Schausiana maishei Mielke & Grehan & Monzón-Sierra 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Mielke, Carlos G. C.
name: Grehan, John R.
name: Monzón-Sierra, José
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Hepialidae
Schausiana
Schausiana maishei

description: Schausiana maishei sp. nov.
(Figs 3, 9–11, 24, 30, 35)
Type material. Holotype ♀ (Fig. 11): GUATEMALA, Sacatepéquez, San Cristobal El Bajo, Finca El Pilar, Cerro Cucurucho. 2600m. 22 abril 2017, 14.518525 -90.691247, Col. Monzón y Naumann [leg.] / JMS 10.939 / HOLOTYPUS, Schausiana maishei C. Mielke, Grehan & Monzón des. 2020/ (UVG).
Paratypes: (in total 2 ♂, 5 ♀). All GUATEMALA. Quetzaltenango: Zunil, Fuentes Georginas, 14°44′59′′N 91°28′48′′W, 2450 m: 1 ♂, 10.V.2007, J. Monzón leg. (CGCM 23.236 [BC-HM432557] (CGCM)); 1 ♀, 25.V.2018, M. Dickman leg. (CMD). Sacatepéquez: 2 ♀, same data as the HT, 14°31′11′′N 90°41′28 W (CGCM 36.646 (CGCM), MfN). El Progreso: 1 ♂, Cerro Piñalon, Estación de campo Hector Centeno, 15°5′2′′N 89°56′33′′W, 2555 m, 27.-28.IV.2017. J. Monzón, A. Mendez & S. Naumann leg. (CGCM 32.071 (CGCM)); 1♀, Cerro Piñalon, Cabañas, 15°5′2.65′′N 89°56′33.97′′W, 2568 m, 27.IV.2017, J. Monzón & S. Naumann leg. (YPM). Zacapa: 1 ♀, Sierra de las Minas, above Usumatlán, Finca Santa Clara 2700 m, 28.IV.2000, J. Monzón leg. (UVG).
Diagnosis. Immediately distinguished from all other Schausiana by the crenulated margins of the FW and its dorsal olivish-brown ground colour.
Description. Male (Figs 9 a–b, 24, 30, 35a–d).
Head. Frons and vertex dark olivish-brown. Antenna with ~26 antenomeres.
Thorax. Dorsally pro- and mesothorax concolourous with head with scattered long and light piliform scales, metathorax anteriorly as the former, posteriorly with scales dark yellow distally, ventrally dark olivish-brown; metathorax pale yellow with long piliform scales. Legs (Fig. 24): epiphysis absent; metatibia hypertrophied with inflated thin-walled metatibial gland. FW length: 57–61 mm, width: 23–27 mm (ratio ~2.4), wingspan: 113–120 mm; elongated, tornus indistinct; costal margin convex, apex pronounced and acute, outer margin crenulate, slightly concave from apex to Rs4, inner margin convex. DFW ground colour olivish-brown with numerous dark brown dots and longitudinal and transverse black stripes throughout the wing; anal area with two irregular and detached black spots; antemedial area marked by a dark olivish-brown U-band with the distal arm extending from the stigma to between Cu and A veins; postdiscal, premarginal bands and marginal spots concolorous with the U-shaped band; postdiscal band broken between Rs3-Rs4 and M 2 -M 3;premarginal band oblique(sometimes connected to the postdiscal band posteriorly); marginal area distally lighter with darker diamond shaped spots at the insertion of the veins at the wing margin; stigma silver and subtriangular; evenly spaced white specialized scales on the veins, long and piliform closer to wing base, spine-like nearer wing margin. DHW outer margin slightly crenulate, ground colour greyishbrown, costal margin distally brown with some darker spots, marginal band narrow, yellow, as for veins distally. VFW and VHW greyish-brown with apex and veins distally coloured dark yellow.
Abdomen (Fig. 30). Segments I and II dorsally and ventrally concolorous with the DHW, segments III to VIII dorsally dark-brown with some dark blue reflecting scales, lighter posteriorly on each segment, ventrally pale yellow. Tergite II with slightly concave lateral ridge near margin, sternite II elongate with all corners projected and the lateral and posterior margins concave; tergite VIII relatively tiny, trapezoidal, only slightly sclerotized, sternite VIII as a narrow trapezoidal bar.
Male genitalia (Figs 35 a–d). Tegumen as a narrow rectangular bar fused to pseudotegumen. Saccus U–shaped with the mesal portion of the posterior margin slightly projected ventrally as a shelf along the apodemal suture. Tergal lobe well marked, fused to the pseudotegumen, each side globular, occupying about 1/4 of the posterior margin of the pseudotegumen. Pseudotegumen forming an irregular plate, increasingly sclerotized ventrally with a ridge parallel to the anterior and posterior margins; edge of anogenital region serrate; antero-ventrally slightly projected and heavily sclerotized. Fultura inferior rectangular with rounded edges and a longitudinal medial ridge. Fultura superior reduced and triangular. Valva distally short, lobate and setose, sacculus narrowing anteriorly terminating in prominent medially angled spine.
Female (Figs 3, 10 a–b, 11).
Head. As for the ♂.
Thorax. FW length: 46–82 mm, width: 17–33 mm (ratio ~2.4), wingspan: 97–159 mm.
Abdomen. As for the ♂.
Female genitalia. Not dissected.
Geographical distribution. Schausiana maishei, sp. nov., is known from four localities in the vicinity of the Motagua-Polochic Fracture Zone in Guatemala at altitudes around 2,500 m (Fig. 48).
Host plants. Unknown.
Etymology. The specific epithet is dedicated to Maishe Dickman for his friendship and sustained support through his field expeditions in Guatemala.
Remarks. Similarities between Schausiana maishei, sp. nov., and the previous species in wing ornamentation, scales on the thorax and DFW may suggest a close relationship between these species.
description: Published as part of Mielke, Carlos G. C., Grehan, John R. & Monzón-Sierra, José, 2020, Taxonomic revision of Schausiana Viette with two new species from Guatemala and notes on biogeography and correlated tectonics (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), pp. 67-91 in Zootaxa 4860 (1) on pages 73-75, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4860.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/4413508