Leichosila wagneri Schmidt, 2009

Schmidt, Christian, 2009, A new genus and two new species of arctiine tiger moth (Noctuidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini) from Costa Rica, ZooKeys 9 (9), pp. 89-96 : 95

Leichosila wagneri Schmidt , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:98429FDA-3B9D-44BA-8259-6D83D11CFFBB

( Figs. 2 , 4 , 7 )

Type material. Holotype male – “C[osta]. RICA: Heredia: / 6 km ENE Vara Blanca , / 1950-2050m, 10°11’N / 84 07’W; 15 ii 2002 / David L. Wagner coll”; “INBio-OET- ALAS / transect / 20/L/01/011”; “Project / ALAS / INB0003216237”; “ HOLOTYPE / Leichosila / wagneri / Schmidt” [red label]; “Genitalia / CNC slide # / 14541”; deposited in INBIO.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from L. talamanca by the smaller size and darker colouration of L. wagneri , and by the genitalic characters given under the diagnosis for L. talamanca .

Description. A detailed description is given above in the genus description. Characters specific to L. wagneri are as follows: Male (female unknown). Forewing – length 13.4 (n = 1); ground colour dark grey. Hindwing – ground colour dark grey, with indistinct, irregular dark grey subterminal spots and medial spot. Male genitalia – Uncus parallelsided basally, then tapering apically, i. e. bottle-shaped in dorsal profile ( Fig. 7 ); vesica with left diverticulum of two ventro-basal diverticula conical and pointed ( Fig. 4b ).

Etymology. This species is named after David L. Wagner, who collected the type specimen, and whose studies continue to vastly improve our knowledge of the larval biology of North American Lepidoptera .

Distribution and biology. Leichosila wagneri is known only from the type specimen, collected in high elevation forest (1950-2050 m) on Volcán Barva (Cordillera Central) in mid February.

Figures

Figures 1-2. Adult habitus of Leichosila gen. n. 1. Leichosila talamanca sp. n., male holotype. 2. Leichosila wagneri sp. n., male holotype.

Figures 3-5. Male genitalia of Leichosila. 3a. L. talamanca (paratype), genital capsule (ventral view); 3b. phallus (left lateral view), with inflated vesica (ventrobasal diverticulum highlighted); 4a. L. wagneri (holotype), genital capsule (ventral view); 4b. phallus (left lateral view) with inflated vesica (ventrobasal diverticulum highlighted); 5. L. talamanca, 8th abdominal sternite, showing medioventral sclerite and lateral lobes.

Figures 6-9. Structural features of Leichosila. 6. L. talamanca, uncus (dorsal view); 7. L. wagneri, uncus (dorsal view); 8. L. talamanca, juxta; 9. L. talamanca, antenna (segments 14 – 18), ventral view (setae and cilia omitted except on segment 14).