Megalota ceratovalva Brown, 2009

Brown, John W., 2009, The discovery of Megalota in the Neotropics, with a revision of the New World species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutini), Zootaxa 2279 (1), pp. 1-50 : 23-24

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2279.1.1
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5315442
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038E7928-FFD6-FF88-FDB9-E0EFFD5EFE41
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Megalota ceratovalva Brown
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

14. Megalota ceratovalva Brown View in CoL , new species Figs. 14 View FIGURES 13–24 , 38 View FIGURES 37–39

Diagnosis. This is one of few species of Megalota that can be distinguished on the basis of facies alone. The forewing is mottled charcoal, with a small, narrow, irregular patch of gray iridescent scales extending from the tornus to the distal end of the discal cell, and an arched orange subapical patch bordered basally by a gray iridescent line. The male genitalia are easily recognized by a rounded, horn-shaped process near mid-valva representing the basal edge of the abruptly broadened mesal portion of valva, and an associated patch of setae from large sockets immediately below the horn, with the setae ca. 0.4–0.5 as long as the valva.

Description. Head: Vertex mostly red brown with some dark brown; labial palpus creamy white basally, blackish brown distally. Thorax: Dorsum dark red brown and charcoal. Hind tibia in male with well-developed, bushy, pale gray sex scaling concealing creamy white hairpencil. Forewing length 5.7 mm (n = 1); forewing [somewhat rubbed] mottled charcoal and dark brown, ill-defined darker area near mid-costa representing costal remnant of median fascia; small, narrow, irregular patch of gray, slightly iridescent scales in subterminal area, extending from tornus to distal end of discal cell; arched, orange subapical patch bordered basally by gray, slightly iridescent line and costally by two pairs of white strigulae. Abdomen: Charcoal. Male genitalia ( Fig. 38 View FIGURES 37–39 ; 1 View FIGURES 1–12 preparation examined) with tegumen obovate with small triangular expansion immediately ventrad of attachment with uncus; uncus comparatively narrow, each lobe kidney bean-shaped and their longitudinal axes subparallel, densely spined; socius extremely small, digitate, membranous, pendant; valva abruptly broadened near middle with rounded, horn-shaped truncation representing basal edge of expansion; a dense cluster of long spiniform setae immediately ventrad of truncation, with setae ca. 0.4–0.5 as long as valva; subbasal patch of setae ill-defined or absent; basal process of valva ca. 4 times as long as wide, elbowed slightly basad of middle on inner side, tip slightly swollen, with short spines. Phallus short, stout, slightly bent near middle, without external thorns; vesica with 4 short, slender cornuti. Female genitalia unknown.

Holotype. Male , Venezuela, T. F. Amazonas, 29 km S Puerto Ayacucho, 17 Nov 1987, P. J. Spangler & R. A. Faitoute, collected in malaise trap ( USNM), USNM slide 124,496.

Etymology. The specific name comes from the Greek “cerato”, meaning horn, and refers to the hornshaped process from the middle of the valva.