Eupithecia nonanticaria Ferris

Ferris, Clifford D., 2007, Three new species of Eupithecia Curtis from Arizona and New Mexico with discussion of associated species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Eupitheciini), Zootaxa 1516, pp. 49-60 : 54-57

Eupithecia nonanticaria Ferris , New Species

( Figs. 25–43 )

Diagnosis. This species is nearly identical in habitus to E. anticaria but is grayer with more subdued coloration and muted maculation; positive separation requires the examination of the genitalia. This species apparently replaces anticaria in the mountains of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

Description. MALE ( Figs. 25–26 ): Forewing length (base to apex): 9.5–11.0 mm. Head and Body: Palpi length ca. 1.5 times eye width, laterally broad, dully checkered brown and whitish scales long and loosely compacted. Frons, head, thoracic collar, thorax, and tegulae with mixture of pale and darker brownish-gray scales. Antennae finely and evenly ciliate, light brown with dorsal darker patch on each segment, pedicel and scape concolorous with head. Abdominal segment I whitish basally with narrow black band along posterior margin (as in anticaria ); remaining segments are medium-to-dark brown, slightly paler ventrally. Legs pale brownish-gray, not noticeably ringed, paler scales at distal ends of segments; hind-tibial spurs small and poorly developed. Wings: Ground color pale grayish-white but overlying darker scales generate an overall medium gray habitus. DFW: double areole in venation (as in anticaria ); prominent oblong dark brown discal spot; narrow dark basal line; lower portion of dark-edged broad median band with ruddy suffusion; narrow pale band beyond median extending from costa to mid-wing; outer wing area dusky with patchy shading; pale crenulate subterminal line; broad segmented brown adterminal line; fringes grayish-brown with pale tips. DHW basal and median areas pale, darker toward margin; prominent dark discal spot; weak postmedian line; prominent adterminal line; fringes as in DFW. Wings paler ventrally with dorsal maculation repeated, lighter on VFW, darker on VHW. Dorsal terminal lines and fringes repeated ventrally. Genitalia ( Figs. 31–36 ) [4 dissections]: Hair pencils well developed Fig. 32 ). Valve ( Fig. 31 ) trigonate tapering to narrow rounded apex, blunt triangular projection from mid-ventral margin. Uncus short, dorsoventrally bifid with well-defined widely separated cusps; socii well-developed and typical. Aedoeagus ( Fig. 33 ) length-to-width ratio ca. 3.5. Everted vesica hatchet shaped in lateral profile, cornuti two large mutually perpendicular spikes with “mushroom” or “umbrella” heads, and large convoluted folded-over piece. Genital plate ( Fig. 36 , 8 th sternite at top) similar to anticaria but more elongate.

FEMALE ( Figs. 27–28 ): Forewing length (base to apex): 9.0–11.0 mm. Color and maculation similar to male. Legs are paler than male with banding more diffuse. Antennae weakly setose, colored as in male. Genitalia ( Figs. 11–13 ) [8 dissections]: Papillae anales moderately long, oval, diffuse long setae; apophyses slen- der, anterior-to-posterior ratio ca. 0.5; caudal spurs weak and embedded in genital plate. Ostium bursae weakly sclerotized, cup-like, very short membranous ductus bursae above open moderately broad colliculum. Corpus bursae globular ( Figs. 37–40 ) with two lightly chitinized flange-like projections ( Figs. 42–43 ) just below and on either side of colliculum base (when compressed, as on a slide, they generate a shoulder-like hump on the side opposite to the ductus seminalis); upper portion lightly chitinized without spines; the relatively narrow tubular ductus seminalis projects outward from the right ventral side of the corpus bursae, then curves downward crossing ventrad as it tapers sharply; remainder of corpus bursae densely spined, patch of long robust spines originating at ventral middle of upper border curving to the left and dorsad ( Figs. 42–43 ).

Based on the material examined, other than wing length, there appears to be little variation in this species.

Holotype: male: ARIZONA, Cochise Co., Chirichahua Mts., Rustler Park, 8500’ (2590 m), 12.vii.1972, J. Powell, deposited in EME.

Paratypes: 4m, 16f. ARIZONA, Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts., Rustler Park, 2.viii.1973, J. Powell & S. Szerlip (3f, EME); Onion Saddle, 30.vii–1.viii.1999, E. Buckner & P. A. Opler (3f, GMAD, 1m, author’s collection); Upper Pinery Canyon C.G., 2135 m, 30.vii–1.viii.1999, E. Buckner & P. A. Opler (1m, 3f, GMAD, 1f, author’s collection); Upper Pinery Canyon C.G., 2135 m, 15.viii.2006, C. D. Ferris (1f, author’s collection); Pinery Canyon, 2075 m, 9.viii.1964, R. Leuschner (1f, R. Leuschner collection), 13.viii.1964, R. Leuschner (2f, R. Leuschner collection). NEW MEXICO, Grant Co., Black Range, Lower Gallinas Canyon, 2040 m, 14.viii.1980, C. D. Ferris (1m, author’s collection), 30–31.vii.1989, C. D. Ferris (1f, author’s collection); Pinos Altos Mts., Cherry Creek Canyon, 2075 m, 5.viii.1989, C. D. Ferris (1m, author’s collection). MEXICO, Chihuahua, 14 mi, W. of Cuauhtemoc, 28.402°N, 107.074°W, 2235m, 2.viii.1998, P. M. Jump (1f, R. Leuschner collection, 1f, G. J. Balogh collection).

Etymology. The adjectival prefix “ non “ is added to the name anticaria to denote similarity of the two species.

Biology. Unknown; found in mixed coniferous–deciduous forest above 1760 m ( Figs. 59–61 ).

Flight period. Late July to mid-August.

Distribution. Grant County, New Mexico (Pinos Altos Mts.; Black Range) and Cochise County, Arizona (Chiricahua Mts.); Chihuahua, Mexico.

Discussion. Based on habitus, presence of the double areole in the DFW venation, and male genitalic characters, E. nonanticaria is affiliated with the mutata group (sensu Bolte, 1990).

Figures

FIGURES 25 – 30. Eupithecia nonanticaria. 25, male holotype, D; 26, male holotype V; 27, female, D; 28, female, V; 29, holotype label; 30, holotype pin label.

FIGURES 31 – 36. Eupithecia nonanticaria male genital structures. 31, genitalia with aedoeagus removed; 32 genitalia (less aedoeagus) showing hair pencils; 33, aedoeagus; 34 – 35, lateral views of everted vesica; 36, 7 th and 8 th (top, genital plate) abdominal sternites.

FIGURES 37 – 43. Eupithecia nonanticaria female genital structures. 37 – 38, normal (37) and inverted (38) ventral images of bursa copulatrix – preparation 1; 39 – 40, normal (39) and inverted (40) ventral images of bursa copulatrix – preparation 2; 41, papillae anales and apophyses; 42 – 43, normal (42) and inverted (43) images of top of bursa copulatix showing side lobes (arrows).

FIGURES 7 – 13. Eupithecia macfarlandi genitalia. Male structures: 7, genitalia with aedoeagus removed; 8, aedoeagus; 9, lateral view of everted vesica; 10, 7 th and 8 th (top, genital plate) abdominal sternites. Female structures: 11 – 12, ventral view of entire genitalia (two preparations); 13, image-inverted view of fig. 12 to enhance structural features.

FIGURES 59 – 60. Eupithecia nonanticaria habitats, Grant Co., New Mexico. 59, Cherry Creek Canyon, Pinos Altos Mts., 2075 m; 60, Lower Gallinas Canyon, Black Range, 2040 m.

FIGURES 61 – 62. Eupithecia habitats. 61, E. nonanticaria, Upper Pinery Canyon, Chiricahua Mts., 2135 m, Cochise Co., Arizona; 62, E. penablanca, Peña Blanca Canyon, ca. 2130 m, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona.