of the bursa copulatrix ( Fig. 18 ). In addition, by combination of the following characters: i) gnathos V-shaped, narrow ( Fig. 12A ) and ii) aedeagus curved ( Fig. 12F ).

Redescription. Forewing: length—males 18.5–25.5 mm (n = 10), females 23.0–31.0 mm (n = 10); tornus concave, less pronounced in females; on both sides light pink with ferrugineous marks and a light-yellow oblique stripe from base to apex and another between CuA 2 and anal margin; retinaculum above Sc.

Hindwing: length—males 14.5–20.5 mm (n = 10), females 18.0–28.0 mm (n = 10); tornus sinuous; both sides light pink with ferrugineous marks with a light-yellow oblique stripe from base, reaching costal margin, gently reaching apex, and continuing to tornus; semi-translucent spot in M 1 –M 2; female with outer margin of both wings more rounded than in male.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 12 ): tegumen posterior margin with slight median indentation, forming rounded lateral lobes in dorsal view; saccus oval in lateral view; uncus dilated laterally at base; gnathos narrow and V-shaped, proximal third slightly dilated; valva with costa bent medially; fultura inferior U-shaped, rounded anterior margin; aedeagus curved, dorsal opening for ductus ejaculatorius elongated, cornutus absent.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 18 ): tergite VIII rectangular in lateral view; anterior apophysis as long as posterior apophysis; bursa copulatrix slightly striated membrane, antrum sclerotized, ductus bursae progressively widening to corpus bursae eight times larger than antrum; signum ( Fig. 28 ) with spines along corpus bursae, more abundant in central region; papilla analis longer than wide.

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 42 ). BRAZIL: Bahia: Camacan, Reserva Serra Bonita ; Maraú, Fazenda Água Boa. Goiás: Cachoeiras, Lagoa Formosa ; Vianopólis. Minas Gerais: São Roque de Minas, São José do Barreiro . Espírito Santo: Santa Leopoldina, Tirol ; Santa Teresa. Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis, Jussaral ; Cachoeiras de Macacu, Boca do Mato ; Nova Friburgo; Petrópolis, Independência ; Rio de Janeiro; São Francisco de Itabapoana. São Paulo: Juquiá, Fazenda Poço Grande ; Paranapanema; Ubatuba, Picinguaba. Paraná: Guaratuba, Castelhanos; Foz do Iguaçu, Parque Nacional do Iguaçu ; Telêmaco Borba. Santa Catarina : Blumenau; Corupá; Ibirama; Dalbérgia, Rio Laeiss ; Joinville; São Bento do Sul, Rio Vermelho, Rio Natal ; Timbó.

Natural history. Immature stages and host plant unknown. Adults land on trunks, leaves, and even the ground at forest edges (Marcos C. Campis, pers. comm.) ( Fig. 37–38 ) in an upright position with the wings spread and the meso- and metathoracic legs resting on the surface while the prothoracic legs are often suspended. In this position, the antennae are tucked downwards along the ventral side of the body ( Figs 39–41 ). Due to this landing habit, S. aurorula is popularly known as the Buda moth. Based on label data, the species occurs both in forested and open areas, and adults were caught between January to May and August to December.

Examined material (17 ♂, 47 ♀).

BRAZIL: 1 ♂ (Lectotype of Siculodes aurorula ) ( MNHN) , 1 ♀ (Paralectotype of de Siculodes aurorula ), NHMUK 010921243 ( NHMUK) , 1 ♀ (Holotype of Risama picta ) NHMUK 010921242 ( NHMUK) , 1 ♂, NHMUK 010921608 , 1 ♂, NHMUK 010921611 ( NHMUK), 1 ♀ ( MfN) ; Bahia: Camacan, Reserva Serra Bonita , 1 ♀, IX.2009, 800m, 15º23’S 39º33’W, V. O. Becker leg., VOB 144921 ( VOB) , 1 ♀, IX.2009, 200m, 15º23’S 39º33’W, F. L. Santos leg., VOB 145020 ( VOB) , 1 ♀, 11–17.II.2010, 800m, 15º23’S 39º33’W, Becker & Moser leg., CLAM 105 ( CLAM) ; Ilhéus, 1 ♀ ( CEIO) ; Maraú, Fazenda Água Boa , 1 ♀, X.2010, 150m, 14°13’S 39°29’W, H. Thöny leg. ( MWM) . Goiás: Cachoeiras, Lagoa Formosa , 1 ♀, 24–27.X.1964, Exp. Dep. Zool. leg. ( MZUSP) ; Vianopólis, 1 ♂, III.1930, R. Spitz leg. ( MSFR) . Minas Gerais: São Roque de Minas, São José do Barreiro , 1 ♀, 16–19.XI.1987, 1 ♀, 10–13.X.1988, 900m, 20°18’36.19’’S 46°32’25.45’’W, C. Mielke leg., CCGM 39.786 , CCGM 37.837 ( CCGM) . Espírito Santo: Santa Leopoldina, 1 ♀, I.1921, Michaelis. leg. ( MfN), Tirol, 1 ♂, XI.1996, 700m, 24°75’S 40°50’W, H. Thöny leg. (MWM) ; Santa Teresa, 1 ♀, 27.VIII.1966, 670 m, H. Reichardt leg. ( MZUSP) . Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis, Jussaral , 1 ♀, II.1934, Travassos leg. ( CEIO) ; Cachoeira de Macacu, Boca do Mato , 1 ♂, 30.XII.2002, N. Tangerini leg., DZ 37.921 ( DZUP) ; Nova Friburgo, 1 ♂, 10.III.1993, 600m, V. O. Becker leg., VOB 86249 ( VOB) ; Petrópolis, Independência , 1 ♀, 10.IV.1939, 900m, Gagarin leg., DZ 39.458 ( DZUP) ; Rio de Janeiro, 1 ♂, NHMUK 010921607 ( NHMUK) ; 1 ♂, NHMUK 010921613 ( NHMUK) ; 1 ♂, J. G. Fötterle leg. ( NHMV) ; 1 ♀, XI, ( MSFR) ( Represa Camorim ) , 1 ♀, I.1933, Travassos leg. ( CEIO) , Paineiras , 1 ♀, 26.VIII.1982, Gagarin leg. ( CEIO) ; São Francisco de Itabapoana, 1 ♂, NHMUK 010921542 ( NHMUK) . São Paulo: Juquiá, Fazenda Poço Grande , 2 ♀, 1–5.X.1940, CDZ leg. ( CEIO) ; Paranapanema, 1 ♀ ( USNM) ; Ubatuba, Picinguaba , 1 ♀, 18.III.2001, 2–20m, 23°22’S 44°50’W, V. O. Becker leg., VOB 132575 ( VOB) . Paraná: Guaratuba, Castelhanos , 30.XI.1997, 1 ♀, II.1998, 500m, H. Thöny leg., MWM 19.164 ( MWM) ; Foz do Iguaçu, Parque Nacional do Iguaçu , 1 ♀, 22.III.1998, 180m, O. Mielke leg., DZ 39.326 ( DZUP) ; Telêmanco Borba, 1 ♀, 13–19.X.1995, 750m, V. O. Becker leg., VOB 97512 ( VOB) . Santa Catarina: 1 ♀, NHMUK 010921100 ( NHMUK) , 1 ♂ ( SMT) ; Blumenau, 1 ♂, Nesswitz leg. ( NHMV) ; 1 ♂, Scheidem leg. ( MfN) ; 1 ♂, 3.X.1929, Ad. Friedrich leg. ( MSFR) ; Corupá, 1 ♀, IX.1944, Anton Maller leg. ( AMNH) ; Dalbérgia, Rio Laeiss , 1 ♀, XI.1932, F. H. Hoffmann leg., NHMUK 010921566 ( NHMUK) ; Joinville, 1 ♀ ( MSFR), 1 ♂, II.1954, Diringshofen leg. ( MZUSP) , 1 ♂, 20.I.1972, Mielke, Moure & Tangerini leg. DZ 39.286, ( DZUP) ; São Bento do Sul, Rio Vermelho , 1 ♀, 21.III.1974, 1 ♀, 15.I.1975, 850m, Rank leg., DZ 39.418, DZ 39.398 ( DZUP) , Rio Natal, 2 ♀, 20.XII.1997, I. Rank leg. ( IR) , 1 ♀, 19–20.VIII.2005 , 2 ♀, 22.X.2007 , 1 ♀, 30.X.2007, 500–600m, 26º19’S 49º18’W, Rank leg., CLAM 105 ( CLAM) , 1 ♀, 4–11.XII.2006 , 1 ♀, 18.III.2009, 700m, 26º19’S 49º18’W, Rank & Moser leg., DZ 34.098 ( DZUP) , CLAM 105 ( CLAM) , 1 ♀, 1.XI.2007 , 1 ♀ 27.V.2008, 500–600m, Moser leg., DZ 39.421, DZ 34.058 ( DZUP) , 3 ♀, 8–10.XI.2007, 500–600m, 26º19’S 49º18’W, Moser, Mielke & Casagrande leg., CLAM 105 ( CLAM) ; Timbó , 2 ♀ ( SMT); 1 ♀, XII.1934, B. Pohl leg. ( MZUSP) .

Figures

FIGURE 42. Geographic distribution of Siculodes in central-southeastern South America.

FIGURES 1–2. Adults of Siculodes in dorsal (A and C) and ventral (B and D) views. Depositories of the specimens: 1A–B in DZUP (DZ 39.286); 1C–D in DZUP (DZ 39.326). 2A–B in DZUP (DZ 39.386); 2C–D in NHMUK (NHMUK 010921100). Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 12–14. Male genitalia of Siculodes. 12. S. aurorula from Brazil, Santa Catarina, Joinville (DZ 39.286). 13. S. avicula from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Cachoeiras de Macacu (Valério - Rio Souza) (DZ 39.386). 14. S. eurymenana from Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Morro Reuter (Fazenda Padre Eterno) (DZ 34.078). A) posterior view. B) lateral view. C) inner view of valva. D) dorsal view of tegumen and uncus. E) dorsal view of aedeagus. F) lateral view of aedeagus. G) cornuti. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 18–20. Female genitalia of Siculodes in lateral view. 18. S. aurorula from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis (Independência) (DZ 39.458). 19. S. avicula from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Guapimirim, (Barreira) (NHMUK 010921100). 20. S. eurymenana from Brazil, Goiás, Campinaçu (Fazenda Barra Mansa) (DZ 39.304). Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 28–33. Signa of Siculodes. 28. S. aurorula from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis (Independência) (DZ 39.458). 29. S. avicula from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Guapimirim (Barreira) (NHMUK 010921100). 30. S. eurymenana from Brazil, Goiás, Campinaçu (Fazenda Barra Mansa) (DZ 39.304). 31. S. satellifera, holotype from Brazil, Minas Gerais,Araguari (MSFR). Scale bar = 1 mm. 32. S. straminula from Brazil, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio Brilhante (VOB 30206). 33. S. subchalybaea stat. rev. from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Guapimirim (Barreira) (DZ 39.294). Scale bar = 0,5 mm.

FIGURES 37–41. Habitat and live specimens of Siculodes aurorula from Brazil, São Paulo, Morro Agudo. 37–38. Habitat of Siculodes aurorula. 39, 41. Siculodes aurorula in dorsal view. 40. Siculodes aurorula in ventral view.