Stamnodes carota Matson 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Matson, Tanner A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Stamnodes
Stamnodes carota

description: Stamnodes carota sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 876B5DB8-7030-4F28-86D6-15B83A6F4CE2
Figs 6, 45, 63, 76, 95
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of Stamnodes carota sp. nov. should be considered provisional due to limited records of its visually similar – and likely sympatric – congener, S. clara sp. nov. The ground colour of S. carota appears to be darker orange than S. clara, and the transverse medial white band of the hindwing underside is larger and more complete. However, it appears the most diagnostic feature can be found in the male genitalia. The vesica of S. carota contains a patch of 16–20 cornuti of varying size, whereas S. clara has a tight cluster of approximately four spinose cornuti.
Stamnodes carota sp. nov. is also phenotypically similar to S. favilla sp. nov.; however, the two species appear to be allopatric, with S. carota inhabiting the Sierra Madre Occidental and S. favilla inhabiting the Sierra Madre Oriental. The white patterning of the forewing underside apex and hindwing underside are outlined with dark red scales in S. favilla, while in S. carota, the white patterning of the same areas are outlined in dark grey.
Etymology
The species name carota is derived from the Latin word ‘ carota ’, which means ‘carrot’. It alludes to the orange carrot-like ground colour of this species.
Material examined
Holotype
MEXICO • ♀; Chihuahua, 3 mi. W of Santa Barbara; [26.81° N, 105.89° W]; 22 Jul. 1967; R.C. Gardner, C.R. Kovacic, K. Lorenzen leg.; genitalia: TAM-2022-263; BMEC.
Paratypes (22 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀)
MEXICO – Chihuahua • 1 ♂; 3 mi. W of Santa Barbara; [26.81° N, 105.89° W]; 1 [Aug.] 1967; R.C. Gardner, C.R. Kovacic, K. Lorenzen leg.; genitalia: TAM-2022-262 (USNM 154208); USNMENT01771248 • 2 ♂♂; 25 mi. W of Hidalgo del Parral; [26.84° N, 106.03° W]; elev. 6800 ft; 14 Jul. 1964; black and white lights; J.A. Chemsak and J. Powell leg.; USNMENT01771240, USNMENT01771241 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; AMNH _ IZC 00353007, AMNH _ IZC 00352996 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; CNIN • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; CMNH • 13 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; EMEC1748467 to EMEC1748480 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 12 mi. W of Hidalgo del Parral; [26.92° N, 105.88° W]; elev. 6200 ft; 14 Jul. 1964; J.A. Chemsak leg.; EMEC1748435, EMEC1748436.
Description
Male
FOREWING LENGTH. 18 mm (n = 22).
HEAD. Antenna filiform, fuscous. Vertex mostly pink; frons often pink in dorsal third, fuscous medially, and white in ventral third and thinly around margin of eye. Labial palpus short, slightly porrect, subequal to diameter of eye, fuscous and white. Cephalic collar mostly fuscous.
THORAX. Patagium and tegula mixture of fuscous and white scales. Mesothorax lightly fuscous above, white below. Legs mixture of pale fuscous and white; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well developed.
FOREWING. Ground colour orange (similar to S. favilla sp. nov.). Costa grey at base and alternating between grey and white prior to darkened apex. Blackened apical area with oblique white patch. Underside like upperside but greyer in apical area. White patches in apical area and along subterminus of outer margin thinly outlined in dark grey. Margin of darkened costal and apical areas lightly suffused with redder scales. Fringe starkly checkered with grey to black, and white.
HINDWING. Concolourous with forewing above. Distal third of wing along outer margin with darkened black reticulate pattern. Underside much different than upperside: predominantly grey with large, irregular, white patches outlined in dark grey. Largest patch, irregular, extending from base medially and longitudinally to postmedian of wing. Smaller patches at costal median, apex, outer margin median, tornus, and median of inner margin (see Fig. 6b). Fringe as in forewing.
ABDOMEN. Fuscous.
GENITALIA (Fig. 45). Uncus long, slender, and tapering. Subscaphium well developed. Juxta wide and U-shaped with posterolateral, long, conical processes. Inner face of valva with two hair tufts: smaller tuft arising basally from digitate tubercle; second, larger hair tuft more laterally widened, positioned in slight depression, and extending to subapical area of valva. Costal sclerite terminating just short of apex. Vesica with patch of 16–20 spinose cornuti of varying size.
Female
Outwardly undifferentiated from male.
FOREWING LENGTH. 19 mm (n = 4).
GENITALIA (Fig. 63). Ovipositor short.Anterior apophysis two-thirds length of posterior apophysis.Ductus bursae with prominent sclerite flattened on ventral surface and dorsolaterally rolled toward median; more widened anteriorly than most congeners. Corpus bursae ovoid, lightly sclerotized medially, and with circular signum bearing numerous minute papillae.
Distribution (Fig. 76)
Mexico: Stamnodes carota sp. nov. is only known from the type material localities in Chihuahua.
Biology
Stamnodes carota sp. nov. is known to fly in July and presumably August (see Remarks). The immature stages remain unknown but are likely hosted by mints (Lamiaceae).
Molecular characterization
This species has not been sequenced.
Remarks
The collection date of a male paratype specimen (voucher: USNMENT01771248) is ambiguous, as it contains a non-existent roman numeral “IIX” to indicate the month of collection. However, it is probable that the intended month was August, given that this paratype specimen shares the same collectors, locality, and year as the expedition that garnered the holotype specimen in late July.
description: Published as part of Matson, Tanner A., 2023, A review of Mexican Stamnodes (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) with the description of 16 new species, pp. 1-79 in European Journal of Taxonomy 911 on pages 11-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.911.2371, http://zenodo.org/record/10376790