Pfitzneriella yuliyakovalevae ♂, 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 yuliyakovalevae

description: Pfitzneriella yuliyakovalevae sp. n.
(Figs 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 9e, 9f, 10g, 10h, 11f, 13e, 14d, 15c, 16f, 16g, 23a, 23b, 24a, 24b)
Diagnosis. Male FW pattern of pale markings on grayish brown similar to P. antonkozlovi sp. n., but basal region with more extensive dark area enclosing yellowish white spot along CuA2, and adjacent white spot with narrow brown edge between CuA2 and CuP. The darker grayish brown FW color tone differs from the yellowish brown of P. olafi sp. n., P. rawlinsi sp. n., and P. remota, from the indistinct markings on a dark grayish brown background in P. titarenkoi sp. n., and the light grayish brown with pale to indistinct grayish white markings in Dugdaleiella gen. n. Apices of the pseudotegumen are widely separated in contrast to proximate or adjacent apices of other Pfitzneriella species. The female is externally distinguished from males of Pfitzneriella by the broad pale greyish transverse FW band. The external female genitalia is distinguished from all other Hepialidae we have examined by the narrow, strongly setose, bar-shaped dorsal plate.
Description. Male (Figs 7a, 7b): Wingspan 50 mm; FW length: 25 mm, width: 11 mm, ratio 2.3: 1; HW length: 20 mm, width: 10 mm, ratio 2: 1.
Head. Frons and vertex covered with yellowish brown piliform scales tipped with dark brown, two tubercles, each dorsal and slightly medial to each antenna. Interocular-antennal scales piliform, overlapping eye. Antenna filiform, blackish-brown, flagellum laterally compressed, with numerous sensillae chaetica, terminal segments missing [antennae broken]; scape rounded, covered with lamellar scales. Clypeus unscaled, projecting anteriorly as a transverse ridge. Labium subsquare. Labial palpus two segmented, proximal palpomere short, oval, distal palpomere long and narrow, about five times long as basal (Fig. 9e).
Thorax. Dorsally covered with yellowish brown scales, scutum III pale greyish brown, free of scales other than posterior and medial regions, obscured from direct view by overlapping mesothoracic scales. Ventral thorax yellowish to greyish brown. Legs (Fig. 13e) coloured as the thorax; length ratio (pro-, meso-, meta- legs) 1: 1.12: 0.78; hind leg pale orange-brown, basal tibia with slight swelling of scent gland with androconia (Fig. 14d); epiphysis present. FW costal margin slightly convex, outer margin weakly convex with extended shallow curve to anal margin. Venation hepialine (Dumbleton 1966), base of FW anal vein strongly curved anteriorly, distally curved posteriorly (Fig. 10g). FW dorsal ground colour a mix of diffuse dark brown and black interspersed with pale yellowish brown; cell between 1A and CuA2 with large black patch enclosing yellowish white spot at edge of CuA2, and with curved posterior edge, posterior edge bordered by yellowish brown margin that extends anteriorly across FW as a broken post discal line, base of cell with prominent oval white spot ended with dark brown (Fig. 11f); outer margin with shallow yellowish brown semicircles centered on each vein; fringe yellowish brown with black patches opposite terminus of each vein. FW ventral ground colour greyish brown, fringe as for dorsal; costal pocket present. HW dorsal greyish brown with pale orange-brown shading near apex and along outer fringe. HW ventral greyish brown except for orange-brown scales between Sc and costal margin, and fringe as in FW.
Abdomen. Greyish brown. Tergites and sternites moderately sclerotized. Tergosternal connection with elongate tergosternal bar, elongate lateral tergal brace and short curved dorsal brace not connected to anterior ridge of tergum II; tergal knob absent (Fig. 15c). Tergum II with anterior ridge across median, a thin lateral ridge, with a rounded curve at the outer edge of the lateral tuberculate plate, not extending to anterior margin; sternum II subrectangular, anterior margin broad, curved V-shape to lateral margin, anterior lateral arms short, dorsal edge of tergosternal attachment with short longitudinal ridge extending posteriorly. Tergum VII rectangular, wider than long, but slightly longer than preceding tergites. Tergum VIII rectangular, narrowing slightly to posterior margin; sternum VIII crescent shaped, anterior margin straight, lateral margins almost straight and parallel, posterior margin convex either side of median, medially rounded either side minute and narrow V-shaped notch (Fig. 16f).
Male genitalia (Figs 23a, 23b). Tegumen not distinct from pseudotegumen. Saccus very short, curving parallel to fultura inferior, apodemal suture with short posterior-ventral shelf laterally, each with a short, central and posteriorly oriented spur. Tergal lobes absent. Pseudotegumen as a pair of triangular plates, wide dorsally, narrowing ventrally to a blunt apex, slightly angled laterally and with small dorsally oriented spine on the posterior edge, convex adjacent to phallus, not fused medially, ventral apex widely separated medially. Valva broad, spatulate with rounded distal margin, inner and distal surfaces setose. Fultura superior membranous except for two small antero-lateral patches, longitudinally very short; fultura inferior forming a wide, narrow, and strongly sclerotized band. Phallus membranous without cornutus.
Female (Figs 7c, 7d): Wingspan 46 mm; FW length: 22 mm, width: 11 mm, ratio 2: 1; HW length: 20 mm, width: 14 mm, ratio 1.4: 1.
Head. Frons and vertex covered with yellowish brown piliform scales. Intraocular-antennal scales piliform, extending over the width of the eye. Antenna filiform, broken off other than at base; scape rounded. Clypeus unscaled, projecting anteriorly as a transverse ridge with pits lateral to median. Labium covered with dark grayish brown scales. Labium slightly pentagonal, longer than wide. Labial palpus two segmented, proximal palpomere short, oval, distal palpomere long and narrow, about 4.5 times long as basal (Fig. 9f).
Thorax. Dorsally covered with long yellowish brown piliform scales, scutum III pale yellowish brown, free of scales other than posterior and medial regions, obscured from direct view by overlapping mesothoracic scales. Ventral thorax pale greyish brown. Legs coloured as the thorax tibial and tarsal scales not obscuring individual tarsal segments; metaleg pale orange-brown; leg length ratio (pro-, meso-, meta-) 1: 1.1: 0.85; epiphysis absent. FW costal margin slightly convex; outer margin convex, merging with anal margin. Venation hepialine (Dumbleton 1966), base of FW anal vein strongly curved anteriorly, distally curved posteriorly (Fig. 10h). FW dorsal ground colour pale greyish yellow with diffuse greyish-brown markings in posterior discal cell; broad postdiscal greyish white band extending between cell of CuA1 and CuA2 and costal margin near apex, curving in parallel with outer margin; marginal region comprising three broken bands of dark brown edged white markings (inner and outer rows) and dark brown (middle row); CuA2 lined with band of white along posterior edge; dark brown spot at base of anal margin, outer and anal margin lined with fringe basally pale yellowish brown and distally as greyish brown, marginal scales longest along basal region of anal margin. FW ventral ground colour greyish brown, diffuse yellowish brown over submarginal region of outer margin and basally; costal pocket with very fine piliform scales; fringe predominantly pale yellowish brown with darker brown tips. HW dorsal greyish brown with pale yellowish brown fringe; costa-subcosta regions covered with fine piliform scales. HW ventral greyish brown with pale yellowish brown fringe. Abdomen. Pale yellowish to greyish brown, tergites and sternites weakly sclerotized. Tergum VIII rectangular, wider than long, but longer than preceding tergites; sternite VIII rectangular, longer than wide (Fig. 16g).
Female genitalia (Figs 24a, 24b). Dorsal plate a narrow band, lightly sclerotized, dorsal edge narrowing slightly at apex, covered in numerous, long setae; lamella antevaginalis as a broad sclerotized plate, central dorsal margin with a broad shallow, medial V-shaped depression bordered each side by rounded concave margin; surface of central region with numerous short setae, remaining surface with fewer scattered setae, ventral margin broadly concave.
Distribution. South-central eastern Peruvian Andes (Fig. 27a, 28). Male known only from type locality in upper river valley west of Satipo, collected next to disturbed forest near river at 2,690 m (Figs 26e, 26f). Single female from same valley, next to disturbed forest adjacent to river at 3,380 m (Fig. 26d).
Etymology. Named for Yuliya Alexandrovna Kovaleva (Moscow, Russia), who participated in the Peru expedition and assisted with specimen collection, by special request of Anton Kozlov.
Type material. Holotype male (with the following labels separated by forward slashes): / S. America, PERU, Junin reg. Satipo Prov, Pampa Hermosa distr. 11.5091S, 074.8596W, h= 2690 m, 20/I/2017, Leg. A. Kozlov, Yuliya Kovaleva, Roman Gortovannyi / Holotypus, Pfitzneriella yuliyakovalevae ♂, Grehan & C. Mielke det. 2017/ Dissection JRG M261(CMNH). Figs 7a, 7b.
Paratype. 1 ♀ (Figs 7c, 7d). PERU: Junín, Satipo, Pampa Hermosa distr., 11.4865S, 074.8871W, 3,380 m, 21.I.2017, A. Kozlov, Yu. Kovaleva, R. Gortovannyi leg. (dissection JRG F262) (CMNH).
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 17-18, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4497.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1451056