Melanastera tubuligera, Serbina & Malenovský & Queiroz & Burckhardt, 2025

22 Melanastera tubuligera sp. nov.

( Figs 2C View FIGURE 2 , 10B View FIGURE 10 , 16E View FIGURE 16 , 26G–L View FIGURE 26 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Brazil: MATO GROSSO: Tabaporã , S11.5816, W55.7666, 370 m, 8.xi.2012, Xylopia aromatica (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #64(2) ( UFPR; dry). GoogleMaps

Paratypes. Brazil: MATO GROSSO: 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Juína , S11.5631, W58.9516, 340 m, 17.vi.2014 (L.A. Pezzini) #319 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005637) GoogleMaps ; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Lucas do Rio Verde , S13.1171, W55.8978, 390 m, 21.iv.2015 (L.A. Pezzini) #502 ( NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005754, NMB-PSYLL0008225) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, 1 skin, Nova Mutum , S13.7045, W56.0715, 420 m, 12.vi.2016, Xylopia sp. (L.A. Pezzini) #807 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008120) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, same but S13.7898, W56.2901, 390 m, 13.vi.2016 #845 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005808) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, Sinop, S11.3783, W55.3783, 350 m, 5.iii.2014 (L.A. Pezzini & A.M.B. Sedano) #286 ( MMBC, NHMB; dry, slide; NMB-PSYLL0005675, NMB-PSYLL0008235 [voucher 75- 1]) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Sinop, Embrapa campus, S11.8949, W55.6555, 340 m, 29.viii.2013 (D.L. Queiroz) #568 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008114) GoogleMaps ; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Sorriso , S12.4645, W55.7839, 340 m, 25.vii.2014 (L.A. Pezzini) #372 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005646) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, 1 immature, same S12.4536, W55.8071, 370 m, 25.vii.2014 #379 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0005690) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 2 immatures, same but S12.4261, W55.7943, 340 m, 27.ii.2015 #485 ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008121) GoogleMaps ; 5 ♂, 7 ♀, 10 immatures, 4 skins, same but Comunidade Navegantes, S12.4054, W55.8238, 380 m, 26.ii.2015 (D.L. Queiroz ) #676(2) ( NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008115, NMB-PSYLL0008219, NMB-PSYLL0008257, NMB-PSYLL0005462, NMB-PSYLL0008224 [voucher 78-1], NMB-PSYLL0008221 [LSMeltub-25], NMB-PSYLL0008220 [LSMeltub-25]) GoogleMaps ; 11 ♂, 12 ♀, 1 skin, same but Fazenda Mazzardo II, S11.8714, W55.5957, 390 m, 26.ii.2015, Guatteria schomburgkiana (D.L. Queiroz) #678(3) ( NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008284, NMB-PSYLL0008116, NMB-PSYLL0008227 [voucher 25-3], NMB-PSYLL0008222 [LSMeltub-25]) GoogleMaps ; 6 ♂, 5 ♀, same but S11.8714, W55.5957, 390 m, 15.viii.2013 (T. Mazzardo ) ( NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008122, NMB-PSYLL0008230 [voucher 25-3], NMB-PSYLL0008231 [voucher 25-4], NMB-PSYLL0008234) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Tabaporã, Fazenda Crestani , S11.3133 /3366, W55.9616 /9750, 330– 380 m, 6–8.xi.2012, Xylopia aromatica (D. Burckhardt & D.L. Queiroz) #62(9) ( NHMB; 70% slide, ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008299, NMB-PSYLL0008233 [voucher 115-3], NMB-PSYLL0008228 [voucher 115-4]) GoogleMaps ; 3 ♂, 4 ♀, same as holotype but ( NHMB; slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008113, NMB-PSYLL0008223, NMB-PSYLL0008226, NMB-PSYLL0008229 [voucher 115-1]) ; 1 ♂, Terra Nova do Norte , S10.4695, W54.9913, 310 m, 28.v.2016 (L.A. Pezzini) #717 ( NHMB; dry; NMB-PSYLL0005777) GoogleMaps .— MINAS GERAIS: 1 ♂, Paula Cândido , S20.8080, W42.9839, 780 m, 22.viii.2013, coffee plantation with Inga (D.L. Queiroz) #565 ( NHMB; slide; NMB-PSYLL0008232) GoogleMaps .

Description. Adult. Coloration similar to M. francisi sp. nov. but darker.

Structure. Forewing ( Fig. 16E View FIGURE 16 ) ovoid, widest in the middle, broadly and unevenly rounded apically, wing apex situated at the margin of cell r 2 near apex of M 1+2; C+Sc curved in distal third; pterostigma in the middle wider than cell r 1, strongly convex; Rs irregularly convex, strongly curved in apical third; M longer than M 1+2 and M 3+4; Cu 1a moderately convex, ending at M fork; cell cu 1 short and wide; surface spinules present in all cells, very dense, leaving no spinule-free stripes along the veins, rarely spinules forming hexagons of a double row of spinules. Hindwing with 5 + 3–4 grouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 6–7 grouped apical spurs, arranged as 3 + 3–4, anteriorly separated by ca. 5 bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 26G–L View FIGURE 26 ). Male. Proctiger weakly produced produced posteriorly; densely covered with very long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate irregularly ovoid; dorsal margin indented in proximal third, posterior margin almost straight; with dense, long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly lanceolate with flattened lobe in basal half of posterior margin; paramere apex, in lateral view, subacute, directed slightly anteriad, in dorsal view, apex subacute, directed upwards and slightly inwards, with small sclerotised tooth; outer face with dense, moderately long setae in apical two thirds; inner face with dense, moderately long setae in apical half and dense, long setae submedially; posterior margin with very long setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part strongly subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus with dorsal margin distinctly sinuate in basal third; ventral process situated slightly proximal of the middle of segment, spatulate, in lateral view, with narrow base, widest medially and with narrow, claw-like apex slightly curved dorsad; in dorsal view, ventral process broad and subtrapezoidal basally, with a long and narrow, apically truncate median lobe arising from the base ventrally; apical dilation, in lateral view, long, narrow, subparallel-sided, slightly inflated apically, with broadly rounded apex, base bearing a large membranous extension at dorsal margin, in dorsal view, apical dilation weakly constricted or parallel-sided medially; sclerotised end tube very long and almost straight.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, moderately concave, apex upturned, subacute, in dorsal view, apex blunt; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, abruptly narrowing to apex in apical half, apex pointed; in ventral view, apex blunt.

Fifth instar immature. Coloration. Entirely yellow; antenna gradually darkening to apex.

Structure. Eye with one short simple ocular seta dorsally.Antennal segments with following numbers of pointed sectasetae: 1(0), 2(1–2), 3(0), 4(2), 5(0), 6(2), 7(1), 8(1), 9(0), 10(0). Forewing pad with 5–6 marginal pointed sectasetae; hindwing pad with 2 marginal pointed sectasetae; both pads lacking sectasetae dorsally. Tarsal arolium broadly fan-shaped apically, 1.5 times as long as claws. Abdomen with 2–3 lateral pointed sectasetae on each side anterior to caudal plate. Caudal plate with anterior margin close to anterior margin of extra pore fields; with five pointed sectasetae on either side laterally, and three pointed sectasetae subapically, on either side of circumanal ring dorsally. Extra pore fields forming continuous outer and inner bands, consisting of small oval patches; outer band long medially, end pointing outwards. Circumanal ring small.

Host plant. Guatteria schomburgkiana Mart. ( Annonaceae ); adults were also collected on Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. which is a possible host.

Distribution. Brazil (MG, MT).

Derivation of name. From the Latin noun tubulus = a small tube and the verb gerere = to carry, referring to the very long sclerotised end tube of the ductus ejaculatorius.

Comments. Melanastera tubuligera sp. nov. differs from the members of the amazonica -group as indicated in the keys. From M. olgae sp. nov. with which it shares similarities in the forewing venation and terminalia, it differs in the dotted forewing (versus uniformly coloured).