Stamnodes churro sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 87100BBD-5B0F-4C07-A932-A16639A16704

Figs 27, 54, 72, 86, 95

Diagnosis

In dorsal view, S. churro sp. nov. may be confused with sympatric S. patamon or S. catarina sp. nov., fortunately, the hindwing underside pattern and male genitalia unambiguously separate these taxa. The hindwing underside of S. churro is cream-coloured and speckled with light brown scales throughout (scales modestly darker in basal half of wing) (Fig. 27b). In S. patamon, the hindwing underside is striated with dark brown and burgundy scales surrounding several large, ill-defined, all-white patches (Fig. 24b), and in S. catarina, the hindwing underside is lightly striated with dark brown to black scales and bears an ill-defined black discal spot (Fig. 26b).

The uncus is small and triangulate in S. churro sp. nov. (Fig. 54a) and large and spatulate in S. catarina sp. nov. (Fig. 53a) and S. patamon (Fig. 55a). Among numerous other differences, the vesica bears a large, central, echinate patch of several hundred small cornuti, and two, large, apical spinose cornuti in S. churro (Fig. 54b); about eight large spinose cornuti linearly decreasing in size in S. catarina (Fig. 53b); and a single, large, spinose cornutus adjacent to a large patch of several hundred filamentous cornuti in S. patamon (Fig. 55b). With dissection, males of these species cannot be confused.

Etymology

The specific epithet, churro, is named after the popular, fried dough dessert of Mexico and elsewhere. This name was proposed by a passionate group of fourth-grade students from Mrs Stephanie Ball’s 2021–2022 science class in Alexandria, Virginia. The diagnostic cream-coloured hindwing underside, generously speckled with light brown scales, was reminiscent of the colour and texture of the iconic dessert for which this moth is now named. The name is a noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype

MEXICO • ♀; Oaxaca, Mpio. Ixlepejl [Ixtepejl], Cerezal; [17.26° N, 96.56° W]; elev. 2300 m; 7 Nov. 1980; E.C. Welling leg.; genitalia: TAM-2022-106; AMNH _ IZC 00352920.

Paratype

MEXICO • 1 ♂; Oaxaca, Mpio. Río Hondo, San José Pacífico; [16.16° N, 96.50° W]; elev. 2400 m; 16 Oct. 1971; E.C. Welling leg.; genitalia: TAM-2022-105 (USNM 154206); USNMENT01771235.

Description

Male

FOREWING LENGTH. 15 mm (n = 1).

HEAD. Antenna filiform, checkered with alternating black and white scales above. Vertex and frons mostly light pink with scattered white scales. Labial palpus short, slightly porrect, subequal to diameter of eye, light pink and white. Cephalic collar mostly cream, but with some light pink scales, especially laterally.

THORAX. Patagium mostly cream; tegula cream above, light pink laterally, white and light pink below. Mesoscutum cream to ochreous. Legs mixture of pink and white scales; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well developed.

FOREWING. Ground colour cream. Costal area pinkish grey at base with two white patches. Costomedial area with darkened grey patch terminating near center of wing; apical area along outer margin also dark grey. Underside patterned as in upperside but darkened apical area and outer margin of upperside replaced by speckling of much lighter brown scales. Fringe not checkered, white basally, light pink distally.

HINDWING. Concolourous with forewing ground colour above and without additional markings. Underside speckled with light brown scales throughout, scales modestly darker in basal half of wing. Fringe matching ground colour.

ABDOMEN. Ochreous above, white below.

GENITALIA (Fig. 54). Uncus smaller than most Stamnodes, triangulate, tapering toward apex. Subscaphium well developed. Juxta pentangular, distal surface bearing ca 50 long setae, setae curved inward toward median. Valva ear-shaped, with inward depressed costal margin bearing large, broad, costobasal sclerite; inner surface of valva with large, laterally widened hair tuft arising from subcostal depression, hair tuft about two-thirds length of valva. Vinculum narrow, half as wide as tegumen. Everted vesica S-shaped, narrowing toward apex; bearing large central patch of several hundred, minute, dentate cornuti and two large, apical spinose cornuti.

Female

Outwardly undifferentiated from male.

FOREWING LENGTH. 17 mm (n = 1).

GENITALIA (Fig. 72). Anterior apophysis three-quarters length of posterior apophysis. Ductus bursae about one-third length of corpus bursae; attached to corpus bursae by broad triangulate sclerite flattened on ventral surface and dorsolaterally rolled toward median. Corpus bursae ovoid, bearing pyriform signum with numerous minute papillae in dorsal lower third, and large, subcircular surface sclerotization in ventromedial area.

Distribution (Fig. 86)

Mexico: Stamnodes churro sp. nov. is known from the heavily wooded and mountainous Northern Oaxaca Highlands and Oaxaca’s Sierra Madre del Sur at elevations around 2300–2400 m.

Biology

Adults of Stamnodes churro sp. nov. fly in October and November. Adult habitus and genitalia suggest affinity to the many Stamnodes that feed on mountain mahogany ( Cercocarpus). Stamnodes churro was collected flying with S. catarina sp. nov. and S. tenebrosa sp. nov. in El Cerezal, Oaxaca.

Molecular characterization

This species has not been sequenced.