Ethmia striatella Busck 1914

Ethmia striatella Busck, 1913b: 141.–Powell, 1959:136

A Mexican species with gray-streaked forewings and bright ochreous abdomen.

MALE.–Length of forewing 10.4 to about 11.0 mm. Head: Labial palpus elongate, strongly curved, well exceeding base of antenna; second segment length 1.4 to 1.5 times eye diameter; third segment 0.9 to 1.0 the length of second, distinctly curved; smooth scaled, white, second and third segments with subbasal and subapical broad, black bands. Antenna not dilated, width of shaft basally about 0.18 eye diameter; dorsal scaling sparse, gray. Scaling of tongue and front whitish, becoming gray at crown, occipital tufts black at middorsum. Thorax: Dorsal scaling pale gray; collar and tegulae darker at extreme base; pronotum with seven blackish spots margined with whitish, lateral pairs adjoining tegulae at collar, under tegulae apices and at sides of scutellum, a single median one preceding scutellum. Underside white, prothoracic legs mostly dark brown exteriorly, mesothoracic legs spotted with brownish; hind tibial fringe rather dense, pale grayish ochreous. Forewing: Length 3.2 to 3.5 times width; costa gently curved, appearing flattened toward middle; termen strongly angled back, broadly curved to dorsum, tornal angle scarcely evident. Ground color whitish gray, more or less uniformly streaked with dark gray, longitudinal, ill-defined markings, dorsal area with a single ill-defined spot before middle; a row of blackish dots around termen from before apex to tornus. Fringe whitish. Underside dark brownish gray, cell near base and dorsal area pale whitish ochreous. Hindwing: About as broad as forewing; costal area with a fold containing an elongate pale ochreous hair pencil; costal margin nearly straight; apex rather blunt, termen not strongly angled back, broadly curved to dorsum. Ground color semitranslucent white near base, narrowly or rather broadly dark brownish in apical area; fringe whitish. Underside similar, costal area brownish. Abdomen: Dorsal scaling uniform ochreous; underside whitish ochreous. Genitalia as in Figure 124 (drawn from plesiotype, Matamoros, Puebla, JAP prep. no. 1118; one preparation examined); similar to confusella, valva narrower, cornutus less ornate.

MAP 50.–Geographical distribution of members of the Confusella group of Ethmia.

E. striatella Busck E. confusellastra Powell

FEMALE.–Length of forewing 9.7 to 10.1 mm. Essentially as described for male, coloration indistinguishable. Eye and labial palpus about the same size as in male. Antenna not appreciably smaller than in male. Hindwing costal area simple. Genitalia similar to confusella, distal portion of antrum with two well-defined sclerotized patches, signum with multiserial, large teeth (Figures 246, 247, drawn from plesiotype, 34 mi S Atlixco, Puebla, JAP prep. no. 2554; two preparations examined).

TYPE DATA.–Mexico; Tehuacan, Puebla, June (R. Müller); unique male type in U.S. National Museum.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.–Thorn forest areas of central Mexico; Puebla and Sinaloa (foothills east of Villa Union).

FLIGHT PERIOD.–June and September (Puebla); late July (Sinaloa).

FOOD PLANT.–Unknown.

REMARKS.–This species has a nondescript forewing pattern resembling confusella, cubensis, and flavicaudata, but the entirely ochreous abdomen will at once separate E. striatella.

Ethmia duckworthi Powell, new species

A rather large Ethmia from Panama superficially resembling E. baliostola but having genital characters of the Confusella group.

MALE.–Length of forewing 11.9 to 12.6 mm. Head: Labial palpus elongate, well exceeding base of antenna; length of second segment about 1.45 eye diameter; third segment slightly curved, length about 0.95 that of second; smooth scaled, white, second segment with basal, submedian and subapical black bands, third segment with slightly broader submedian and preapical black bands. Antenna dilated, width of shaft basally about 0.23 eye diameter; dorsal scaling whitish gray, becoming dark gray beyond basal one-third. Scaling of tongue, front, and crown whitish; occipital tufts broadly black at middorsum. Thorax: Dorsal scaling pale gray, pronotum with three lateral pairs of moderately large black spots, adjoining tegulae at collar, at tegulae apices and at sides of scutellum, a smaller, median spot preceding scutellum. Underside pale whitish gray, protibiae and mesotibiae and tarsi spotted exteriorly with black; hind tibial fringe dense, pale whitish ochreous. Forewing: Length 3.1–3.2 times width; costa gently curved, appearing flattened toward middle; termen moderately strongly angled back, straight, tornal angle distinct. Ground color whitish, more or less uniformly covered by irregular, mostly ill-defined, dark brownish gray longitudinal streaks and spots, dorsal area before middle and terminal area paler, the latter crossed just below apex by an elongate blotch (as in E. baliostola and lichyi); two dorsal spots as in confusella, the inner one nearly obsolete, joined to a dark area on Cu, the outer one distinct (as in baliostola); a row of distinct, black dots around terminal margin from well before apex to tornus. Fringe whitish, irregularly speckled with dark grayish. Underside dark brownish, dorsal area and a blotch around retinaculum pale. Hindwing: Slightly broader than forewing; costal area simple, a slight pinch-fold between Sc and R, without hair pencil; costal margin as a result convex at about end of cell, nearly straight to apex, termen moderately strongly angled back, broadly curved to dorsum. Ground color whitish basally, semitranslucent, becoming dark brown at apical area and along dorsal margin; fringe white. Underside more uniformly white, pale brownish along costal and apical margins. Abdomen: Dorsal scaling brownish gray, ventral whitish, genital ochreous. Genitalia as in Figure 127 (drawn from paratype, JAP prep. no. 1520; two preparations examined); similar to E. striatella, basal processes broader, the flat spines at apex of valva, broad, curved, vesica with about three curved plates, the apical one with fine spines as in confusella.

FEMALE.–Length of forewing 12.7 to 13.4 mm. Essentially as described for male; eye and labial palpus as large as in male, antenna smaller. Forewing slightly broader, length about 2.9 to 3.1 times width. Coloration similar to male, dark markings slightly more extensive on both forewings and hindwings. Genitalia quite similar to E. confusella (Figure 244), with the signum teeth enlarged nearly as in E. striatella (Figure 246) (one preparation examined).

TYPES.–Holotype male and allotype female: Panama, Barro Colorado Island, May 1–9, 1964, and May 10–17, 1964 (W. D. and S. S. Duckworth); deposited in U.S. National Museum: Five paratypes, same locality: 2♂ ♂, 1♀, VII–24–63 (M. E. Irwin and D. Q. Cavagnaro), 1♀, V–(10–17)–64, 1♂, V–(24–28)–64 (W. D. and S. S. Duckworth). Deposited in collections of California Academy of Sciences, California Insect Survey, and U.S. National Museum.

REMARKS.–One additional female with the same data as the allotype is referred here provisionally on the basis of the elongate third segment of the labial palpus. The moth is appreciably smaller (forewing length 10.4 mm.) and differs further by a general darker grayish appearance which is particularly emphasized on the hindwing.

Ethmia sandra Powell, new species

A moderately large Central American member of the Confusella group that resembles the eastern Nearctic E. zelleriella but has the abdomen entirely ochreous.

MALE.–Length of forewing 10.0 to 11.4 mm. Head: Labial palpus elongate, strongly curved, well exceeding crown; second segment curved, length 1.4 times eye diameter; third nearly straight, about 0.87 as long as second; first segment white, second and third blackish dusted with white at middle and tip. Antenna not dilated, width of shaft basally about 0.16 eye diameter; dorsal scaling whitish to grayish. Scaling of tongue whitish, front and crown grayish, with a large blue-black, median spot posteriorly. Thorax: Dorsal scaling pale brownish gray; seven black spots, three pairs at sides of notum and scutellum and a small median spot preceding scutellum. Metathoracic brushes short, not obscuring the broadly scaled scutellum, both ochreous. Underside whitish, legs grayish, metathoracic tibiae and tarsi ochreous. Forewing: Length 3.4–3.5 times width; costa evenly curved, fringe short, giving an oval appearance to wing. Ground color uniform pale gray, at times an irregular, whitish clouding around markings, latter black, longitudinally elongate spots (about three times longer than wide): a broken spot at base of costa, five spots in cell, a roundish spot at end of cell, a curving row of about six spots parallel to termen, one spot on Cu fold beyond middle (the largest mark of the wing), and one spot in dorsal area at basal one-third. A row of about eleven dots around termen from costa well before apex to tornus. Fringe pale gray. Underside pale brown, a whitish spot through cell with some apparently specialized, pale ochreous scaling. Hindwing: Costa tightly folded over to end of cell, enclosing a thick white hair pencil, with a sparse ochreous, exterior fringe (ventral surface of wing); costa slightly convex beyond, apex narrow, round. Ground color semitranslucent whitish, becoming brown at margins beyond middle and in apical area; anal area tinged with ochreous, hair tuft of 2A unusually large, ochreous. Underside similar, costal area also tinged with ochreous. Abdomen: Scaling entirely ochreous, venter paler; first tergum with apparently specialized, short, brighter colored scales. Genitalia as in Figure 126 (drawn from paratopotype, JAP prep. no. 2177; three preparations examined); similar to E. confusella, differing primarily by a more elongate membranous uncus and by three evenly spaced, enlarged, flat spines of the distal, produced portion of the valva.

FEMALE.–Length of forewing 10.2 to 12.7 mm. Generally as described for male. Labial palpus ranging to more elongate, second segment 1.41–1.55 times eye diameter, third less variable, 0.80–0.93 as long as second; antenna not narrower than male. Forewing slightly broader, length 3.2 times width; markings usually somewhat larger than on male (evident when specimens viewed in series). Hindwing costal area simple; hair tuft of 2A enlarged, as in male. Abdomen scaled as in male except genital scaling short. Genitalia similar to confusella, sterigma broader, mostly membranous, antrum with a defined plate (Figure 248, drawn from paratype, Turrialba, Costa Rica, JAP prep. no. 2361; two preparations examined); signum as in E. striatella.

TYPES.–Holotype male and allotype female: El Salvador, 13 km north of San Salvador, February 4, 1965 (W. D. and S. S. Duckworth); deposited in U.S. National Museum. Fifty-seven paratypes, as follows: El Salvador, same data as holotype, 12♂ ♂, 30♀ ♀; Cojutepeque, 5♂ ♂, 6♀ ♀, II–9–65 (S. S. and W. D. Duckworth); Costa Rica, Turrialba, 2♂ ♂, 2♀ ♀, III–1/6–65 (S. S. and W. D. Duckworth). Deposited in California Insect Survey and U.S. National Museum.

REMARKS.–Although no host plant information is available, oviposition by this species evidently occurs into flowers. All female specimens possess considerable pollen on the abdomen (Plate 3d), a phenomenon not observed in any other ethmiid. Samples from the moths were examined by R. W. Thorp, University of California, Davis, and confirmed as nucleate pollen grains, although no taxonomic designation could be made.

Ethmia confusellastra Powell, new species

This species, which occurs in the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba, resembles a small, pale E. confusella, but, in addition to genital characteristics, it differs in lacking a hindwing costal fold and hair pencil.

MALE.–Length of forewing 7.4 to 7.7 mm. Head: Labial palpus elongate, well exceeding base of antenna; second segment length 1.3 to 1.5 times eye diameter; third segment slightly curved, length 0.85–0.90 that of second; smooth scaled, white, second and third segments with subbasal and subapical black bands, those of third broader. Antenna slightly dilated, width of shaft basally 0.21–0.23 eye diameter; dorsal scaling whitish gray. Scaling of tongue, front, and crown whitish gray, occipital tufts black at middorsum. Thorax: Dorsal scaling pale gray with some blackish spots (not distinguishable on material examined, perhaps seven, as on E. confusella). Underside white, protibiae and mesotibiae and tarsi spotted with blackish exteriorly. Forewing: Length 3.1 to 3.3. times width; costa gently curved, apparently slightly flattened beyond middle; termen moderately strongly angled back, straight, tornal angle a broad curve. Ground color white, generally somewhat infused with pale grayish (less so than in E. confusella); markings brownish gray, ill-defined, as elongated spots and streaks more or less evenly distributed; dorsal area below cell with a single pale gray spot at basal one-fourth and two darker spurs protruding from markings near base and in outer part of cell; a row of nine or ten blackish spots at base of fringe from before apex to tornus. Fringe white with a small brownish spot just below apex. Underside brownish gray, dorsal area and a spot beyond retinaculum whitish. Hindwing: About as broad as forewing; costal area simple, without fold or hair pencil; costal margin with a narrow, white fringe, slightly convex beyond middle. Ground color white, semitranslucent, becoming brownish at distal margins; fringe white. Underside similar, costal and distal areas indistinctly mottled with pale brownish gray. Abdomen: First two segments dorsally with small scales, giving a smooth appearance, tinged with dark ochreous, paler than the brownish gray scaling of the remaining segments; underside white; genital scaling dull ochreous. Genitalia as in Figure 125 (drawn from paratopotype, JAP prep. no. 1077; two preparations examined); similar to E. confusella, differing by the narrower valva and biordinate elongate flat spurs at the apex of the valva.

FEMALE.–Length of forewing 7.0 to 7.4 mm. As described for male; eye a little smaller, labial palpus as elongate. Antenna not dilated, width of shaft basally about 0.8 that of male. Genitalia similar to confusella, sterigma differing slightly, with a median, sclerotized streak, antrum unsclerotized (Figure 252, drawn from paratype, JAP prep, no. 2281; one preparation examined); signum as in striatella.

TYPES.–Holotype male and allotype female: Mexico, Chichen Itza, February 25, 1956, and May 9, 1955 (E. C. Welling); deposited in California Academy of Sciences. Five paratypes: Same data except 2♂ ♂, V–9–55, 3♀ ♀, III–16–56, V–8–56, V–26–55; deposited in collections of California Insect Survey and U.S. National Museum.

REMARKS.–Three additional males and one female from Cuba in the British Museum and the U.S. National Museum have been examined but are not designated as paratypes. The specimens differ by having a more elongate, more strongly curved second segment of the labial palpus (1.5 times eye diameter) and a slightly narrower forewing (length about 3.3 times width). In addition, the forewings are somewhat darker in the Cuban examples. The genitalia, however, are indistinguishable from the Mexican material, and the male possesses no costal fold or hair pencil on the hindwing, a feature which serves to separate confusellastra from all other members of the Longimaculella-Baliostola-Confusella groups.

Ethmia julia Powell, new species

Ethmia striatella is a moth in the family Depressariidae. It is found in the thorn forest areas of central Mexico.

The length of the forewings is 9.7–11 mm (0.38–0.43 in). The ground color of the forewings is whitish gray, more or less uniformly streaked with dark gray. The ground color of the hindwings is semi translucent white near the base and narrowly or rather broadly dark brownish in the apical area. Adults are on wing in June and September (Puebla) and in late July (Sinaloa).