Melanastera smithi ( Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço, 2006 )

61 Melanastera smithi ( Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço, 2006)

( Figs 7H View FIGURE 7 , 13J View FIGURE 13 , 20F View FIGURE 20 , 36A–F View FIGURE 36 , 38B View FIGURE 38 )

Diclidophlebia, Picanço et al. (2005): 3 View in CoL .

Diclidophlebia smithi Burckhardt, Morais & Picanço, 2006: 242 View in CoL .

Melanastera smithi, Burckhardt et al. (2023): 412 .

Material examined. Holotype ♂: Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: Viçosa , S20.7633, W42.8717, 650 m, 3.viii.2004, Miconia calvescens (E.G. Fidelis M.) View in CoL ( NHMB; dry; NMB-PSYLL0008290). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: Brazil: MINAS GERAIS: 5 ♂, 6 ♀, 7 immatures, same as holotype but ( NHMB; dry, slide, 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008291–NMB-PSYLL0008297, NMB- NMB-PSYLL0008288, NMB-PSYLL0008289, NMB-PSYLL0008213, NMB-PSYLL0008214, NMB-PSYLL0008160 NMB-PSYLL0008319 [LSMelsmit], NMB-PSYLL0008215) ; 1 immature, same but 1.i.2006, Miconia calvescens (E.G. Fidelis M.) ( NHMB; 70% ethanol; NMB-PSYLL0008318) .

Amended description. Adult. Coloration. Reddish to yellowish brown; head and thorax with brown dots. Antenna yellow, apices of segments 4, 6, 8–9 and entire segment 10 brown. Mesoscutum with four broad and one narrow, orange or pale brown median longitudinal stripes. Forewing ( Fig. 20F View FIGURE 20 ) amber-coloured with irregular brown dots, very sparse at base, relatively dense apically; apices of pterostigma and of Rs, M 1+2, M 3+4, Cu 1a dark brown, sometimes faint or almost wanting. Femora with dark brown patches. Abdominal sclerites with brown margins.

Structure. Forewing ( Fig. 20F View FIGURE 20 ) oval, widest in the middle, broadly, evenly rounded apically; wing apex situated in cell r 2 near apex of M 1+2; C+Sc weakly curved in distal third; pterostigma distinctly narrower than r 1 cell in the middle, widening to the middle; Rs relatively straight in basal two thirds, obliquely curved to fore margin apically; Cu 1a irregularly convex, ending slightly proximal to M fork; surface spinules present in all cells, leaving very narrow spinule-free stripes along the veins, forming hexagons of a double row of spinules, spinules absent from or sparse in basal third of cell c+sc. Hindwing with 6–10 ungrouped or (3–6) + (3–4) grouped costal setae. Metatibia bearing 7–8 grouped apical spurs, arranged as (3–4) + (4–5), anteriorly separated by 2 or more bristles.

Terminalia ( Fig. 36A–F View FIGURE 36 ). Male. Proctiger produced posteriorly in the middle; densely covered with long setae in apical two thirds. Subgenital plate subglobular; dorsal margin curved; posterior margin slightly convex; with long setae. Paramere, in lateral view, irregularly lanceolate; apex, in lateral view, narrowly blunt, directed upwards and slightly anteriad, in dorsal view, apex subacute, directed upwards, slightly inwards and anteriad, lacking distinct sclerotised tooth; outer and inner faces with dense, moderately long setae; posterior margin with longer setae. Proximal segment of aedeagus with apical part broad, strongly subdivided. Distal segment of aedeagus thick and with weakly sinuate dorsal margin in basal half; ventral process situated slightly proximal to the middle, in lateral view, ovoid, with large tubular apical lobe directed ventrad, in dorsal view, ovoid part much broader than apical dilation, broadest medially; apical dilation narrow, in lateral view, slightly widening to truncate apex, with a small membranous extension at base dorsally; in dorsal view, apical dilation narrow, broadest in apical quarter, with narrowly rounded apex; sclerotised end tube moderately long, weakly curved.—Female terminalia cuneate; densely covered with setae. Dorsal margin of proctiger, in lateral view, slightly convex distal to circumanal ring, weakly concave in apical third, apex pointed, slightly upturned; in dorsal view, apex blunt; circumanal ring, in dorsal view, distinctly cruciform. Subgenital plate, in lateral view, abruptly narrowing to apex in apical third, pointed apically; in ventral view, apex blunt.

Fifth instar immature ( Fig. 38B View FIGURE 38 ). Coloration. Yellow; cephalothoracic sclerite, antenna, wing pads, legs and caudal plate brown.

Structure. Body densely covered with minute lanceolate setae. Eye with one short simple ocular seta dorsally. Antennal segments with following numbers of pointed sectasetae: 1(0), 2(2—one large, one small), 3(0), 4(2), 5(0), 6(2), 7(1), 8(1), 9(0), 10(0). Forewing pad with five marginal pointed sectasetae and densely arranged minute lanceolate setae; hindwing pad with two marginal pointed sectasetae. Tarsal arolium narrowly fan-shaped apically, about as long as claws. Abdomen with two pointed sectasetae laterally on each side anterior to caudal plate. Caudal plate with anterior margin close to anterior margin of extra pore fields; with three pointed sectasetae on either side laterally, and 3–4 (1 or 2 + 2) pointed sectasetae near circumanal ring on weak tubercles on either side dorsally. Extra pore fields forming continuous outer and inner bands, consisting of small and large oval and rounded patches; outer band long medially, end pointing outwards. Circumanal ring small.

Host plant. Miconia calvescens DC. ( Melastomataceae ).

Distribution. Brazil (MG) ( Picanço et al. 2005, as Diclidophlebia sp. ; Burckhardt et al. 2006b; de Morais et al. 2008, 2010, 2013, as Diclidophlebia smithi ).

Comments. Melanastera smithi differs from the other species of the smithi -group as indicated in the keys (see also comments under M. cinerascentis sp. nov.).

In view of the control of Miconia calvenscens on several Pacific islands, de Morais et al. (2008, 2010, 2013) studied several aspects of the biology and life history of M. smithi .

Ungrouped species