Helioandesia tarregai Vargas 2021, gen. et sp. nov.
Creators: name: Vargas, Héctor A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Heliodinidae
Helioandesia
Helioandesia tarregai

description: Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 935E51EF-4505-454E-98DA-1FA3156E7ED7
Figs 3–6, Table 1 – 2
Diagnosis
As for genus.
Etymology
Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. is named in memory of the eminent Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega, for his huge contribution to the repertory of the classical guitar, especially for the wonderful ʻMarietaʼ.
Material examined
Holotype
CHILE • ♂; Parinacota Province, Zapahuira; 18°19′45″ S, 69°34′56″ W; 3400 m a.s.l.; emerged Apr. 2019; H.A. Vargas leg.; ex-larva, Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl; coll. Mar. 2019; “ Holotype / Helioandesia / tarregai / Vargas” [red handwritten label]; genitalia slide HAV-1379; IDEA-LEPI-2020-015.
Paratypes
CHILE • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; IDEA-LEPI-2020-016 to IDEA- LEPI-2020-020; genitalia slide HAV-1374 female • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Parinacota Province, Zapahuira; 18°19′45″ S; 69°34′56″ W; 3400 m a.s.l.; emerged May 2018; H.A. Vargas leg.; ex-larva Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl; coll. Apr. 2018; IDEA-LEPI-2020-021 to IDEA-LEPI-2020-024; genitalia slides HAV-1371 male, HAV-1372 female, HAV-1373 male; IDEA.
Description
Male
Forewing length 5.5–6.1 mm. (Fig. 3 A–E).
HEAD. Vertex and frons silvery metallic. Pale orange yellow scales behind compound eyes. Antenna with alternate rings of creamy white and brownish gray on basal two third, distal third brownish gray. Labial palpus creamy white on two basal segments; brownish gray scales with creamy white margin on third segment.
THORAX. Variable proportion of silvery metallic and brownish gray with creamy white margin scales dorsally, brownish gray scales with wider creamy white margin latero-ventrally. Legs mainly concolorous with latero-ventral side of thorax. Forewing mostly covered by brownish gray with creamy white margin scales; five metallic silvery bulging spots with black proximal margin, three near costal margin, size progressively decreasing from base to apex, two near anal margin; small metallic silvery spot near tegula, slightly differentiated metallic silvery diagonal stripe from about middle of distal margin of discal cell to near costal margin; a few brownish orange scattered scales mainly on distal half; fringe brownish gray. Hindwing brownish gray; fringe concolorous.
ABDOMEN. Mainly brownish gray dorsally, lighter near posterior margin of each segment; scales brownish gray with creamy white margin ventrally.
GENITALIA (Fig. 5). As described for genus.
Female Similar to male.
GENITALIA (Fig. 6). As described for genus.
Host plant
The only known host plant is the native Mirabilis acuta (Nyctaginaceae) (Fig. 7), a Chilean endemic (Rodríguez et al. 2018). In the study zone M. acuta sprout and flower after the summer rains. The larvae of H. tarregai gen. et sp. nov. feed externally as leaf skeletonizers, remaining partially covered by a fine silk layer (Fig. 7C).
Distribution
Known only from the type locality (Fig. 8), near Zapahuira, Parinacota Province, at about 3400 m elevation on the western slopes of the Andes of northern Chile.
description: Published as part of Vargas, Héctor A., 2021, Systematics of Helioandesia tarregai gen. et sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Heliodinidae) from the Andes of Northern Chile, pp. 117-134 in European Journal of Taxonomy 731 on pages 128-130, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.731.1209, http://zenodo.org/record/4452219