Bergiantina schausi ( Jörgensen, 1935 ) Blas & Navarro, 2010

Blas, Germán San & Navarro, Fernando, 2010, Bergiantina, a new genus of agaristid moth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Zootaxa 2562, pp. 24-44 : 27-30

Bergiantina schausi ( Jörgensen, 1935) , new combination

( Figs. 1, 2, 18, 27, 32, 35, and 47)

Alucula schausi Jörgensen [sic], 1935: 125, lam. 4, fig. 29

Aucula schausi Jörgensen : Poole, 1989: 142 (catalogue).

Aucula hilzingeri var albirubra Köhler, 1936: 73 . New synonymy

Diagnosis. Bergiantina schausi can be differentiated from other Bergiantina species by the following characters: a) forewing with postmedial line with three white distal patches that occur from: costa to R5 vein, M1 to M3 and CuA2 to A1+A2; b) underside of hindwing with terminal band not extending basally to costa; c) male genitalia with apical half of valves with an elongated carina oblique to costa; d) apex of left valve with a single quadrangular projection directed distally and apex of right valve with two knobs, basal more protrude than apical one.

Redescription. Male ( Figs. 1 and 2). Head: Front and palpus dark brown, sprinkled with white scales. Antenna dark brown, bipectinate (mayor segment 5 X as wide as central shaft). Thorax: Greyish white; patagium and tegula reddish brown sprinkled with white scales, both bordered by a blackish line sprinkled with white scales; white spot at base of forewings. Legs dark brown, with tufts of white hairs (more evident in fore- and middle femora and tibia). Forewing length 21.1–25.8 mm, ground color opaque reddish orange, densely covered with white scales, in some specimens ground color greyish red, also densely covered with white scales; costal region black; basal line absent; antemedial line red, extending from costal to posterior margin, attenuated in discal cell, waved on anterior 2/3 then straight, two small white spots proximal to antemedial line, one before and one after discal cell; orbicular spot small, red with white and black scales in center, and white edged; reniform represented by two speculated red spots, bordered by white in the opposite margins; postmedial line faint, as a thin red line, straight from costa to R2, convex from R2 to CuA1, notched on M1 and interpace M3-CuA1, deeply concave on posterior third, with three white distal patches distally bordered with red, patches occur from: costa to R5 vein, M1 to M3, and CuA2 to A1+A2, inner margin without white patch; subterminal line red, strongly crenulated, with a narrow white distal band; terminal line thin and black; fringe black with white spots at ends of veins. Underside ground color orange yellow, costal margin blackish brown sprinkled with white scales, orbicular and reniform spots concolorous and contiguous with costa; apical spot blackish brown with white scales, becomes a fine line below R5 vein, interrupted on veins, and it is toned down until disappearing before tornus; white streak ventral to costa and basal to apical spot. Hindwing ground color orange yellow; marginal band brown, widest near apex and gradually narrows to anal angle, inner margin uniform without irregularities and not extending basally along costa; discal spot black, faint; fringe black with white spots at end of veins. Underside ground color orange yellow; marginal band black, not extending along costa, heavily sprinkled with white scales; discal spot thin; fringe with lager white spots than on upperside. Abdomen: Blackish brown, posterior end and two spots in lateral margins of first three or four segments orange yellow; ventrally with scattered white scales. Genitalia: Uncus 1/3 as long as valve, curved, basal third with small lateral lobes, ended as a tiny hook. Tegumen with posterior lobes strongly curved ventrally on apical third (pick-shape). Juxta less than 1/2 length of valves, 2X as long as wide, distal half with one weakly sclerotized oval depression on each side, length less than half juxta. Apical half of valves with an elongated carina oblique to costa, from 1/8 to 1/5 of valve length; apex of valve of different form: left valve with a large and quadrangular projection directed distally and right valve with two knobs, the basal one square and the apical one rounded, more sharpened, and less protrude than the basal one ( Fig. 18). Sclerotized horn-like dorsal projection of aedoeagus 1/3 as long as aedoeagus, basal 1/3 strongly convex and distal 2/3 concave, smooth or rugous on the posterior side, without denticles ( Figs. 27 and 32); sclerotized lateral plates: left plate long, reaching the posterior end, with two lateral teeth, posterior greater than anterior one, and a greater terminal tooth ( Fig. 35); right plate short, 1/3X as long as the left one. Female. Length of forewing: 22.7–25.8 mm. Antenna deeply biserrate; forewings generally with a wider subterminal line and wider red patches, by the other characters similar to male. Genitalia: As described for genus.

Variation. On forewing underside, orbicular and reniform spots may be united as one dark brown central spot.

Type material. Aucula schausi . HOLOTYPE: ♂ ARGENTINA: Cerros del Aconquija , Catamarca (La Playa, El Candado, El Suncho); Tucumán (El Saladillo) ( MACN) [examined]. Aucula hilzingeri var albirubra . LECTOTYPE: ♂ (here designated), 2459, ARGENTINA: Tucumán, in Breyer’s collection ( MLP) [examined]. In his description of Aucula schausi Jörgensen stated: “Holotipo ♂ en Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, nro de catálogo 32.801” (Translation: “ Holotype ♂ at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales , catalogue number 32,801”). The holotype ♂ is in the MACN and is in quite good condition, although the apical halves of both antennae are missing and it has no data label with the type locality. It bears a black-edged handwritten label reading “Acula schausi Jorg │ Mus. Nac. Hist. Natural Buenos Aires ” [sic]; a white handwritten label with red squared edge reading “32801”; a white handwritten label reading “29”; a red typed label reading “ TYPUS ”. Köhler (1936) described albirubra as a variety and stated “Dos ejemplares tipos en la col. Breyer … Habitat: Tucumán ” (Translation: “ two type specimens at Breyer’s collection… Habitat: Tucumán ”). These specimens are in the MLP (Breyer’s collection) and both are conspecific with B. schausi . One male is here designated as lectotype; it is in good overall condition. It bears a red printed label reading “ TIPUS ”; a black-edged printed data label reading “ COLL. Breyer│Rep. Argentina│ Tucumán ” with the word “ Tucumán ” handwrite; a white label reading “2459”; another white label reading “Publicado en│Physis T.XII│1936”; and a yellow label reading “LECTOTIPO │ designated by │ G. San Blas & F. Navarro ”. The paralectotype male bears a red printed label reading “ TIPUS ”; a broken printed data label reading “ COLL. Breyer 1988 Tucumán Cumbres de Anfama”; a white label reading “2459”; and a yellow label reading “PARALECTOTIPO │ designated by │ G. San Blas & F. Navarro ”

Immature stages and hosts. Neither the immature stages nor the host plants are known. Jörgensen (1935) stated to have seen two individuals in copula on Baccharis sp. (Asteraceae) .

Distribution ( Fig. 47). B. schausi is found almost exclusively in the alpine scrub and prepuna and puna desert of north-western Argentina, in the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán and Jujuy; additionally, there is an isolated record from Bolivia (Tarija). Jörgensen (1935) mentions that the adults are attracted to light.

Material examined. ARGENTINA: Catamarca: Catamarca 1 ♂ (Breyer) ( MLP) ; 2 km al sur de la Banderita 1 ♂ 17-I-1996 (-) ( IMLA) ; Prov. Catamarca 1 ♂ (Breyer) ( MLP) . Jujuy: Cuesta Grande X-1918 1 ♂ (-) ( IMLA) . Tucumán: Cumbres de Anfama 8 ♂ XI-1932 (-) ( IMLA) ; La Lagunita, Cumbres de Anfama 1 ♀ X-1933 (-) ( IMLA) ; Infiernillo 1 ♂, 1 ♀ 10-XII-1947 (Golbach) ( IMLA) . BOLIVIA: Tarija 1 ♂ 11-XII- 1995 (Navarro) ( IMLA) .

Discussion. Kiriakoff (1977) synonymized Aucula hilzingeri var albirubra with Aucula hilzingeri . After examining the types of albirubra, we think that this variety is conspecific with B. schausi ; its distribution is also congruent with that of B. schausi .