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

description: Stamnodes mariachi sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5C4231A3-88F6-4B1B-B48D-93B1E5ED6C61
Figs 15, 50, 68, 81, 95
Diagnosis
Stamnodes mariachi sp. nov. may be confused with S. disrupta sp. nov., S. fervefactaria, S. fergusoni, and S. erupta sp. nov. The bright, white reticulate pattern of the underside of the hindwing and apex of the forewing stand in contrast to the more off-white to cream colour of the same areas in S. fervefactaria. Stamnodes mariachi can be separated from all aforementioned species by the absence of a checkered forewing fringe and absence of an oblique white patch in the apical area of the forewing underside. Additionally, the black apical area of the forewing that broadly extends all the way down the outer margin to the tornus appears to be diagnostic.
Male genitalia readily separate S. mariachi sp. nov. (Fig. 50) from S. fergusoni (Matson & Wagner 2020: fig. 7). Stamnodes fergusoni has a juxta that bears posterolateral conical processes and its vesica has a large echinate patch of cornuti; these characters are absent in S. mariachi. However, the male genitalia of S. mariachi, S. disrupta sp. nov., S. fervefactaria, and S. erupta sp. nov. are exceedingly similar with only subtle differences. While the uncus of S. disrupta (Fig. 49a) and S. fervefactaria is broadly swollen medially, that of S. mariachi (Fig. 50a) and S. erupta (Fig. 51a) tapers slightly along its length and lacks an apparent medial swelling.
Etymology
The species name mariachi refers to the style of traditional Mexican music that has its roots in rural Western Mexico where this species may be found. The name is a noun in apposition.
Material examined
Holotype
MEXICO • ♀; Durango, 3 mi. S of El Salto; [23.73° N, 105.35° W]; elev. 8000 ft; 10 Aug. 1986; J. Brown leg.; black light trap; EMEC174828.
Paratypes (3 ♂♂, 1 ♀)
MEXICO – Durango • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; genitalia: TAM-2023-282; CNIN. – Sinaloa • 1 ♂; 8 mi. W of El Palmito; elev. 6400 ft; 8–12 Aug. 1972; J. Powell, D. Veirs, C.D. MacNeill leg.; black & white lights; EMEC1748429 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; genitalia: TAM-2023-283; AMNH _ IZC 00353020 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; genitalia: TAM-2023- 285 (USNM 154213); USNMENT01771227.
Description
Male
FOREWING LENGTH. 15 mm (n = 3).
HEAD. Antenna filiform, fuscous to black. Vertex scarlet and fuscous; frons mostly fuscous, with a few midsaggital white scales and white along lateral margins. Labial palpus short, slightly porrect, subequal to diameter of eye, mostly fuscous. Cephalic collar mostly fuscous.
THORAX. Patagium mixture of scarlet and fuscous; tegula mostly fuscous. Mesothorax fuscous. Legs mixture of white and fuscous; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; epiphysis well developed.
FOREWING. Faintly scarlet near base, diffusing to light orange-yellow ground colour. Costa with basal lead-black patch and much larger, trigonate, costomedial, lead-black patch. Apical area and broadly along outer margin lead-black. Underside similar to upperside, but scarlet base more apparent in costal area, and costal area given toward white between lead-black costomedial patch and apical area. Fringe fuscous.
HINDWING. Concolourous with forewing above, but ground colour mostly reduced to medial, longitudinal ray and branches between large, ill-defined, lead-black coloured patches (Fig. 15a). Underside sharing similar pattern elements, but much more starkly contrasted with white rays between large, lead-black coloured patches; patches along costal antemedian and postmedian, thinly along outer margin, along basal half of inner margin, and at tornus (Fig. 15b). Basal area along costa and inner margin also more broadly highlighted with scarlet. Fringe as in forewing.
ABDOMEN. Fuscous.
GENITALIA (Fig. 50). Uncus long, narrow, and tapering. Subscaphium well developed. Inner surface of valve with dense hair tuft arising from basal tubercle. Juxta shield-like, void of stiff setae or posterior processes. Vesica without large cornuti, but with extremely small rugose papillae at base of vesica and along ovoid lateral diverticulum.
Female
Outwardly undifferentiated from male.
FOREWING LENGTH. 16–17 mm (n = 2).
GENITALIA (Fig. 68). Anterior apophysis two-thirds length of posterior apophysis. Ostium large, lamella antevaginalis subcircular. Short and narrow ductus bursae with prominent anterior sclerite flattened on ventral surface and dorsolaterally rolled toward median. Corpus bursae spherical, bearing two signa; tiny signum situated near posterior base of corpus bursae (near ductus bursae) and second signum, situated at anterior third, with inward directed process and rugose areole of minute papillae.
Distribution (Fig. 81)
Mexico: Stamnodes mariachi sp. nov. is known from the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests of Durango and possibly Sinaloa (see Remarks).
Biology
Stamnodes mariachi sp. nov. flies in August. The immature stages remain unknown but are likely hosted by mints (Lamiaceae).
Molecular characterization
This species has not been sequenced.
Remarks
Three of the four paratypes were collected from “Sin. [Sinaloa], 8 mi. W of El Palmito, 6400 [ft]”. However, there is a discrepancy in the elevation as the actual elevation 8 miles west of El Palmito, Sinaloa is around 1500–2000 ft. Eight miles west of a different village – El Palmito, Durango – matches the mentioned elevation of 6400 ft, suggesting confusion in either the recorded elevation or the precise locality due to villages with identical names. Because of this uncertainty, inferred GPS coordinates are omitted, and these three individuals are excluded from the range map.
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 26-35, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.911.2371, http://zenodo.org/record/10376790