Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Depressariidae

Ethmia ungulatella Busck Figures 11, 56, 101, 152

Ethmia ungulatella Busck, 1914: 34; Powell 1973: 139.

Diagnosis.

Ethmia ungulatella can be distinguished from Ethmia elutella and Ethmia janzeni by the ochreous genital scaling of Ethmia ungulatella .

Description.

Male: FW length 8.3-9.7 mm (n = 3). Head: Proboscis white, front dark gray, crown white. Thorax: White, tegula gray basally, pronotum with 2 pairs of large dark gray spots. FW ground color white, blue-gray round markings, a conspicuous pair at the base in the posterior half. A large rounded purplish coppery blotch at posterior half from 0.5 × from base nearly to tornus. HW whitish, costal fold with a dense group of whitish scales. Abdomen: Brown, genital scaling ochreous. Genitalia (Fig. 56) with uncus broad hood-like; gnathos dentate from base; basal process broad; valva without small notch distally, concave.

Female: FW length 9.5-10.1 mm (n = 3). Head and thorax: As described for male, HW unmodified. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 101) with sterigma bearing lateral lobes; signum, an elongate fold without dentate margin.

Holotype.

Female: Panamá, Cabima, May 1911, A. Busck. USNM Type No. 16696 [USNM, examined].

Distribution and biology.

Ethmia ungulatella has been collected from eastern Mexico (Tamaulipas) to Panamá . In Costa Rica (Fig. 152) it has been found in the lowlands of Pacific and Caribbean slopes ranging up to 600 m. Ethmia ungulatella is a common species in ACG dry and rain forest. The food plant and immature stages are unknown.