Cossula gaudeator, (SCHAUS, 1911), 1995

Davis, Steve R., Gentili-Poole, Patricia & Mitter, Charles, 2008, A revision of the Cossulinae of Costa Rica and cladistic analysis of the world species (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 154 (2), pp. 222-277 : 270-271

COSSULA GAUDEATOR ( SCHAUS, 1911)

( FIGS 44, 45 , 83, 84 , 104 , 125, 126 , 143)

Hemipecten gaudeator Schaus, 1911: 628 .

Cossula gaudeator ( Schaus, 1911) Donahue, 1995: 126 .

Male ( Fig. 44 ): Forewing length: 30–33 mm.

Head: Antenna light brown; labial palpus dark brown and rusty-brown to fuscous dorsally and ventrally; frons cream and rusty-brown to fuscous; vertex rustybrown to fuscous.

Thorax: Patagia same colour as vertex; dorsum and tegula creamy white irrorated with brown and fuscous; pleura creamy white to light brown, interspersed with light brown and brown to fuscous; venter similar to pleura, but colouring somewhat darker and a brown to fuscous patch on prothorax. Legs with femur and tibia interspersed with scales creamy white to light brown, rusty-brown and fuscous; tarsi light brown irrorated with cream. Forewing mixed with areas of creamy white, light brown, brown and fuscous dorsally; base with small cream patch; fuscous striae along costal and inner margin, the latter ones more faint; a vague dark brown to fuscous patch in middle of discal cell; terminal patch with a large, curved, dark brown band, suffusing with a dark brown margin along termen between M 2 and M 3; remainder of terminal patch light brown; fringe banded with dark brown and light brown; forewing brown ventrally, with dark brown, almost fuscous, and cream banding along costal margin; terminal patch as in dorsal view, but fainter. Hindwing brown dorsally and ventrally; dark brown and cream banding along costal margin ventrally; fringe banded brown and cream.

Abdomen: Mostly brown dorsally, irrorated with cream scales; cream ventrally, irrorated with dark brown; A7–8 cream and light brown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 83, 84 ): Valva broad basally, narrowing slightly and rounded apically; length of valva approximately 0.8¥ length of genital capsule; gnathos–uncus expanse approximately 0.6¥ length of genital capsule; saccular process forming a large, upcurved spine on distal half of valva; juxta process elongate and digitiform; gnathos broad with lateral sides slightly upcurved, and medial–apical region with heavily sclerotized ridges; uncus with apex acute and slightly bifurcate. Aedoeagus with rostellum forming a large rounded lobe as viewed laterally; rostellum apex acuminate as viewed ventrally.

Female ( Fig. 45 ): Forewing length: 33 mm.

Head: Antenna light brown and fuscous; labial palpus dark brown and rusty-brown to fuscous dorsally, light brown and brown ventrally; frons and vertex dark rusty-brown to fuscous.

Thorax: Patagia same as vertex; dorsum and tegula creamy white irrorated with brown and fuscous; pleura cream and light brown, mixed with light brown and brown to fuscous; venter similar to pleura, but colouring somewhat darker and a brown to fuscous patch on prothorax. Legs, forewing and hindwing similar to male in colour and patterns.

Abdomen: Mostly brown dorsally, mixed with cream scales; cream ventrally, irrorated with dark brown.

Female genitalia ( Figs 125, 126 ): Genitalia wide with ovipositor fairly short; sternite 8 developed and triangular in shape; intersegmental membrane between abdominal segments 7 and 8 forming two large sclerotized lobes, with many cuticular wrinkles, on either side of ostium opening; ductus bursae somewhat shortened, with many longitudinal cuticular wrinkles along entire length; corpus bursae small and oblong, approximately 0.5¥ length of bursa copulatrix.

Distribution: Known only from Costa Rica.

Holotype: ♂; COSTA RICA: CARTAGO: Tuis , 2400 ft: vi.1907, W. Schaus ( USNM) [examined].

Material examined: COSTA RICA: ALAJUELA: Sector Colonia Palmarena , 700 m: 1 ♂, x.1995, J. C. Saborio ( INBio) . CARTAGO: Tuis: 1 ♂, June, Schaus & Barnes, slide USNM 85615 ( USNM). Turrialba, Parque Nacional Barbilla , Estación Barbilla , 500 m: 1 ♂, vi.2001, L. Chavarria ( INBio). Turrialba , 600 m: 1 ♂, 10.vi.1972, V . Becker, slide USNM 96057 ( VOB) . GUANACASTE: Estación Pitilla , 9 km S. Santa Cecilia, 700 m: 1 ♂, 9–14.vii.1993, Gredy, Diego, Carlos (students), slide USNM 85645 ( USNM) . LIMON: Estación Cuatro Esquinas, Parque Nacional Tortuguero , 0 m: 1 ♂, iii.1993, R . Delgado ( INBio). Estación Hitoy Cerere, R . Cerere Res. Biol. Hitoy Cerere , 100 m: 1 ♀, x.1992, G. Carballo, slide USNM 96044 ( USNM) . SAN JOSÉ: Estación Carillo, Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo , 700 m: 1 ♂, v.1985, I. & A. Chacon ( INBio) .

Host: Unknown.

Flight period: March to October.

Discussion: The relatively large wingspan and presence of a prominent, curved, dark brown band in the terminal patch of the forewing readily distinguishes this species from all other members of the subfamily. Diagnostic features of the male genitalia include the large spine protruding from the sacculus, broad gnathos with heavily sclerotized ridges along the medial–apical area, and presence of a large, round and laterally flattened lobe that forms the rostellum on the aedoeagus ( Fig. 84 ).

Figures

Figures 44–52. Adults: 44, male, Cossula gaudeator; 45, female, Cossula gaudeator; 46, male, Cossula longirostrum; 47, female, Cossula longirostrum; 48, male, Cossula minutiloba; 49, female, Cossula minutiloba; 50, unidentified female 1; 51, unidentified female 2; 52, unidentified female 3. Scale bar = 10.0 mm.

Figures 77–88. Male genitalia. Cossula cossuloides: 77, genital capsule; 78, aedoeagus. Cossula duplex: 79, genital capsule; 80, aedoeagus. Cossula duplexata: 81, genital capsule; 82, aedoeagus. Cossula gaudeator: 83, genital capsule; 84, aedoeagus. Cossula longirostrum: 85, genital capsule; 86, aedoeagus. Cossula minutiloba: 87, genital capsule; 88, aedoeagus.

Figures 101–106. Male genitalia, lateral view of genital capsule: 101, Cossula cossuloides; 102, Cossula duplex; 103, Cossula duplexata; 104, Cossula gaudeator; 105, Cossula longirostrum; 106, Cossula minutiloba. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figures 125–130. Female genitalia and enlargement of ostium and sternite 8: Cossula gaudeator: 125, genitalia; 126, enlargement. Cossula minutiloba: 127, genitalia; 128, enlargement. unidentified female 1: 129, genitalia; 130, enlargement.