Agathodes galapagensis Landry, 2016, sp. n.
Creators: name: Bernard Landry
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pyralidae
Agathodes
Agathodes galapagensis

description: Agathodes galapagensis sp. n.
Figs 2, 3, 81, 93, 139
Material examined:
Holotype: ♂, ‘ ECU
[ADOR]., GALAPAGOS | Santiago, Bahía | Espumilla, 4.iv.1992 | M[ercury]V[apour]L[ight], leg [it]. B. Landry’; ‘ MHNG | ENTO ♂ | 00009033 ’; ‘HOLOTYPE | Agathodes | galapagensis | B. Landry’. Deposited in MHNG.
Paratypes: 17 ♂, 90 ♀ from the Galápagos Islands. – Santa Cruz: 1 ♂ (slide PYR 365), 4 km N Puerto Ayora, 20.i.1989, M[ercury]V[apour]L[ight] (B. Landry); 3 ♀, Tortuga Res[erve]. W S[an]ta Rosa, 6.ii.1989, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♀, Media Luna, pampa zone, 8.ii.1989, MVL (B. Landry); 3 ♀, Academy Bay, Darwin Res[earch]. Sta[tion]., 8.ii.1964 (R. O. Schuster); 1 ♀, idem except 9.ii.1964 (D. Q. Cavagnaro, R. O. Schuster); 4 ♀, 2 km W Bella Vista, 27.ii.1989, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♂, Horneman Farm, 220 m, 5.iii.1964 (D. Q. Cavagnaro); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, idem except 25.iii.1964; 3 ♂, 6 ♀, idem except 5.iv.1964; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, idem except 6.iv.1964; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, idem except 3.vi.1964; 1 ♀, idem except 7.v.1964; 1 ♀, E[stacion].C[ientifica].C[harles].D[arwin]., 7.iii.1992, U[ltra]V[iolet]L[ight] (B. Landry); 1 ♀, transition zone, recently cut road, GPS: S 00°42.528’, W 90°18.849’, 12.iii.2004, uvl (B. Landry, P. Schmitz); 1 ♀, low agriculture zone, GPS: S 00°42.132’, W 90° 19.156’, 13.iii.2004, uvl (B. Landry, P. Schmitz); 1 ♂, 4 ♀, Academy Bay, C. Darwin Res. Sta., alt. ± 5 m, 13.iii.1970, u. v. blacklight (R. Silberglied); 1 ♀, Finca S[teve]. Devine, 17.iii.1989, MVL (B. Landry); 2 ♀ (one dissected, slide MHNG-ENTO-8657), Finca Vilema, 2 km W Bella Vista, 1.iv.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♂, grassland, 750 m, 6.iv.1964 (D. Q. Cavagnaro); 2 ♀, C[harles]. D[arwin]. R[esearch]. S[tation]., Barranco, 20 m elev[ation]., 30.iv.2002, uvl (B. Landry); 3 ♀, Los Gemelos, 27.v.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♀, Horneman Farm, 200 m, 24.vi.1965 (J. DeRoy); 4 ♀, idem except 25.vi.1965; 2 ♀, idem except 26.vi.1965; 1 ♀, idem except 27.vi.1965; 2 ♀, idem except 28.vi.1965; 5 ♀, [no precise locality], L70, ix.1969 (R. Perry, B.M. 1970-172); 12 ♀, Station Darwin, 1964/1965, lumière (J. & N. Leleup); 4 ♂ (one dissected, slide MHNG- ENTO-8658), 11 ♀, same locality and collectors except x.1964; 3 ♂, 6 ♀, idem except x/ xi.1964; 2 ♀, idem except i.1965; 2 ♀, idem except xi.1964 and ‘Basse altitude’. – Santiago: 2 ♀, same data as holotype; 1 ♀, 200 m elev., 5.iv.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♀, Aguacate [camp], 520 m elev., 6.iv.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♀ (dissected, slide MHNG-ENTO-8659), Central [camp], 700 m elev., 9.iv.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♀, Aguacate [camp], 520 m elev., 12 iv.1992, MVL (B. Landry); 1 ♀, N side, GPS: 527 m elev., S 00°13.690’, W 090°44.135’, 5.iii.2005, uvl (P. Schmitz). Deposited in AMNH, BMNH, CAS, CNC, MCZ, and MHNG.
Diagnosis: The dominant grey colouration of the wings with black markings on the forewing (Figs 2, 3) is unique for Agathodes. The other species of the genus are usually brown or buff with purple or yellow markings and the forewing has a diagonal band from the middle of the dorsum to 2/3 on costa and often continuing to termen in the radial sector (see. designalis, Fig. 1). Agathodes minimalis Hampson, 1912, described from Nigeria, differs in having the forewing mostly grey brown with a darker, black band, apically edged with a white line, extending from costa to termen, isolating the paler apex, and its hindwing is white with a narrow grey brown edge with darker scales along the veins from the edge for a short distance toward the middle of the wing. In the Galápagos Agathodes galapagensis is most similar in colour and markings to Cheverella galapagensis Landry (see below and Fig. 9), but the shorter (6.4-10.3 mm), wider, and terminally more rounded forewing adorned with a black costal spot medially will separate this species from Agathodes galapagensis, especially when specimens of the latter harbour a distinct terminal triangle in the radial sector.
Etymology: The new name refers to the only known area of occurrence of this species.
Description: Male (n=18) (Fig. 2). Head with frons flat, appressedly scaled, with straight frontoclypeal margin, white laterally, with cream to greyish brown band medially, greyish brown behind eyes with longer scales projecting medially; antenna filiform but with first dozen flagellomeres widened and with thicker coating of short, flattened scales (2 rows per flagellomeres) and longer hair-like scales dorsally, ciliation very short, colouration pale to dark greyish brown, with white on scape ventrally; maxillary palpus white to greyish brown, with apical scales directed anteromedially; labial palpus with ventrally projecting scales on first and especially second segments forming flat, more or less oval shape with small third segment bent ventrally and concealed, dark greyish brown laterally with white ventrally on first segment, and pale greyish brown medially and on most of third segment; haustellum white to pale greyish brown. Thorax dorsally with black collar scales, with large patches laterally on mesoscutellum also black, pale greyish brown to black apically and laterally on longer scales of tegulae, apicomedially on mesoscutellum, as well as on metascutum medially and apicolaterally, white elsewhere. Legs white except for greyish brown on foreleg coxa medially, foreleg tibia medially before apex, and midleg tibia laterally before apex. Forewing length: 11.0-12.0 mm (holotype: 11.5 mm) (wingspan: 23.0-25.0 mm; holotype: 24.5 mm); vestiture white to pale greyish brown with darker greyish brown or black markings of variable size and intensity as illustrated (Figs 2, 3). Abdomen dorsally on first tergite white along lateral and apical edges, blackish brown elsewhere, tergites II-VI white, more or less densely suffused with greyish brown scaling and with apical margin distinctly dark greyish brown, tergite VII mostly grey, medially at base with elongate white patch, with apex of long hair-like scales over genitalia black; ventrally white with apical edges of sternites IV and V dark greyish brown. Segment VIII with sclerotization pattern as shown (Fig. 81).
Male genitalia (n=1) (Fig. 93). Uncus very narrow, about 2/3 length of subscaphium, with short circular base, apically less thickly sclerotized and with a few setae of medium length. Subscaphium long and narrow, with short triangular base, apically pointed. Tegumen an inverted Y, laterodorsally with plates supporting bunch of long, thin scales projecting apically along edges of subscaphium and almost reaching its tip. Gnathos a narrow, U-shaped band with angles at 90°. Transtilla a complete band of medium width and laterally enlarged. Valva enlarged medially, narrowing toward narrowly rounded apex, dorsal margin at base with more thickly sclerotized band curving at 45° inward before middle; with small, spine-like fibula before middle, near ventral edge, supported by narrow sclerotized band reaching more thickly sclerotized dorsobasal region. Juxta a pair of moderately sclerotized ‘rabbit ears’ fused from base to middle. Vinculum with lateral sclerite supporting large cluster of fine, long androconial hairs; saccus a short triangular plate. Phallus of medium length, slightly down curved toward apex and dorsoventrally flattened, apically blunt; vesica scobinated, without cornuti.
Female (n=90) (Fig. 3): Antenna filiform, without broadened first dozen flagellomeres. Forewing length: 11.0-13.0 mm (wingspan: 24.0-30.0 mm). Abdomen terminal segment dorsally white to light greyish brown, without markings.
Female genitalia (n=2) (Fig. 139). Papillae anales narrow, setose surface enlarging to twice dorsal length from dorsum to middle; sclerotized basal margin narrow; posterior apophyses about 2/3 width of papillae anales. Segment VIII with tergum medium sized, parallel-margined to anterior apophyses, narrowing ventrally to half dorsal length, with few short setae mostly along apical margin; sternum forming two lightly sclerotized lateral plates with short, anterior, narrow extension; anterior apophyses almost 2X as long as posterior apophyses, with distinct triangular enlargement at 1/4. Membrane around ostium bursae unmodified. Ductus bursae with first section before ductus seminalis narrow and about 1/10 of total length, colliculum well sclerotized, about half as long as basal section, rest of ductus bursae of equal narrow girth, long, enlarging slightly before connecting with corpus bursae. Corpus bursae elongate, about 2/5 of length of ductus bursae, with short and circular accessory sac near ductus bursae, also with oval section of scobinations with longitudinal median crease below accessory sac.
Biology: The immatures and host plant are unknown. The available specimens have been collected in all months of the year except July, August, and December, at elevations varying from sea level to the pampa zone on Santa Cruz.
Distribution: Endemic to the Galápagos, this species has been found on the islands of Santa Cruz and Santiago only.
Remark: All described Agathodes species were checked either from specimens in the BMNH or the original descriptions to conclude that this species was new.
description: Published as part of Bernard Landry, 2016, Taxonomic revision of the Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae s. l.) of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, pp. 315-399 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 123 (2) on pages 317-319, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.155309