Steleops caliensis, González-Obando & Calderón-Martínez & Carrejo-Gironza & Manchola, 2025

Steleops caliensis sp. nov.

( Figs 76–88 View FIGURES 76–82 View FIGURES 83–88 )

Diagnosis. Belonging to the albertonetoi group. Unlike S. albertonetoi and S. machupicchuensis , it has forewing with brown spots in the medial and radial cells ( Figs 76 View FIGURES 76–82 and 83 View FIGURES 83–88 ). It differs from S. ecuadorensis sp. nov. for presenting the medial spines of the hypandrium that are thinner and straighter ( Fig. 81 View FIGURES 76–82 ). From S. huilensis sp. nov., due to the hypandrium's spines being wider, longer and straighter.

Male. Color (On plate and 80% ethanol). Head ( Fig. 78 View FIGURES 76–82 ) cream to yellow, with Y-shaped brown spot from the base of the compound eyes to the anteclypeus, ocellar tubercle dark brown to ochre, black compound eyes. Legs cream yellow, coxae basally brown. Forewings mostly hyaline ( Fig. 76 View FIGURES 76–82 ), with some brown spots on the cells and veins. Hindwings ( Fig. 77 View FIGURES 76–82 ) completely hyaline, with brown veins. Epiproct ( Fig. 100 View FIGURES 96–102 ) and paraprocts ( Fig. 101 View FIGURES 96–102 ) pale brown. Hypandrium ( Fig. 102 View FIGURES 96–102 ) and phallosome brown ( Fig. 103 View FIGURES 103–109 ).

Morphology. As in diagnosis, plus the following: Head ( Fig. 78 View FIGURES 76–82 ): H/MxW: 1.00; compound eyes large, pedunculated, H/D: 2.17; IO/MxW: 0.74. Vertex shaped like a wide inverted arch, below upper level of compound eyes. Outer cusp of lacinial tips with two very short and widened denticles or neither; Mx4/Mx2: 1.18. Forewings ( Fig. 76 View FIGURES 76–82 ): L/W: 2.54. Pterostigma curved distally: lp/wp: 3.46, areola postica: al/ah: 2.00. Hindwings ( Fig. 77 View FIGURES 76–82 ): l/w: 2.71. Hypandrium symmetrical ( Fig. 81 View FIGURES 76–82 ), with tongue-shaped medial band covered by abundant papillae, with two lateral reniform lamellar processes that bend towards the medial part of the hypandrium; with two pairs of fusiform, well-sclerotized processes (acuminate), the posterior pair thicker and longer. Hypandrium arms narrow and curved inwards. Phallosome ( Fig. 82 View FIGURES 76–82 ) rhomboid, a closed frame, phallobase anteriorly projected, proximally somewhat widened and sclerotized only on its margins; left paramere, poorly developed, in the form of a poorly sclerotized lobe; right paramere well developed, distally rounded; aedeagus distally acuminate and posteriorly curved, one of its margins with sharp small teeth. Epiproct piriform, ( Fig. 100 View FIGURES 96–102 ) projected onto the clunium as a long, narrow, and apically rounded medial anterior process. Paraprocts ( Fig. 80 View FIGURES 76–82 ) semi-oval in lateral view, with apical medial process substraight, shorter than the body of the paraproct and slightly rounded apically, sensory fields with 38 trichobothria on basal rosettes.

Measurements (microns). FW: 3875, HW: 2775, F: 850, T: 1700, t1: 750, t2: 925, ctt1: 33, f1: 1025, f2: 900, Mx4: 200, IO: 480, d: 260, D: 300, IO/d: 1.85, PO: 0.87

Female. Color (On plate and 80% ethanol). Essentially as in male. Forewings ( Fig. 83 View FIGURES 83–88 ) with spots like those of the male, but more extended, forming stripes; veins brown. Epiproct, paraprocts, leaflets and subgenital plate pale brown.

Morphology. As in diagnosis, plus the following: Head ( Fig. 85 View FIGURES 83–88 ): H/MxW: 1.24; compound eyes large, pedunculated, H/D: 2.29; IO/MxW: 0.69. Vertex cleft with sinuous edges, V–shaped wide, below upper level of compound eyes. Genae sinuous. Outer cusp of lacinial tips with four short denticles; Mx4/Mx2: 2.22. Forewings ( Fig. 83 View FIGURES 83–88 ): L/W: 2.65. Pterostigma: lp/wp: 3.09, areola postica: al/ah: 1.33. Hindwings ( Fig. 84 View FIGURES 83–88 ): l/w: 2.79. Subgenital plate bell-shaped ( Fig. 86 View FIGURES 83–88 ), with four long subapical setae and numerous shorter apical setae. Gonapophyses ( Fig. 88 View FIGURES 83–88 ) with long and narrow ventral valve, sub rectangular, dorsal valve with narrow and short lateroapical process, oval external valve with wide subtriangular medial apical process. Ninth sternum with bilobular anterior margin, posterior margin sub straight, gonopore demarcated by well-defined pigmented area ( Fig. 88 View FIGURES 83–88 ). Epiproct ( Fig. 86 View FIGURES 83–88 ) subtrapezoidal. Paraprocts ( Fig. 86 View FIGURES 83–88 ) subtriangular, sensory fields with 24 trichobothria on basal rosettes.

Measurements (microns). FW: 3400, HW: 2550, F: 830, T: 1625, t1: 740, t2: 180, ctt1: 33, Mx4: 210, f1: 725, f2: 725, f3: 625, IO: 430, D: 360, d: 280, IO/d: 1.54.

Material studied. Holotype Male. COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca. Santiago de Cali. San Antonio. Farm San Francisco. 3°29’30.7’’N: 76°37’09.0’’W. 1875 m. 15.i.2012. R. González. On tree bark. Musenuv slide code: 32190 GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 1 female. Same data as holotype, Musenuv slide code: 32191 GoogleMaps . 1 male, Santiago de Cali. Quebrada Honda. 3° 26' 01.8''N 76° 38' 40.3''W. 1900 m. 23.i.2013. Musenuv slide code: 32192. N. Calderon and R. González. On tree bark GoogleMaps . 1 female. Same location and collector. 03.i.2013. Musenuv slide code: 32193 .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the municipality of Santiago de Cali, the town where the studied specimens were collected.