Bergiantina magnifica ( Schaus, 1904 ) Blas & Navarro, 2010

Blas, Germán San & Navarro, Fernando, 2010, Bergiantina, a new genus of agaristid moth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Zootaxa 2562, pp. 24-44 : 36-43

Bergiantina magnifica ( Schaus, 1904) new combination

( Figs. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 26, 40, 43, 46, and 48)

Euthisanotia magnifica Schaus, 1904: 150 .

Aucula magnifica (Schaus) : Hampson, 1910: 422, pl. 146, Fig. 5 (new combination); Köhler, 1929: 242 (revision); Kiriakoff, 1977: 20 (Subfamily revision); Poole, 1989: 142 (catalogue).

Diagnosis. Bergiantina magnifica can be differentiated from other Bergiantina species by the following characters: a) forewing terminal area with silvery or white tint extending from terminal line to beyond subterminal line, as a blurred strip; b) male genitalia with apex of left valve with a distal subrectangular projection and apex of right valve flattened and ear-shaped; c) left plate of aedoeagus with one lateral tooth; and e) horn-like dorsal projection of aedoeagus with four rows of denticles.

Redescription. Male ( Figs. 13 and 14). Forewing length 21.6–25.3 mm. Resembles B. hilzingeri , differentiated by: ground color dark greyish red, densely covered with white scales; basal and antemedial line well defined; orbicular spot black; terminal area with silvery or white tint extending from terminal line to beyond subterminal line, as a blurred strip. Genitalia: Right valve with only one triangular setae protuberance, placed dorsal and posterior, central protuberance absent ( Fig. 26). Left plate of aedoeagus with a single small lateral and triangular tooth ( Fig. 40 and 46). Female. Length of forewing: 23.8–26.1 mm. Antenna deeply biserrate and posterior end of abdomen the same color as the rest, by the other characters similar to male. Genitalia ( Fig. 17): As described for genus.

Variation. In some specimens, the marginal band on the hindwing underside can be extended only from the costa to middle of discal cell and sometimes this costal extension can be reduced to several spots or be restricted to the costal vein. At the USNM the specimen from Peru has the hindwings semitransparent white with a postmedial line marked as a very pale dark brown line, and anterior margin of the wing and terminal line black. This specimen can be easily confused with B. dolens , B. trita or B. parva .

Type material. Schaus did not give the sex or number of specimens he used for the description of Euthisanotia magnifica , but he wrote “ … Abdomen black; a yellow streak laterally at base…”. As he only mentioned the yellow basal lateral spots of the abdomen and did not mention any other color at the end of the abdomen, we suppose that the specimen that he saw was a female. Also he wrote “… Expanse 48 mm ”; as he did not give any range of numbers, we suppose that he only saw one exemple. In the USNM there is one female specimen with the same locality data, a type label, which fits the description given by Schaus, and which we believe to be the holotype. HOLOTYPE: ♀ at the USNM, with a white typed label reading “ Petropolis ,│ Brazil ”; a white typed label reading “ Collection │ WmSchaus ”; a red label reading “ Type │nº 10683│ USNM ”; white typed label reading “ ♀ genitalia│slide: USNM 208 │ J. G. Franclemont ”; and a white handwritten label reading “ Euthisanotia │magnifica│Type Sch.”

hilzingeri ; 25. B. familiae ; 26. B. magnifica . = knob; = projection; = protuberance; and = medial notch. Scale bars = 3 mm.

Immature stages and hosts. Nothing is known of the immature stages or biology.

Distribution ( Fig. 48). B. magnifica has been recorded from widely scattered localities in South America, from Ecuador to Argentina and southern Brazil ( Hampson, 1910). In Argentina it is found in mountain rainforest in the northwest (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán and Catamarca) and in Paraná rainforest in the northeast

(Misiones); there is a single record from sub-Antarctic forest (Neuquén). During a fieldtrip to Cochuna (Tucumán, Argentina) in October 2005, we captured three females that were attracted to the light trap .

Material examined. Río Gikam 2 ♂♂ (-) ( USNM) . ARGENTINA: Catamarca: El Alto, Sierra de Ancasti 1 ♀ 29-I-1911 (-) ( IMLA) . Jujuy: Palpalá 1 ♀ 24-II-1949 (M. Aczel) ( IMLA) ; Parque Nacional Calilegua 1 ♂ 1-III-1994 (Navarro) ( IMLA) ; Parque Nacional Calilegua 1 ♂ 25-XI-1995 (Chalup y Villagrán) ( IMLA) ; Yala 2 ♂ 21-XII-1997 (Molineri y Villagrán) ( IMLA) . Misiones: Iguazú 1 ♀ 30-I al 13-III- 1945 (Willink y Golbach) ( IMLA) . Neuquén: Parque Nacional Lanin 1 ♂ 9-XII-1997 (Navarro) ( IMLA) . Salta: Río Blanco, Orán, Salta 1 ♂, 1 ♀ 23-XI-1997 (Molineri) ( IMLA) ; Quebrada de Escoipe 19-X-2000 (Navarro) ( IMLA) . Tucumán: Tucumán 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ ( R. Schreiter) ( USNM) ; Quebrada de Lules 1 ♂ 5-IX-1922 (-) ( IMLA) ; Quebrada de Lules 2 ♂ III-1925 (-)( IMLA) ; Quebrada de Lules 1 ♂ II-1942 (-) ( IMLA) ; Horco Molle 1 ♂ IX-1950 (Rossi) ( IMLA) ; Escaba 1 ♀ 24-II-1968 (-) ( IMLA) ; Quebrada Río los Sosa 1 ♂ 7-XII- 1992 (Navarro) ( IMLA) ; Pie de la Cuesta, Hualinchay 1 ♀ sin fecha (-) ( IMLA) ; Río Cochuna 3 ♀ 20-X-2005 (San Blas y Navarro) ( IMLA) . BRASIL: SC. Boom Jardin da Sierra 2 ♂♂ 1-4-X-1996 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) . Paraná: Curitiba 1 ♂ 19-X-1974 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) ; same locality 1 ♀ 15-XII-1974 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) ; same locality 1 ♀ 12-II-1975 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) ; same locality 2 ♂♂ 15-II-1975 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) ; same locality 1 ♂ 22-VIII-1975 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) ; same locality 1 ♂ 25-VIII-1975 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) ; same locality 1 ♂ 29-VIII-1975 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) . Rio de Janeiro: Parque Nacional Itatiana 1 ♂ 18-X-1985 ( V. O. Becker) ( USNM) . Santa Catarina: 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (F. Plaumann) ( USNM) ; Hansa Humboldt 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ (-) ( USNM) ; Joinville, Arp 1 ♂ (-) ( USNM) ; Nova Teutonia 1 ♂ (F. Plaumann) ( USNM) . ECUADOR: Pastaza (ex Oriente): Abitagua 4 ♂ 1-X-1936 (W. C. MacIntyre) ( USNM) . PARAGUAY: Itapua: El Tirol 2 ♀♀ 22-26-IV-1986 (M. Pogue & M. Solis) ( USNM) . PERU: Puno: Carabaya, Rio Huacamaya 1 ♂ (-) ( USNM) .

Discussion. Hampson (1910) transferred Euthisanotia magnifica to Aucula , although no reason was given for this decision. Köhler (1929) recorded B. magnifica for the Argentinean fauna and stated the differences between this species and B. hilzingeri . This species has two lateral yellow spots at the first three or four basal abdominal segments; this is unlike what Kiriakoff (1977) and Hampson (1910) stated i.e., B. magnifica from B. schausi differed by the absence of such spots. These spots could be lost in poorly preserved specimens.