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| Helioandesia tarregai Vargas, 2021 |
ABSTRACT
The adult stage of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Heliodinidae) is described and illustrated from the arid western slopes of the Andes of northern Chile. The larvae of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. feed as leaf skeletonizers on Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl (Nyctaginaceae). The mostly gray forewing of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ornamented with strongly bulging metallic spots, resembles that of the representatives of the mainly Nearctic Lithariapteryx Chambers, 1876. However, the latter lacks CuP in the forewing, has a single bristle in the female frenulum, and lacks a well-developed cornutus. Helioandesia gen. nov. clustered as sister to Neoheliodines Hsu, 2004 in a cladistic analysis, although no synapomorphies were found for this cluster, while Lithariapteryx was sister to Helioandesia gen. nov. + Neoheliodines based on two synapomorphies. The genetic distance between a DNA barcode sequence of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. and representatives of other genera of Heliodinidae Heinemann, 1877 was 9.0–12.5% (K2P), and a maximum likelihood analysis based on this molecular marker confirmed the placement of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. as a member of this micromoth family. This contribution represents the first confirmed record of Heliodinidae for Chile.
Keywords: Leaf skeletonizer larva, new genus, new species, South America, taxonomy
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| Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., ♂, holotype (IDEA-LEPI-2020-015). A. Dorsal view. B. Head, lateral. C. Basal flagellomeres of right antenna. D. Three bulging metallic spots on the basal half of forewing. E. Hair pencil from base of subcosta, ventral. Scale bar: 1 mm. |
Helioandesia gen. nov.
Type species: Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov., designated here.
Diagnosis: Helioandesia gen. nov. can be recognized by the following combination of morphological characters: (1) presence of CuP on forewing of female and male; (2) two bristles of unequal length in the female frenulum; (3) forewing mostly gray, ornamented with strongly bulging metallic spots, (4) two triangular processes on anterior margin of tergum VIII in the male abdomen; (5) sclerotization of the widened proximal part of the ductus bursae not reaching the ostium; (6) signum with proximal portion coarser than distal portion; (7) presence of an appendix bursae; (8) slightly swollen distal end of the saccus; and (9) a well-developed cornutus on the vesica. The mostly gray forewing pattern of Helioandesia gen. nov., ornamented with strongly bulging metallic spots, resembles that of the mainly Nearctic Lithariapteryx. However, the latter lacks CuP in the forewing of female and male, has a single bristle in the female frenulum, and lacks a well-developed cornutus on the vesica. The female genitalia of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. are very similar to those of the Bolivian Lithariapteryx loriculata (Meyrick, 1932) in the shape of the transverse bridge, signum and antrum. However, H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. lacks a V-shaped mark from costa on the forewing, has a sclerotization on the distal part of the ductus bursae and has the signum on the left margin of the corpus bursae, while L. loriculata has a V-shaped mark from the costa on the forewing, lacks sclerotization on the distal part of the ductus bursae and has the signum on the middle of the ventral part of the corpus bursae. The male of L. loriculata remains unknown, impeding comparison with H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. Two bristles of unequal length in the female frenulum of Helioandesia gen. nov. resemble those of Epicroesa Meyrick, 1907, Heliodines, Lamprolophus Busck, 1900 and Philocoristis Meyrick, 1927. However, all these genera lack CuP in the forewing.
Etymology: The genus name is derived from the Greek ʻheliosʼ (sun), the root of the family name Heliodinidae, and Andes, in reference to the Andes Range, among whose amazing landscapes the type species of Helioandesia gen. nov. was discovered. The name is considered feminine in gender.
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| Habitat and host plant of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. A. The type locality near Zapahuira Village at about 3400 m elevation on the western slopes of the Andes of the Parinacota Province, northern Chile. B. The host plant Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl (Nyctaginaceae). C. Detail of the damage pattern on a leaf of the host. D. Flower of M. acuta. |
Héctor A. Vargas. 2021. Systematics of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Heliodinidae) from the Andes of Northern Chile. European Journal of Taxonomy. 731(1), 117–134. doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2021.731.1209
