Hellinsia bahamensis Matthews 2019, new species
Creators: name: Matthews, Deborah L.
name: Miller, Jacqueline Y.
name: Simon, Mark J.
name: Goss, Gary J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pterophoridae
Hellinsia
Hellinsia bahamensis

description: Hellinsia bahamensis Matthews, new species
Fig. 19, 52
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from congeners in The Bahamas by the distinct triangular patch at the cleft base and abdominal markings including a fuscous middorsal stripe and lateral patches (Fig. 19). The middorsal process on the anterior margin of tergite VIII along with the recurved anterior half of the ductus seminalis are also distinctive in the female genitalia (Fig. 52). Male genitalia unknown.
Description (female). Based on the holotype. Head. Labial palpi erect, length about 1.25× eye diameter, pale ochraceous-tawny, white (or Ridgway “cartridge buff”) ventrally on first (basal) and second segment; white mesally on third segment. Front with distal half white, proximal half (adjacent to antennae) pale ochraceous-tawny. Vertex and area between antennae white with some light buff basally. Occipital fringe mixed white and light buff elongate bifid scales. Antenna scape and pedicel white, flagellum white scaled dorsally, minutely ciliate ventrally. Thorax. Dorsum white, shading to light buff on posterior half of tegulae and mesoscutum. Metathorax dorsum light buff with pale ochraceous-tawny along anterior margin and white laterally. Coxa and femur of legs mixed white and light buff with weak ochraceous-tawny longitudinal stripes. Tibia of fore- and midleg white with elongate light buff scales forming weak tuft at epiphysis of foreleg, middle of midleg tibia, and midleg tibial spurs; tibial spurs white, a few fuscous scales near base. Tibia of hindleg white, without distinct tufts at spurs; spurs white with some fuscous scales at base. Forewing. Length holotype 6.5 mm. Cleft origin at 0.6× wing length from base. Ground color white admixed with light buff. A distinct fuscous triangular patch at cleft base, and two elongate patches of scattered fuscous scales along anal margin just basad of cleft and in discal cell about one-third from wing base to cleft (Fig. 19). Costa with weak line of ochraceous-tawny scales along vein Sc. First lobe with a small cluster of ochraceous-tawny scales at R 2 terminus on costa subtended by a light drab patch extending obliquely toward cleft base. A smaller light drab patch near R 5 terminus. Cleft fringes light drab except for a small white patch of elongate scales at R 5 terminus flanked by similar patches of fuscous scales. Second lobe with few scattered ochraceous-tawny scales near base and a patch of light drab scales near apex; fringes light drab, mixed with white along termen. Ventral forewing uniformly light drab except white near first lobe apex. Hindwing. Dorsum and venter including fringes uniformly light drab. Venous scales black. Abdomen. Dorsum white with mixed light buff; segments A1–A3 with narrow middorsal fuscous stripe; A2–A3 with narrow subdorsal ochraceous-tawny stripe, A4–A5 with broad fuscous lateral patch. Venter of abdomen mottled white, light buff, and ochraceous-tawny, with diffuse midventral and lateral ochraceous-tawny stripes.
Female genitalia. Papillae anales conspicuously setose; setae lengths similar to that of papillae anales. Apophyses posteriores length just exceeding 2× that of papillae anales. Apophyses anteriores absent. Anterior margin of tergite VIII with very short sclerotized middorsal projection. Ostium a small pocketlike infolding along sternite VII with short lateral extensions. Antrum small, length just less than that of papillae anales, with obscure paired sclerites. Juncture of bursa copulatrix and ductus seminalis at anterior part of antrum. Bursa copulatrix undifferentiated into corpus and ductus bursae, length similar to that of segments VII and VIII combined, width twice that of antrum, slightly enlarged anterad, rounded at terminus. Ductus seminalis length at least 2× that of bursa copulatrix, width of basal half 0.5× that of bursa copulatrix, distal half swollen, recurved, midsection similar in width to bursa copulatrix, apex tapered into filamentous extension.
Types. HOLOTYPE. ♀, with the following labels: ‘ BAHAMAS: Grand Bahama │ Island, vic. Owl’s Hole │ 26.587496°, −78.469854° │ 27.x.2014 D. Matthews w/ J. │ Miller, M. Simon, R. Rozycki’ [white printed]; ‘D. MATTHEWS │GENITALIA │PREP. #2093’ [white printed]; ‘HOLOTYPE ♀ │ Hellinsia │ bahamensis │ D. Matthews’ [red printed]; ‘ PTERO1459 │ Pterophoridae Database’ [white printed with barcode]. The holotype is deposited at MGCL.
Life history. Unknown.
Distribution. Known only from the holotype from Grand Bahama Island. The type locality is an area of managed pinelands adjacent to a popular diving sinkhole.
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the occurrence of this species in The Bahamas as well as the specific island type locality of Grand Bahama.
description: Published as part of Matthews, Deborah L., Miller, Jacqueline Y., Simon, Mark J. & Goss, Gary J., 2019, Additions to the plume moth fauna of The Bahamas (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) with description of four new species, pp. 1-35 in Insecta Mundi 708 (708) on pages 15-16, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3673602