Metaeuchromius rizali Leger 2024, sp. n.
Creators: name: Léger, Théo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Crambidae
Metaeuchromius
Metaeuchromius rizali

description: Metaeuchromius rizali Léger, sp. n.
https://zoobank.org/ F4F5BDD9-BCFD-45A4-B381-334DB4DCA854
Figs. 52, 116.
MATERIAL
Holotype: ♂ (specimen identifier MTD11449, DNA voucher MFNLEP-PYRALPHIL09-E07, TL1229♂; BOLD sample ID PYPHI282-22, Genbank Accession Number PP196961). PHILIPPINES: Luzon, Quezon, Lucena, Quezon National Park, 175 m, 20.03.2000 (M. Nuss). Deposited in MTD.
Paratypes: 3 unsexed (specimen identifiers coll.mfn-berlin.de_u_bc7445, MTD11448, MTD11447) (detailed information in Table S1; https://doi.org/10.5061/ dryad.b8gtht7mh).
SIMILAR SPECIES
Metaeuchromius makintabus sp. n., Peniculimius fructus Schouten, 1994.
DIAGNOSIS
From Metaeuchromius micralis, Metaeuchromius rizali sp. n. and M. makintabus sp. n. are separated by the thicker, conspicuously silver, and rather straight antemedian and subapical bands (Fig. 52). The termen black dots are not as well delimited as in M. micralis, and the fringes are copper. Metaeuchromius rizali sp. n. is very similar to M. makintabus sp. n. in the forewing pattern, but the following characters help to separate them: The antemedian and subapical amber yellow area are not connected at costa (meeting at costa in M. makintabus sp. n.), the subapical silver band is slightly curved (straight in M. makintabus sp. n.), and the subtermen line runs straight (zigzagging in M. makintabus sp. n.). It is separated from Peniculimius fructus Schouten, 1994 by the amber color of the basal area (mix of grey and white scales in P. fructus) and the broader, silver color of the antemedian and subapical bands (narrow and whitish in P. fructus). In male genitalia (Fig. 116), the conspicuous costal process of the valva as well as the presence of a cornutus on the vesica separate this species from its congeners. Female specimens are not known.
HABITUS (FIG. 52)
Forewing length 4.8 mm (n = 1), ground color cream suffused with amber yellow scales, markings amber yellow. Antemedian area amber yellow. Antemedian band slightly bent inwards on costal half, then running straight to dorsum, shiny silver, edged distally with broad amber yellow band. Subapical band starting at costal 3/4, running towards M1 vein on margin, slightly arched, shiny silver. Apical area amber yellow. Termen with patch of dark brown and amber yellow scales. Fringes dirty white, shiny silver at termen. Hindwing dirty white, with faint patch of marginal brown scales at CuA2. Fringe dirty white, copper at termen.
MALE GENITALIA (FIG. 116)
Uncus elongate, regularly bent downwards. Gnathos projection very short, covered with small spines. Costal process slender, strongly sclerotized, diverging from valva on distal half, tip pointed. Valva elongate, straight, apex missing on genitalia slide. Juxta base broadly rounded, apex lightly sclerotized. Vesica with one straight, thick, elongate cornutus.
FEMALE GENITALIA
Not known.
DISTRIBUTION
PHILIPPINES: Luzon (Quezon). Collected at an altitude of 175 m.
DNA BARCODING
An intraspecific divergence of 0.2% is observed between the two specimens from the same locality.
ETYMOLOGY
Dedicated to José Rizal, a Filipino figure in the history of independence of the Philippines.
REMARKS
A manuscript name “ Transeromene shafferi ” was appended by Schouten in 1992 to a specimen from Sabah, Borneo (Malaysia), that seems conspecific. This name has never been published and is hence not valid (Schouten, pers. comm.). Three abdomens were unfortunately lost during the pipetting process of the DNA extraction.
description: Published as part of Léger, Théo, 2024, Half of the Diversity Undescribed: Integrative Taxonomy Reveals 32 New Species and a High Cryptic Diversity in the Scopariinae and Crambinae of the Philippines (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), pp. 1-93 in Bulletin of the Society of Systematic Biologists 3 (2) on pages 70-75, DOI: 10.18061/bssb.v3i2.9527, http://zenodo.org/record/15116964