Galethalea wolfei, Pinheiro, Lívia R., 2016

Pinheiro, Lívia R., 2016, Description of three new species of Galethalea Butler, 1876 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), with comments on the genus, Zootaxa 4078 (1), pp. 354-365 : 361-362

Galethalea wolfei sp. nov.

( Figures 3 , 6–7 , 16–19 )

Holotype male, COLOMBIA, Caldas, Municipio Aguada. Quebrada Los Friales, 2400m, 5.6°N, 75.4°W, 1.iv.1995, K. Wolfe et al. ( LACM). Six paratypes. COLOMBIA, Caldas, Municipio Aguada. Quebrada Los Friales, 2400 m, 5.6°N, 75.4°W, 1.iv.1995, K. Wolfe et al. ( LACM), 2 males; Bogotá, Pueblo Guasca, F. Johnson donor ( NMNH), 1 male; San Antonio, W Colombia, xii.[19]07, 580 ft., M. G. Palmer ( BMNH); 3 males.

Diagnosis ♂. Antennae black, except for the anterior and inner surface of the scape, white. Frontoclypeus almost entirely black. Mesoscutellum with four white markings. Metascutellum black. FW predominantly black, with various white spots. HW partially hyaline. T8 black.

Description ♂. Head. Proboscis light brown. Palpi three segmented, exceeding vertex. First segment black with few white scales at the external side, near the tip. Second segment entirely black. Third segment twice longer than wide, black, except for the dorsal apical surface, white. Antennae black, except for the scape, with few white scales anteriorly and at the inner surface. Pectination starting in the second flagellomere. Frontoclypeus almost as wide as long, black. Vertex black with few white scales laterally and at its anterior margin. Occiput and ocular ring black. Cervical scales orange. Thorax. Mesothorax predominantly black, with four white spots, the anterior pair smaller than the posterior pair. Metascutellum black. Patagia black, with white spot near the external margin. Tegulae predominantly black, white scales at the anterior margin and near the posterior margin. Epimera and episterna with long black scales. Ventral scales on the first pre-episternum white, surrounded by black scales laterally. Ventral surface of the forecoxae black proximally and white distally. Lateral surface black. Forefemora black with a white mid-ventral spot. Foretibiae and tarsi black. Midcoxae white anteriorly and laterally. Midfemora black, except for the proximal end and a small mid-ventral spot, white. Midtibiae black with a white dorsal area proximally and very few white scales at the distal margin, laterally. Midtarsi black. Hindlegs as midlegs, except for the tibiae, black with the whole circumference of the distal margin white. FW. Entirely scaled. Axillary scales white. Dorsal surface predominantly covered by black scales. Pattern of the dorsal surface of the forewings consisting of various white spots. Fringe of the external margin with black scales, except for the area corresponding to cell CuA2-CuP and for the apex, with white scales. Pattern of the ventral surface simpler than that of the dorsal surface, composed of black scales and the following white areas: the distal portion of the discal cell, subproximal portion of cells R5-M1 and M1-M2, apex, subdistal portion of cell M3-CuA1, and distal margin of cell CuA1- CuA2. Venation as in Figs 6–7 : R1 branching before the transversal vein, and R2 after it. M1 branching either beside the transversal vein, or together with it, with a short branch connecting both to the R stalk. M2 and M3 branching either from the transversal vein with a short common stalk, or very near each other, without a common stalk. HW. Margins and veins with black scales, part of the central portion completely hyaline. Discal cell predominantly scaled, distal portion of the posterior half hyaline. Subproximal portion of cell M1-M2 partially hyaline, as well the proximal portions of cells M2-M3 and M3-CuA1. Cells CuA2-CuP and CuP-1A entirely hyaline, except for the external margin. Cell 1A-2A covered only by long brown scales. Venation as in Figs 6–7 : Sc rudimentary, but distinguishable. M3 and CuA1 either with a very short stalk, or not stalked. Abdomen. T1–2 black. Post-spiracular hoods black, except for the anterior margin, grey laterally, and the posterior margin, with few white scales laterally. T3–6 black with orange spots laterally at the posterior margin. T7–8 black. Hair-like scales present on T1–5. S2–6 black laterally and white ventrally and at the posterior margin. S7 as the previous sternites, but with the posterior margin black. S8 black. Coremata present on ventral intersegmental membrane 7–8, but reduced in size. Anterior margin of T8 with two small sacular projections. Male genitalia. Ejaculatory duct longer than aedoeagus. Coecum rounded. Aedoeagus slightly curved upwards, with approximately the same width across its length. Vesica shorter than aedoeagus when fully everted, mostly membranous, with a longitudinal sclerotization on the inner surface. Saccus developed, symmetrical; posterior margin somewhat pointed. Tegumen composed of two parallel plates connected by the posterior margin. Two dorsal, heavily sclerotized and densely setose projections arising from the intersegmental membrane 9–10, with apex somewhat pointed, hiding the uncus in dorsal view. Base of the uncus much wider than its lobe, with setae dorsally and laterally. Lobe of the uncus with dorsal setae, laterally compressed, and reaching the same length of the dorsal projections of the tegument; apex somewhat pointed. Valvae subequal, exceeding the dorsal projections of the tegumen, with a single lobe, very long and covered by setae ventrally at its whole length, and laterally at the tip; apex sharp. Transtilla and juxta heavily sclerotized, the former bearing setae, and the latter connected with the valvae.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Mr. Kirby Wolfe, American amateur lepidopterist and collector of part of the type series.

Remarks. The black scales in Galethalea wolfei have a violet blue iridescence more intense than in any other examined species of Galethalea. However, because the iridescence can be lost due to photodecomposition or greasing, the lack of iridescence in other species may be due to an artifact.

Sotavalta (1964) has already documented polymorphism in wing venation for Nearctic and Palearctic Arctiina , which led him to point out the problems of the use of such characters in taxonomy. His findings seem to apply to Neotropical Ctenuchina as well.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus of Galethalea species, dorsal views. 1. syntype of Galethalea davidi; 2. holotype of G. portoricensis sp. nov.; 3. holotype of G. wolfei sp. nov.; 4. holotype of G. machadoi sp. nov. Scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURES 5 – 7. Wing venation of Galethalea species. 5. G. portoricensis sp. nov., wing venation; 6 – 7. G. wolfei sp nov., types of wing venation.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Genitalia of G. wolfei sp. nov. (male from Caldas, Colombia). 16. genital capsule, dorsal view; 17. same, ventral view; 18. same, lateral view; 19. aedoeagus, lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.