Diptychophora ardalia, Landry & Becker, 2021

Landry, Bernard & Becker, Vitor O., 2021, A taxonomic review of the genus Diptychophora Zeller (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae sensu lato, Crambinae) in Brazil, with descriptions of three new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 128 (1), pp. 73-84 : 81-82

Diptychophora ardalia sp. n.

Figs 5 , 16

Material examined

Holotype: male; VBC, without catalogue number; Brazil, Bahia, Morro do Chapéu, 1400 m; 22- 23.04.1991; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 78261 .

Paratypes (7 males): 3 males; VBC, without catalogue number; same data as holotype . – 1 male; MHNGENTO-85388 (dissected); same data as holotype; DNA voucher Lepidoptera B. Landry n° 052 . – 1 male; VBC, without catalogue number; Brazil, Bahia, Jequié, 600 - 750 m; 11- 22.11.1995; Collection Becker 105724 . – 2 males; VBC, without catalogue number; Brazil, Bahia, Jequié, 500 m; 16.02.1998; Collection Becker 114384 ; one with DNA voucher Lepidoptera B. Landry n° 045 .

Diagnosis: The males are small, reaching a wingspan of 11.0 mm at the most. In that respect they differ externally from the males of D. diasticta , which reach a wingspan of 12 mm. In addition, the tip of the maxillary and labial palpi are greyish brown to light ochre yellow whereas the tip of the palpi is white in D. diasticta . In male genitalia, this species conspicuously differs from its congeners in the squarish shape of the valva that reach a ratio of length/width of 1.0 whereas the males of D. diasticta have the dorsal section of the valva extended and thus have a ratio of length/width of 1.17- 1.20. More diagnostic characters of the male genitalia are given above under the diagnosis of D. diasticta .

Etymology: The name refers to the apparent uncleanliness of the moths, “ ardalos ” meaning “dirty” in Greek.

Description: Male (n=7) ( Fig. 5 ). Head with frons rounded, slightly bulging; vestiture on frons short scaled, white and light ochre yellow with large blackish brown spot dorsomedially; vestiture on vertex and occiput with thinner and longer scales ochre yellow. Antennal scape and pedicel blackish brown; flagellomeres with paler, greyish brown scales. Maxillary palpus greyish brown, lighter at base and apex. Labial palpus porrect, reaching slightly beyond maxillary palpus, with scales appressed, basal palpomere white, 2nd and 3rd palpomeres light dirty ochre yellow to greyish brown. Haustellum white. Thorax with patagium laterally white to light ochre yellow to blackish brown toward middle; tegula with patch of blackish brown at base, otherwise white with light yellowish brown to brown; thorax between tegulae greyish brown, then banded dirty white with light ochre yellow, blackish brown, ochre brown, and blackish brown (at apex). Forewing length: 4.4- 5.0 mm (holotype: 4.7 mm); wingspan: 10.0-11.0 mm (holotype: 10.5 mm). Wings with pattern and colours as illustrated, with purplish shine in forewing fringe at level of terminal black dots. Prothoracic leg coxa white along base and inner margin, light greyish ochre elsewhere; trochanter light greyish ochre; femur light greyish brown except for white ventral edge; tibia with light greyish brown on basal 2/3 followed by tuft of blackish brown, apically with row of dirty white scales; first tarsomere with basal half dirty white, distal half blackish brown; second tarsomere white; third tarsomere blackish brown with white at base; fourth tarsomere blackish brown; distitarsus blackish brown with dirty white apically. Mesothoracic leg coxa and trochanter white to light yellowish cream; femur white with light greyish brown at tip; tibia greyish brown dorsally on basal half, white to light dirty white elsewhere, with external tibial spur about half as long as internal; first tarsomere mostly dark greyish brown except for dirty white base and white tip; tarsomeres II to V blackish brown at base and white apically. Metathoracic leg coxa, trochanter and femur as mesothoracic leg; tibia white to dirty white, with spurs concolorous and subequal in length; first tarsomere mostly dark greyish brown except for dirty white base and white tip; tarsomeres II to V blackish brown on basal half, white on distal half. Abdomen dorsally dark greyish brown except for patch of ochre brown medially at base and around genitalia; ventrally light greyish brown at base, dark greyish brown on distal 3-4 sternites.

Male genitalia (n=2) ( Fig. 16 ). Uncus + subscaphium + gnathos medium-sized, reaching apex of valva. Uncus of medium width in side view, with ratio of length over width of 2.94, evenly thinning from base until apex; with clear demarcation from tegumen at base; apically thick, not flattened, with ventral concavity. Subscaphium thickly sclerotized, with transversal wrinkles ventrally on distal 3/8. Gnathos with base of distal arm ventrally forming angle slightly wider than 90° with proximal arms, and subsequent curve of ventral edge of distal arm gentle; apically curved upward and reaching tip of subscaphium. Tegumen medium-sized, with posterior lateral arms parallel-margined and about as wide as dorsal connection; anterior plates more than half as narrow as posterior arms, enlarging slightly to point of connection at mid length of lateral arms of gnathos. Valva short, as long as wide (length/width ratio: 1.0); slightly longer dorsal section more abundantly setose along apical third, with dorsal edge only slightly produced beyond middle; ventral section barely produced, with rounded ventroapical margin somewhat truncated. Vinculum very narrow, with basal margin medially distinctly produced, pyramid shaped. Phallus a long, straight, narrow tube, slightly more than twice as long as valva, with sclerotized shaft about 6.2 times longer than wide, with thickly sclerotized ventral strut of medium width, enlarging apically to twice its width; vesica with one spinulate section.

Female genitalia: unknown.

Biology: Unknown, except that the two localities are in the dry Caatinga Biome.

Distribution: The species is known from the eastern, coastal Brazilian state of Bahia only.

Remark: The holotype is missing the right mesothoracic leg.

Figures

Figs 1-8. Habiti of Diptychophora species. (1) D. subazanalis female, Brazil, Rondonia (VBC). (2) D. kuhlweinii male, Brazil, Bahia (MHNG). (3) D. diasticta, male, Brazil, Minas Gerais (VBC). (4) D. diasticta, female, Brazil, Minas Gerais (VBC). (5) D. ardalia, holotype (VBC). (6) D. planaltina, holotype (VBC). (7) D. planaltina, paratype female, Brazil, Federal District (VBC). (8) D. galvani, holotype (VBC).

Figs 15-16. Male genitalia of Diptychophora species, (a) without phallus, (b) phallus. (15) D. planaltina. (16) D. ardalia.