Palaephatus albiterminus

Palaephatus (Prophatus) albiterminus

ADULT (Figure 423).—Length of forewing: , 6.8–10 mm; , 9–10 mm. A moderately small species with white to fuscous head and thorax and dark fuscous forewings bearing a slender, pale yellowish white spot extending along most of termen.

Head: Vestiture variable; vertex and occiput sometimes dull white, but most often fuscous; lower frons almost always fuscous. Antennae approximately 0.5 the length of forewing, 40–49-segmented; scape fuscous with a suffusion of whitish buff ventrally; pecten consisting of 4–6 fuscous hairs; flagellum fuscous dorsally; pale whitish buff ventrally. Maxillary palpi buff to brownish fuscous. Labial palpi fuscous laterally; whitish buff on inner surfaces; apex of second segment with 5–7 fuscous hairs.

Thorax: Pronotum variable; whitish buff to mostly fuscous; tegulae usually buff with dark fuscous laterally. Venter whitish buff. Forewings mostly dark fuscous, sparingly marked with pale brown to white scales; a series of 10–12 small buff spots along costal margin; a very faint brownish fascia extending obliquely from outer third of costa about halfway to tornus; a second, more basal oblique white to brownish fascia sometimes present from hind margin midway to costa; hind margin below anal vein faint brownish fuscous to buff; termen and associated cilia mostly pale yellowish white; entire wing faintly irrorated with small brownish to white spots. Hind wings uniformly gray; male with a longitudinal fold near base of M containing elongate hair pencil; venation of male consequently modified, with discal cell obliterated; a second androconial area at anal lobe consisting of an oval pocket containing two distinct types of small androconial scales. Forelegs light to dark fuscous dorsally except for grayish femur, whitish buff ventrally; apices of tibial and tarsal segments ringed with white. Midlegs similar to forelegs in color. Hind legs much paler, mostly grayish buff dorsally and dull white ventrally; dorsum of tibia with long hair fringe.

Abdomen: Brownish fuscous to gray dorsally, pale buff ventrally with a narrow, interrupted, midvental line of fuscous; an oval patch of dark reddish orange androconia at lateral margins of second tergite of male; patch usually covered by brownish abdominal scales.

Male Genitalia: As shown in Figures 519–522. Uncus narrow, with a small pair of closely adjacent lobes. Gnathos absent. Apex of valvae rounded; apical process absent. Aedoeagus complex, with 3 sets of exogenous spines and a relatively large spatulate lobe.

Female Genitalia: As shown in Figure 587. Eighth sternite strongly bilobed, with a prominent median excavation. Gonopore with a prominent rounded lobe from right side of opening. Corpus bursae densely lined with tiny pectinations; each row of pectination consisting of usually 6–9 minute spicules; pectinations concentrated in two large areas at middle of corpus and at anterior end; spicules particularly concentrated and enlarged around the single median signum; walls of ductus bursae thick and folded, densely spiculated. Posterior half of spermathecal walls with longitudinal rows of sclerotized bands and spicules.

IMMATURE STAGES.—Unknown.

HOLOTYPE.—. Aguas Calientes to 3 km W, 450–500 m, Parque Nacional Puyehue, Osorno Province, Chile; 12–20 Dec 1981, UV light trap, D.R. Davis, type no. 101170 (USNM).

PARATYPES.—ARGENTINA. Neuquen Prov.: Junin de los Andes, Laguna Verde, 1000 m, 1, 25 Nov 1981, M.O. Gentili. Lago Lacar, 5 km E of Hua-Hum, 640 m, 1, 14 Oct 1981, Nielsen and Karsholt. Lago Lacar, Pucará, 750 m, 1, 25 Nov 1978; 1, 3 Dec 1978; 1, 20 Dec 1978, E.S. Nielsen.

CHILE. Cautin Prov.: 14 km SE of Pucón, 1, 21 Dec 1982, R. Brown. 30 km NE of Villarrica, 1, 1–30 Jan 1965, L. Peña. Chiloé Prov.: Chiloé Island, Dalcahue, 2, 21–23 Oct 1969, Flint and Barria. Hueque Trumao, 22 km N of Quellon, 50 m, 24, 26–27 Dec 1981, D.R. Davis. Puntra, ~30 air km S of Ancud, 50 m, 5, 21–22 Dec 1981, D.R. Davis, 1 km E of Lago Tepuhueco, ~40 air km SW of Castro, 100 m, 1, 23–25 Dec 1981. Llanquihue Prov.: El Chinque, N of Correntosa (S of Volcan Calbuco), 300 m, 15, 2, 20–25 Jan 1980, L. Peña. Hornohuinco, 11 km SW Lago Chapo, 19, 1, 29–31 Dec 1981, D.R. Davis. Ñuble Prov.: Alto Tregualemu, ~20 km SE of Chovellen, 500 m, 6, 2, 1–3 Dec 1981, D.R. Davis. Osorno Prov.: Parque Nacional Puyehue, Aguas Calientes, 450 m, 5, 1, 11 Dec 1981, 8, 12 Dec 1981; 7, 13 Dec 1981, Nielsen and Karsholt. Parque Nacional Puyehue, Aguas Calientes, 1, 2, 6 Feb 1978, C. & O. Flint; same locality, Rio Chanlefu, 1 km S of Aguas Calientes, 1, 8–9 Feb 1978, C. & O. Flint; same locality, Aguas Calientes to 3 km W, 450–500 m, 15, 12–20 Dec 1981, D.R. Davis, same locality, to 1 km W, 450 m, 10, 2, 2–5 Jan 1982, D.R. Davis; same locality, to 2 km S, 450 m, 28, 3, 10–22 Feb 1979, D. & M. Davis & B. Akerbergs. Parque Nacional Puyehue, Anticura, 350 m, 3, 2, 18 Nov 1981; 1, 2, 19 Nov 1981; 2, 1, 17 Dec 1981; 3, 18 Dec 1981, Nielsen and Karsholt; same locality, Rio Anticura, 1, 31 Jan–13 Feb 1978, C. & O. Flint. Pucatrihue, 1, 26–30 Jan 1978, C. & O. Flint. Valdivia Prov.: Rincon de la Piedra, 180 m, 20 km S of Valdivia, 1, 24 Sep 1981; 2, 15 Nov 1981, Nielsen and Karsholt.



Paratypes deposited in AMNH, ANIC, BMNH, CNC, LACM, MACN, MHNS, MNHP, NZAC, UCB, UOP, USNM, and ZMUC.

HOST.—Unknown.

FLIGHT PERIOD.—24 September to 13 February; multivoltine?

DISTRIBUTION (Map 10)—This common species is apparently restricted to the wetter areas of the temperate, Valdivian forests of southern Chile and Argentina. Records to date indicate that it is less abundant in Argentina. It is known to occur in the coastal ranges from Ñuble Province (~36°S) south to Chiloé Island (43°S) and in the Andes from Cautin Province (~39°20′S) south to Puyehue National Park in Osorno.

ETYMOLOGY.—The specific name is derived from the Latin albus (white) plus terminus (end, limit), in reference to the narrow white band on the termen.