Acalyptris hyacinthum Stonis, 2020

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Vargas, Sergio A. & Solis, M. Alma, 2020, Diagnostics and updated catalogue of Acalyptris Meyrick, the second largest genus of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) in the Americas, Zootaxa 4748 (2), pp. 201-247 : 217-220

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4748.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CBB8899F-0DE8-491E-B6C1-468C2FDBE54C
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3704952
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03ADA707-FFC9-1C31-36E2-F93DFEE1FCF4
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Acalyptris hyacinthum Stonis
status

Treatment

14. Acalyptris hyacinthum Stonis & Vargas, sp. nov. ( Figs 78–83 View FIGURES 75–83 )

Diagnosis. Externally, adults of the new species are distinguishable from all other Neotropical Nepticulidae , including the congeneric Acalyptris , by a strong blue iridescence of the forewing, also thorax and scape. In the female genitalia, the unique vaginal sclerites, including two rows of large spines are hypothesized to be unique to this species.

Description. Male. Unknown.

Female ( Figs 79, 80 View FIGURES 75–83 ). Forewing length about 1.7 mm; wingspan about 3.8 mm (n = 1).

Head: Frontal tuft orangish ochre; collar comprised of piliform, cream scales; scape golden glossy, laterally with blue and purple iridescence; antenna shorter than the length of forewing; flagellum golden glossy.

Thorax: Tegula golden glossy; thorax golden glossy with blue iridenscence, distally densely covered with dark brown scales; forewing with strong blue iridescence, speckled with blackish brown scales, entirely golden glossy basally; fringe brownish cream, without a fringe line; on underside, forewing pale grey-brown with purple and blue iridescence. Hindwing glossy, greyish cream, with blue iridescence. Legs brownish cream.

Abdomen: Ochre-brown with strong golden gloss on upper side, golden cream on underside; no anal tufts, genital segments golden cream. Genitalia ( Figs 78–83 View FIGURES 75–83 ) total length about 1290 μm. Vestibulum with vaginal sclerites ( Figs 78, 82 View FIGURES 75–83 ) and numerous large spines ( Fig. 81 View FIGURES 75–83 ). Signa spined ( Fig. 83 View FIGURES 75–83 ). Abdominal apex widely rounded.

Bionomics. Host plant is unknown. Adults fly in late February (single female was attracted to a light trap). Otherwise, biology is unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). This species occurs at altitude about 550 m on the western slopes of the Andes (western Colombia), bordering with the lowland Choco province: Valle del Cauca, El Naranjo ( Figs 10, 11 View FIGURES 2–11 ).

DNA barcode. We barcoded the female holotype of the new species; the sequence is available at GenBank under voucher/sample ID MN982364 View Materials .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin hyacinthum (blue), in reference to the particularly strong blue iridescence of the adult.

Type material. Holotype: ♀, COLOMBIA, Departamento de Valle del Cauca, Municipio de Dagua, El Nara- njo, 550 m, at light, 3°47’2”N, 76°43’14”W, 21–23.ii.2019, leg. J. R. Stonis & S. A. Vargas, genitalia slide no. RA1023 ( MPUJ). GoogleMaps