Diptychophora planaltina, 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 : 75-78

Diptychophora planaltina sp. n.

Figs 6, 7 , 15 , 19

Material examined

Holotype: male; VBC, without catalogue number; Brazil, Federal District, Planaltina , 1100 m; 15.02.1990; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 96721 .

Paratypes (8 males, 2 females): – 1 male; VBC, without catalogue number; same data as holotype . – 1 female; MHNG-ENTO-85386 (dissected); same data as holotype; DNA voucher Lepidoptera B. Landry n°048. – 2 males; VBC, without catalogue numbers; Brazil, Federal District, Planaltina, 1100 m; 16.10.1990; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 96857 . – 1 male; MHNGENTO-85387 (dissected); Brazil, Federal District, Planaltina, 15°35’S, 47°42’W, 1000 m; 10.10.1983; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 41534 . – 2 males; VBC, without catalogue numbers; Brazil, Federal District, Planaltina, 15°35’S, 47°42’W, 1000 m; 05.11.1988; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 58960 . – 1 male; VBC, without catalogue number; Brazil, Federal District, Planaltina, 15°35’S, 47°42’W, 1000 m; 15.02.1982; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 39741 . – 1 male; VBC, without catalogue number; Brazil, Federal District, Planaltina, 15°35’S, 47°42’W, 1000 m; 22.02.1985; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 57204 . – 1 female; VBC, without catalogue number; Brazil, Federal District, Planaltina, 15°35’S, 47°42’W, 1000 m; 15.04.1985; V.O. Becker collector; Collection Becker 57399 .

Diagnosis: The male of this species is distinctive in the wide orange and dark brown basal, submedian, and postmedian jagged fasciae on a satiny white background. Other species of Diptychophorini have orange brown and/or dark brown fasciae on a satiny white background [ Diptychophora kuhlweinii Zeller ( Fig. 2 ), D. subazanalis Błeszyński ( Fig. 1 ), Steneromene azanalis (Walker) ], but their fasciae are thin and usually straight, especially the submedian fascia. This species is more similar in forewing pattern and colour to some species of the Crambinae genus Microcrambus Błeszyński formerly placed in Tortriculladia Błeszyński (see Léger et al., 2019), except for the obvious notch on the forewing terminal margin that all New World Diptychophorini possess, except Microcausta Hampson. The male genitalia ( Fig. 15 ) are similar to those of D. ardalia ( Fig. 16 ), but differ conspicuously in the more elongate dorsal section of the valva, which has a ratio of length/width of 1.2 whereas that ratio only reaches 1.0 in the more squarish valva of D. ardalia . That ratio is 1.2 also in D. diasticta ( Fig. 14 ), but this species differs from D. planaltina in its longer uncus and gnathos that do not reach the tip of the valva, and the wider uncus in side view, with a ratio of length over width of 3.7 in D. diasticta vs 4.24 in D. planaltina . In D. planaltina the 7.5 ratio of the length of the sclerotized section of the phallus shaft over its width is the longest of the three species as it is only 4.6 for D. diasticta and 6.2 for D. ardalia . In female genitalia this species ( Fig. 19 ) is most similar to D. diasticta ( Fig. 18 ), but its papillae anales are larger, its anterior apophyses are straight instead of sinuous, and the distal half of the corpus bursae is narrower that the proximal half whereas only the distal quarter is narrower in D. diasticta .

Etymology: The name refers to the type locality and is treated as a noun in apposition.

Description: Male (n=8) ( Fig. 6 ). Head with frons rounded, slightly bulging; vestiture on frons short scaled with brown spot in middle, on vertex and occiput with thinner and longer scales mostly white, with light yellowish to greyish brown laterally on posterior fan of scales projecting medioanteriorly between antennae to medioposteriorly. Antennal scape and pedicel dark brown dorsally and white ventrally; flagellomeres with dark brown to greyish brown and lighter greyish brown scales. Maxillary palpus dark brown at base, white on longer projecting scales of distal half. Labial palpus porrect, reaching slightly beyond maxillary palpus, with scales appressed, white at base and apically, greyish brown laterally at base, light yellowish to light greyish brown elsewhere. Haustellum light yellowish brown. Thorax with patagium laterally white, medially yellowish brown at base and dark brown at apex of scales; tegula white with patch of blackish brown at base and light yellowish brown to brown at apex; between tegulae blackish brown at base, followed by white, medially blackish brown followed by white scales tipped yellowish brown, apically white with brown laterally. Male forewing length: 5.5-6.5 mm (holotype 6.0 mm); wingspan: 11.5-13.0 mm (holotype: 12.0 mm). Female forewing length: 5.5-6.5 mm; wingspan 12.0- 12.5 mm. Female frenulum with 2 or 3 acanthae. Male wings with pattern and colours as illustrated ( Fig. 6 ), with purplish shine in forewing fringe at level of terminal black dots. Female generally with darker wings than male, as shown ( Fig. 7 ), with darker frons, labial palpus, and legs to a lesser extent. Prothoracic leg coxa laterally white, medially greyish brown with white apex; trochanter white; femur dark greyish brown with white ventral edge; tibia greyish brown at base, dirty white near middle, mostly blackish brown on distal half, with white apically; first tarsomere white at base and apex, blackish brown in middle; second tarsomere white; third and fourth tarsomeres blackish brown; distitarsus white. Meso-and metathoracic leg coxa and trochanter white to light yellowish brown; femur white with greyish brown apex; tibia white with greyish brown dorsally and on spurs; first tarsomere greyish brown with white at base and apex; tarsomeres II-V blackish brown on basal half or more, white at apex. Abdomen dorsally light yellowish brown on first three tergites and at apex, light greyish brown in between; ventrally uniformly yellowish brown. Female abdominal segment VII about twice as long as preceding segment, narrower, slightly more thickly sclerotized and thickly scaled along apical margin.

Male genitalia (n=2) ( Fig. 15 ). Uncus + subscaphium + gnathos short, not reaching apex of valva. Uncus elongate, narrow in side view, with ratio of length over width of 4.24, unevenly narrowing towards apex, with distal 1/5 narrowing more conspicuously until flat apex; with clear demarcation from tegumen at base; apically upturned slightly. Subscaphium distinctly sclerotized, with wrinkles on distal half and with distal third slightly bent upward. Gnathos with base of distal arm ventrally forming distinctly obtuse angle with proximal arms and subsequent conspicuously pronounced curve; apically curved upward and not reaching tip of subscaphium. Tegumen medium-sized, with lateral arms about as wide as dorsal connection, separated in two. Juxta about twice as long as wide, with more thickly sclerotized base, mediolongitudinal strut, and slightly concave apical edge medially. Valva medium-sized, slightly longer than broad (length/width ratio: 1.2); longer dorsal section more abundantly setose especially along dorsal margin on apical third and with short, flat triangular projection along edge slightly beyond middle; ventral section barely produced, with broadly rounded ventroapical margin. Vinculum very narrow, with tiny rounded median projection. Phallus a long narrow tube, twice as long as valva, with sclerotized shaft about 7.5 times longer than wide, slightly bent, with thickly sclerotized ventral strut only slightly enlarging apically; vesica with at least two elongate sections covered with spinules.

Female genitalia (n=1) ( Fig. 19 ). Papillae anales medium sized, abundantly setose and spinulate, subtriangular in lateral aspect, with setose surface about half as long ventrally as dorsally, with apical margin slightly concave medially. Posterior apophysis straight, long, about 2X as long as width of papilla analis, reaching apical margin of segment VII in extension. Tergite VIII of medium length, about as long as width of papilla analis; anterior apophysis of medium length, about 40% shorter than posterior apophysis, with slight bend subbasally. Ostium bursae a spinulate, membranous conical funnel nearly as wide as segment and as long as wide, with lamella postvaginalis also lightly spinulate. Ductus bursae with short basal section devoid of sclerotization or scobination, followed by sharp bend and longer scobinated section reaching median connection of ductus seminalis on right side, with distal half about twice as wide, slightly enlarging and scobinated. Corpus bursae narrow, elongate, with longer and narrower distal half, reaching abdominal segment III, lightly scobinated at base and even more lightly toward distal end, with pair of small circular signa laterally at base, with right signum closer to base than left signum.

Biology: Unknown. The type locality is in the Cerrado Biome, the savanna biome of Central Brazil.

Distribution: Presently known only from Planaltina, a locality situated within the Federal District of Brazil.

Remarks: The holotype’s left prothoracic leg is broken beyond the trochanter; otherwise it is in perfect condition ( Fig. 6 ).

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.

Figs 17-19. Female genitalia of Diptychophora species. (17) D. galvani. (18) D. diasticta. (19) D. planaltina.

Figs 13-14. Male genitalia of Diptychophora species, (a) without phallus, (b) phallus. (13) D. galvani. (14) D. diasticta.