Sufetula paula (West, 1931), 2025

Sufetula paula (West, 1931) , comb. nov.

( Figures 4 View Figures 3-8 , 20 View Figures 19-26 , 33 View Figures 32-37 , 43 View Figures 42-45 )

Orthoraphis paula West, 1931

Type locality. Philippines Is., Luzon I., subprov. Benguet Pauai, Haight’ s Place, 7000 f[ee]t.

Material examined. Holotype. ♀ (specimen identifier NHMUK013699662 ): “Type” [red circled] | “Haight’ s Place , Pauai, subprov. Benguet, Luzon, 7,000 ft. 27. Vi. 1913 A.E. Wileman ” | “ Orthoraphis paula West Holotype ♀” | “Wileman Coll. B.M. 1929 - 261”; 3 Ƌ (specimen identifiers coll.mfn-berlin.de_u_2a6f67, 2a6f65, d7744e), 3 ♀ (specimen identifiers coll.mfn-berlin.- de_u_2a6f66, 2a6f64, a64977). Detailed information in Table S1 .

Diagnosis. Sufetula paula comb. nov. ( Figure 4 View Figures 3-8 ) is a rather large species (forewing length 10 - 13 mm), with forewing much wider than observed in other species of Sufetula . The jagged antemedian line, the conspicuous discoidal black spot surrounded with white, the four conspicuous cream-coloured costal spots and the only faintly curved postmedian line separate this species from other Lathrotelinae species from the Philippines. In the male genitalia ( Figure 33 View Figures 32-37 ), the shape of the uncus and the valva separate Sufetula paula comb. nov. from other Sufetula species. The female genitalia ( Figure 43 View Figures 42-45 ) have a comparatively small corpus bursae to the rest of the species and are without erect papillae.

Redescription. Wings ( Figure 4 View Figures 3-8 ). Forewing length: 10 - 13 mm; forewing ground colour tawny to brown. Basal spot round, dark brown. Antemedian line jagged, white with distal edge dark brown. Discoidal spot black, surrounded with white. Costa with four pale yellow median spots; distal one abutted to postmedian line. Postmedian line thin, white, faintly edged with dark brown, waved, running vertically down to half length, then bent inwards. Fringes basally dark brown, distally stripped with dark brown and white. Hindwings dirty white with faintly marked median dark brown line, subterminal area speckled with brown scales. Tympanal organs ( Figure 20 View Figures 19-26 ). Ƌ ♀. Bullae tympani slightly recessed laterad, recessed posteriad by 1/6 beyond ramus tympani. Posterior depressions as wide as bullae, nearly square (as long as wide), not sexually dimorphic. Venulae secundae long, straight. Male genitalia ( Figure 33 View Figures 32-37 ). Uncus short, narrowing at basal 1/4, apex with rounded tip. Valva elliptical, dorsal margin conspicuously convex on basal half. Juxta forming two bumps on basal edge, distal half narrowing, apex rounded. Manica with two combs of dense sclerotised setae. Phallus elongated, lightly sclerotised, with sclerotised dent at apex. Female genitalia ( Figure 43 View Figures 42-45 ). Papillae anales fused, narrowing to tip. Posterior apophyses thin, ca 1.5 × tergite VIII length, apex spatulate. Anterior apophyses roughly as long as tergite VIII length, apex spatulate. Colliculum forming short sclerotised ring. Ductus bursae very long, thin, covered with minute spicules, distal 1/3 widening toward corpus opening. Corpus bursae globular, roughly 1/3 of ductus length, with large oval patch of short thorns surrounded with thin sclerotised spines.

Distribution. Known from Mount Tabayoc on Luzon at an elevation of 2350 m and Pauai, Haight’ s Place, Benguet, Luzon at ca. 2100 m as well as N. Luzon ca. 1500 - 1800 m ( Figure 55 View Figure 55 ).

DNA barcoding. An intraspecific divergence of 0.3 % was found among two specimens from the same locality (Luzon, Benguet, Mt Tabayoc).

Remarks. The species was identified with the holotype specimen from the NHMUK ( Figure 17 View Figures 15-18 ). This species is transferred to Sufetula on the basis of maculation and venation. Orthoraphis obfuscata , the type species of Orthoraphis , has numerous intercalary spots along the forewing costa (shared with Diplopseustis ); one radial vein of the forewing is absent; and M 2 and M 3 are stalked in the forewing and hindwing. In contrast, species of Sufetula have no extra spots along the forewing costa (only two or three large lunules), all five radial veins are present, and M 2 and M 3 are separate in both wings. Sufetula paula comb. nov. likewise lacks intercalary spots, has five distinct radial veins, and M 2 and M 3 are separate in the forewing. The stalked M 2 and M 3 in the hindwing is explained as an autapomorphy independently derived from Orthoraphis and Diplopseustis .

In Sufetula, Rs 4 is connate with the base of Rs 2 þRs 3 or short-stalked about 1/12 to 1/10 of their length, whereas in Diplopseustis these veins are stalked to about 1/3 of their length ( Meyrick, 1884; Hampson, 1896). In all the specimens investigated in this study, Rs 4 is short-stalked with the long-stalked Rs 2 þRs 3 ( Figure 1 View Figures 1-2 ). This is consistent with the observations of Sufetula sacchari (Seín) , S. carbonalis , and S. anania ( Seín 1930, Hayden, 2013; Solis et al. 2019). Seín (1930) illustrated the intraspecific variation in the length of the short stalk of Rs 4 (p. 167 and Figure 20 View Figures 19-26 ). Lastly, obvious differences of the wing pattern are found along the costa with the costal median spots. Nearly all the species show two to three relatively large costal median spots, suggesting another possible apomorphy for Sufetula .