Rejectaria paratrax Goldstein & Janzen & Hallwachs & Proshek 2022, sp. n.
Creators: name: Goldstein, Paul Z.
name: Janzen, Daniel H.
name: Hallwachs, Winnie
name: Proshek, Benjamin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Rejectaria
Rejectaria paratrax

description: Rejectaria paratrax Goldstein, sp. n.
Habitus Figs 13–15, 29–30. Male genitalia Figs 52, 79–80. Female genitalia Fig. 92, 101.
Material examined. Type material: Holotype ♂: FRENCH GUIANA: Kourou, Guyane Francaise, Mgne de Singes-lum. 29 Septembre 2003. Paratypes (1♂, 3♀♀): FRENCH GUIANA (2♀♀). 1♀, Rés. de la Trinité, Roche Bénitier 4 October 2010; 1♀, St. Jean, Maroni, F. Guiana, Collection Wm Schaus, Rejectaria splendida Schaus, USNMENT 01422780, USNM slide148596, BOLD Sample ID LNAUY828-19, Process ID CCDB- 33589-F08. PANAMA. 1♂, Chiriqui, Pan, Collection Wm Schaus, USNMENT01756002, USNM slide 148595. VENEZUELA. 1♀, Venezuela, T. F. Amaz. San Carlos de Rio Negro 1˚ 56’ N 67˚ 03’ W 6–12 Dec. 1984 R. L. Brown, USNMENT01422973.
Diagnosis. Rejectaria paratrax has more uniformly dark brown FW coloration than atrax / splendida, due to the absence of frosting in the antemedial and postmedial fields, including the subapical patch. The presence of a white, entire am line in paratrax differentiates it from ritaashleyae from ritaashleyae. The male genitalia of paratrax are most similar to those of splendida, with the valval costa sclerotized along most of its length and terminating in a small thumb-like free projection at its terminus, but smaller and less robust in paratrax. The female genitalia of paratrax are distinct from others examined, particularly in the configuration of the ventral band of spines on the corpus bursae, similar to that in richardashleyi but with no secondary band, unlike richardashleyi.
Description. Head. Frons, vertex, dark chocolate-brown; antennae setose-ciliate, clustered cilia more pronounced in male; male palpi (Fig. 29) predominantly dark brown with scattered white scales, overall shape squared, the 1 st and 2 nd segments forming right angles, 1 st segment turning upward at a 90˚ angle before meeting the 2 nd segment; 2 nd segment curving gently for most of its length before turning sharply backward, well above the head; everted hair pencils straw-colored; female palpi (Fig. 30) predominantly chocolate brown, palpi sweeping upward, 2 nd segment more than twice as long as either of the other two, third segment bladelike, vaguely hastate, white scales at base and tip.
Thorax. Wings— (male, 19.5mm, n=2; female, 21mm, n=3) FW and HW dark brown, the most prominent markings the fine white am and pm lines and the small white median stigma; am line terminates before reaching costa; st line faint, appearing as a series of minute white dots; terminal line consisting of a series of widely spaced white dots on both FW and HW; as in related species, am line absent on HW and pm and st lines reappear in middle third of HW; HW slightly fainter, more dingy gray-brown than FW.
Legs— (Figs 29, 30) Male forefemoral tuft present, brown with sparse white scaling; female legs Predominantly brown; leg segment and tarsal segments with a distinct ring of white scales.
Abdomen. Dark brown above, concolorous with forewing uppersides.
Male genitalia. (Fig. 52, 79–80) Uncus elongate, setose, sheepsfoot-shaped; costal margin of valva sclerotized throughout, free distally as a thumblike protruberance; outer margin with multiple small setal tufts; vinculum bluntly tapered; phallus with subbasal spicule field reduced; phallic ridge present; body of vesica flanked by sub-conical lobes; vesica highly differentiated with multiple lobes and diverticula, spinules distributed diffusely on large mediodistal lobe.
Female genitalia. (Fig. 92, 101) Ductus bursae elongate, sclerotized bands along most of its length; ductus joins corpus bursae at oblique angle as in ritaashleyae; corpus bursae simple, eggplant-shaped, band of signa (Fig. 101) weakly developed as series of internal toothlike spines, as in richardashleyi, opposite the coiled appendix bursae.
Immature stages. Unknown.
Etymology. The specific epithet paratrax refers to this species similarity to atrax.
Biology. Unknown.
Distribution. Panama, Venezuela, French Guiana
description: Published as part of Goldstein, Paul Z., Janzen, Daniel H., Hallwachs, Winnie & Proshek, Benjamin, 2022, New species in Rejectaria Guenée (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Herminiinae) with a focus on the Cyclanthaceae-feeders, pp. 451-483 in Zootaxa 5087 (3) on pages 462-464, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5087.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/5826945