Stamnodes clara Matson 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Matson, Tanner A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Stamnodes
Stamnodes clara

description: Stamnodes clara sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A1FA2F8C-B6EA-492D-BCEC-01078CF404B8
Figs 4, 44, 75, 94
Diagnosis
Stamnodes clara sp. nov. is phenotypically most similar to S. carota sp. nov. and S. favilla sp. nov.; however, the latter species inhabits the Sierra Madre Oriental and is believed to be allopatric.Additionally, the white patterning of the forewing underside apex and hindwing underside are outlined with dark red scales in S. favilla, while in S. clara, the white patterning of the same areas are outlined in dark grey. The ground colour of S. clara also appears to be given more toward orange-yellow than the deeper orange ground colour of both S. favilla and S. carota.
In S. carota sp. nov. the transverse medial white band of the hindwing underside is larger and more complete than in S. clara sp. nov. (see left arrows, Figs 4b, 6b). However, the number and arrangement of cornuti on the vesica appears to be especially diagnostic: S. clara has a tight cluster of approximately four large cornuti (Fig. 44b), while S. carota contains a patch of 16–20 cornuti of greatly varying size (Fig. 45b).
Etymology
The specific name clara, a noun in the nominative case, is derived from the name of the village of Nuevo Santa Clara, where the holotype specimen was taken; and in honour of my niece, Clara Naomi, whose curiosity, and endless wonder shine bright.
Material examined
Holotype
MEXICO • ♂; Chihuahua, [Nuevo] Santa Clara; [29.28° N, 107.01° W]; 30 Jun. 1947; genitalia: TAM-2022-130; AMNH _ IZC 00353930.
Description
Male
FOREWING LENGTH. 16 mm (n = 1).
HEAD. Antenna filiform, fuscous. Vertex mostly pink; frons pink in dorsal third, fuscous medially, and white in ventral third and thinly around margin of eye. Labial palpus short, slightly porrect, subequal to diameter of eye, fuscous and white. Cephalic collar mostly fuscous.
THORAX. Patagium and tegula mixture of fuscous and white scales. Mesothorax lightly fuscous above, white below. Legs mixture of pale fuscous and white; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well developed.
FOREWING. Ground colour orange-yellow. Costa grey at base and gradually darkening towards apex with lighter patches at antemedian, median, and postmedian of costa. Apical area black with oblique white patch just below costa and smaller yellow patch along subterminal area of outer margin. Underside like upperside but greyer in apical area, patches outlined in dark grey, and smaller yellow patch along subterminal area of outer margin replaced by two, small, white chevron patches. Fringe starkly checkered with grey to black, and white.
HINDWING. Concolourous with forewing above. Distal third of wing along outer margin with darkened black reticulate pattern. Underside much different than upperside: predominantly grey with large, irregular, white patches outlined in dark grey. Largest patch, irregular, extending from base medially and longitudinally to postmedian of wing. Smaller patches at costal median, apex, outer margin median, tornus, and median of inner margin (see Fig. 4b). Fringe as in forewing.
ABDOMEN. Fuscous.
GENITALIA (Fig. 44). Uncus long, slender, and tapering. Subscaphium well developed. Juxta wide and U-shaped with posterolateral, long, conical processes. Inner face of valva with two hair tufts: smaller tuft arising basally from digitate tubercle; second, larger hair tuft more laterally widened, positioned in slight depression, and extending to subapical area of valva. Costal sclerite terminating just short of apex. Vesica with tight cluster of ca four spinose cornuti; these thicker at base than those of most congeners.
Female Not known.
Distribution (Fig. 75)
Mexico: Stamnodes clara sp. nov. is known only from the type locality in Chihuahua.
Biology
The immature stages remain unknown but are likely hosted by mints (Lamiaceae). The holotype was collected in June.
Molecular characterization
This species has not been sequenced.
Remarks
I have identified a possible second individual whose wing pattern deviates from the holotype of S. clara sp. nov. that I cautiously consider a conspecific. This specimen is currently housed at the EMEC (voucher: EMEC1748437) and its illustration can be found in Fig. 5. The most significant difference can be found in the white areas of the hindwing underside, which are notably more pronounced in the basal area. Further, the male juxta appears to be larger and the uncus more swollen at the base. Nevertheless, when considering other characteristics, this individual closely aligns with my understanding of S. clara. However, due to the limited availability of additional specimens of S. clara, defining meaningful species variation remains intractable.
description: Published as part of Matson, Tanner A., 2023, A review of Mexican Stamnodes (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) with the description of 16 new species, pp. 1-79 in European Journal of Taxonomy 911 on pages 10-11, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.911.2371, http://zenodo.org/record/10376790