Pfitzneriella olafi ♂, Grehan & C. Mielke 2018, sp. n.
Creators: name: Grehan, John R.
name: Mielke, Os. G. C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Hepialidae
Pfitzneriella
Pfitzneriella olafi

description: Pfitzneriella olafi sp. n.
(Figs 3a, 3b, 10c, 11c, 13b, 16c, 19)
Diagnosis. Pale yellowish brown FW and white cubital band most similar to P. rawlinsi sp. n. and possibly P. remota (FW of lectotype in poor condition), and distinct from mottled yellowish brown markings on grayish brown background in P. antonkozlovi sp. n., P. antonkozlovi sp. n., and P. yuliyakovalevae sp. n. The serrate edge of the pseudotegumen margin contrasts with the smooth edge found in the other Pfitzneriella species, and the teeth projecting from the medial posterior margin of the saccus are more digitiform than the triangular teeth of P. antonkozlovi sp. n. and P. rawlinsi sp. n.
Description. Male (Figs 3a, 3b): Wingspan 34 mm; FW length: 17 mm, width: 8 mm, ratio 2.4: 1; HW length: 15 mm, width: 7 mm, ratio 2.8: 1.
Head. Frons and vertex covered with dark yellowish-brown piliform scales tipped with dark brown. Interocular-antennal scales piliform, extending over eye. Antenna filiform, blackish-brown, darker dorsally, 40 flagellomeres, annuli laterally compressed, with numerous sensillae chaetica, dorsoventrally wide over much of basal and central flagellum, tapering to tip, terminal segment conical; scape rounded, covered with piliform scales. Clypeus unscaled, projecting anteriorly as a transverse ridge. Labial palpus long, two segmented, distal palpomere digitiform, 2.3 times length of basal segment, the latter rounded (as in Kozloviella).
Thorax. Dorsally covered with yellowish brown scales, scutum III pale greyish brown, free of scales other than posterior and latero-medial regions, obscured from direct view by overlapping mesothoracic scales; ventrally yellowish brown. Legs (Fig. 13b) coloured as thorax but darker anteriorly; epiphysis present; metaleg with basal tibial swelling supporting elongate androconial scales. FW costal margin slightly concave to straight; outer margin convex with extended shallow curve to anal margin. Venation hepialine (Dumbleton 1966), base of FW anal vein strongly curved anteriorly, distally curved posteriorly (Fig. 10c). HW costal margin slightly concave with its distal fourth angled. FW dorsal ground colour a mix of diffuse golden mostly anteriorly and brown posteriorly with dark brown spot at costa and at the base of the wing; basoproximal area with A vein marked by silver scales; postdiscal band slightly marked posteriorly, lighter than central and distal bands, the latter not distinct but with light brown spots between veins, sometimes with central light yellow scales, lined in 3–4 rows in parallel, being conspicuous the distal and marginal ones, ovoid between Rs1 and M1 and then, oblique to CuA2 (Fig. 11c); fringe well marked by longer and light yellow scales some concolourous with marginal spots mostly present to CuA2. FW ventral ground colour greyish brown; costal pocket present. HW dorsal greyish brown with pale yellow-brown shading near apex and marginal area; fringe as in the FW but brown scales beyond CuA2. HW ventral greyish brown except for yellow-brown scales between Sc and apical area.
Abdomen. Coloured as the thorax dorsally and lighter ventrally. Tergites and sternites weakly sclerotized. Tergosternal connection with elongate tergosternal bar, elongate lateral tergal brace and short dorsal brace, tergal knob absent. Tergum II with thin lateral ridge, curing around outer and then anterior edge of the anterior lateral tuberculate plate; sternum II trapezoidal, anterior margin broad V-shape to lateral margin. Tergum VIII subsquare with posterior edge concave and a sclerotized transverse patch at posterior margin; sternum VII sub-squared with lateral margins concave posteriorly. Sternum VIII sub-rectangular, three times wider than long, expanded laterally (Fig. 16c).
Male genitalia (Fig. 19). Tegumen L-shaped, not truly distinct from pseudotegumen since its posterior edge is entirely fused to the pseudotegumen. Saccus forming a shallow ring with a posterior ridge where two sub-parallel and conspicuous finger-like projections arise. Tergal lobes not discernible. Pseudotegumen as a pair of subrectangular plates not fused mesally, each side wide dorsally, narrowing to expanded apex ventrally with its lateroposterior edge serrate. Valva strongly curved, rounded end facing ventro-posteriorly, distal portion and a protuberance in the inner side setose. Fultura superior rectangular, oblique, and slightly sclerotized; fultura inferior, four times wider than long, ventral margin convex, internal margin deeply notched mesally. Phallus membranous without cornutus.
Female unknown.
Distribution. Northern eastern Peruvian Andes, known from the type locality only at 3,100 m (Figs 27a, 28).
Phenology and ethology. Flight record at the end of September. Attracted to UV-light at collecting sheet.
Host plant. Larval habits and host plants are unknown.
Etymology. Named for Olaf H. H. Mielke (Curitiba, Brazil) for his relevant researches of Neotropical Lepidoptera.
Type material. Holotype male (with the following labels separated by forward slashes): / PERU, Amazonas, Rd. Balsas—Chachapoyas Km. 53, 3.100 m, 6°45'56'' S 77°53'42'' W, 25.IX.2003, Barbut, Leveque & Vincent leg./ CGCM 22.698/ BC-CGCM [GenBank: JX215828, 658 bp]/ Holotypus, Pfitzneriella olafi ♂, Grehan & C. Mielke det. 2017/ (MNHN). Figs 3a, 3b.
description: Published as part of Grehan, John R. & Mielke, Os. G. C., 2018, New species of Dugdaleiella, gen. nov., Kozloviella, gen. nov., and Pfitzneriella Viette from upper elevation Andes of Ecuador and Peru (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), pp. 1-28 in Zootaxa 4497 (1) on pages 10-13, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4497.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1451056