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

description: Stamnodes catarina sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: DAC04EB8-EAB0-461F-9BB5-1D6B32E7A574
Figs 26, 53, 85, 95
Diagnosis
In dorsal view, S. catarina sp. nov. could be confused with sympatric S. patamon or S. churro sp. nov.; however, the hindwing underside pattern and male genitalia unambiguously separate these taxa. The hindwing underside of S. catarina is lightly striated with dark brown to black scales and bears an ill-defined black discal spot (Fig. 26b). In S. patamon, the hindwing underside is striated with dark brown and burgundy scales surrounding several large, ill-defined, all-white patches (Fig. 24b), and in S. churro, the hindwing underside is cream coloured and speckled with light brown scales throughout (scales modestly darker in basal half of wing) (Fig. 27b). The pale ground colour of S. catarina has a grey cast, while that of S. churro is tanner, and S. patamon given more toward yellow-cream.
Stamnodes catarina sp. nov. is immediately distinguished from S. churro sp. nov. by its large spatulate uncus (Fig. 53a) – the uncus of S. churro is small and triangulate (Fig. 54a). Among numerous other differences, S. catarina can be separated from S. patamon by its juxta that bears a dense tuft of approximately 100 erect setae on its distal surface (Fig. 53a). Stamnodes patamon only has a few spinose setae arising from the surface of the juxta, and bears large, sickle-shaped sclerotized ribbons on the inner face of valva (Fig. 55a) that are absent in S. catarina. The vesica of S. catarina bears approximately eight large spinose cornuti, linearly decreasing in size (Fig. 53b); while the vesica of S. churro has a large, central, echinate patch of several hundred small cornuti opposite of two, large, apical spinose cornuti (Fig. 54b); and the vesica of S. patamon bears a single, large, spinose cornutus adjacent to a large patch of several hundred filamentous cornuti (Fig. 55b). With male dissection, these species cannot be confused.
Etymology
The specific epithet, catarina, is named after Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, a small town nearest the collection site of several type specimens. It is a noun in the nominative case.
Material examined
Holotype
MEXICO • ♂; Oaxaca, Mpio. Ixlepejl [Ixtepejl], Cerezal; [17.26° N, 96.56° W]; elev. 2300 m; 7 Nov. 1980; E.C. Welling leg.; AMNH _ IZC 00352926.
Paratypes (3 ♂♂)
MEXICO – Oaxaca • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; genitalia: TAM-2022-107 (USNM 154205); USNMENT01771238 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; CNIN • 1 ♂; Mpio. San Juan Atepec, La Cabaña; [17.43° N, 96.54° W]; elev. 2800 m; 6 Nov. 1980; E.C. Welling leg.; AMNH _ IZC 00352925.
Description
Male
FOREWING LENGTH. 15–16 mm (n = 4).
HEAD. Antenna filiform, mostly white above. Vertex and frons with mixture of white and grey scales; frons entirely white at border with eyes. Labial palpus short, slightly porrect, 1.5× diameter of eye, grey and white. Cephalic collar mostly white, grey laterally.
THORAX. White to cream. Patagium mixture of grey and white scales; tegula mostly cream. Legs white and blotched with light grey scales; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well developed.
FOREWING. Ground colour cream to grey. Costal area dark grey at base with two, small white patches. Costal medial area with subquadrangular, dark grey patch terminating near center of wing and outwardly highlighted by U-shaped band of lighter scales; distal half of wing becoming much darker grey, especially in apical area and along outer margin. Underside patterned as in upperside but darkened apical area bearing subtle maculation of cream scales. Terminal, thin black line of outer margin outlining base of fringe in all wings. Fringe checkered.
HINDWING. Concolourous with forewing above, sometimes with slight darkening of grey at apex. Underside cream to white,lightly striated with dark brown to black scales; dark scales forming ill-defined discal spot and subtle transverse medial band from inner margin to center of wing. Fringe checkered.
ABDOMEN. Cream to light grey above, white below, sometimes with lateral dark grey scales over spiracles.
GENITALIA (Fig. 53). Uncus long, slender, and strongly spatulate at apex. Juxta triangulate with three rounded processes on distal surface; medial process bearing dense tuft of approximately 100 erect setae. Valva ear-shaped with wide costal sclerite; inner face of valva with two hair tufts: tuft bearing ribbon-like setae arising basally from digitate tubercle; second, smaller tuft residing just distal to first tuft. Vesica with eight large spinose cornuti; cornuti linearly decreasing in size; smallest cornutus about half size of largest.
Female
Not known.
Distribution (Fig. 85)
Mexico: the distribution of Stamnodes catarina sp. nov. is not well circumscribed. This species is only known from the heavily wooded and mountainous Northern Oaxaca Highlands region of Oaxaca where it has been collected at elevations between 2300–2800 m.
Biology
Adults of Stamnodes catarina sp. nov. fly in November. Adult habitus and genitalia suggest affinity to the many Stamnodes that feed on Cercocarpus. Stamnodes catarina is sympatric and synchronic with S. churro sp. nov., S. tenebrosa sp. nov., and likely S. patamon as well.
Molecular characterization
This species has not been sequenced.
Remarks
The male genitalia of S. catarina sp. nov. resemble those of S. seiferti and S. tenebrosa sp. nov., perhaps indicating a close relationship despite an external phenotype that is none too similar.
The large spatulate uncus of S. catarina sp. nov. can be used to diagnose this species from S. churro sp. nov. without dissection. A brush may be used to remove caudal abdominal scales to reveal the large spatulate uncus. Likewise, the small triangulate uncus of S. churro can rarely be seen using this method.
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 52-54, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.911.2371, http://zenodo.org/record/10376790