Boenasa keegani Laguerre, 2024

Description of Boenasa keegani Laguerre sp. n.

ZooBank:https://zoobank.org/ C2FBDC0F-A938-4DEF-81FD-B6C963504DA3

Holotype, ♂, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, La Vega, 15 km N. Jarabacoa, 240 m, 21-VII-1987, J.E. Rawlins & R.L. Davidson leg. Dissected Gen. ML3875 (light-blue manuscript label). In CMNH.

Paratypes

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

3 ♂ & 2 ♀, Baoruco. Sierra de Neiba, Los Guineos on upper Río Colorado , 18°35' N 71°11' W, 630 m, 11.12-VIII-1990, J. Rawlins & S. Thompson leg. Mesic riparian woodland.

GoogleMaps

5 ♂ & 1 ♀, Azua, East side of crest, Sierra Martín García , 7 km WNW Barrero, 25.26- VII-1992, 860 m, 18°21' N 70°58'W, C. Young, R. Davidson, S. Thompson, J. Rawlins leg. GoogleMaps 11 ♂, San Juan, 7 km N. Arroyo Cano , 1 km S. Los Frios, 1-IX-1995, 1120 m, 18°52' N 71°01' W, J. Rawlins, G. Onore, R. Davidson leg. GoogleMaps

1 ♀, Elias Piña, North slope of Sierra de Neiba , 2 km SW Canada, 7 km WSW Hondo Valley, 29-VIII-1995, 980 m, 18°42' N 71°45' W GoogleMaps .

1 ♂, La Vega, 4.1 km SW El Convento , 14-XI-2002, 1710 m, 18°50.37' N 70°42.48' W, W.A. Zanol, C.W. Young, C. Staresinic, J. Rawlins leg. GoogleMaps

3 ♂ & 8 ♀, La Vega, 15 km N Jarabacoa , 21-VII-1987, 240 m, J. Rawlins, R. Davidson leg.

1 ♂ & 1 ♀, La Vega, 5 km SSE Jarabacoa , 25-VII-1987, 640 m, J. Rawlins leg.

6 ♀, La Vega, Bayacanes , 24-VII-1987, 120 m, J. Rawlins, R. Davidson leg. In CMNH.

Diagnosis. – A small species with unmarked black forewings and hindwings bordered partially by thin black area, pinkish-orange in males or bright red in females. The head dorsum and collar are strongly contrasting creamy-white.

Male ( Fig. 6 View Fig )

FWL = 7 mm and WS = 15 mm. – Head. Antennae thin and ciliate, black with the first 5-6 antennomeres and terminal 3 rd of antennae creamy yellow. Palpi black. Vertex creamy white. Patagia creamy white. – Thorax. Thorax and tegulae black, thorax venter brownish black. – Abdomen. Abdomen covered with orange red hairs. Legs dark brown. – Wings. Forewings plain black. Hindwings plain pinkish orange with long hairs on the anal border and a thin black at least partial margin on termen and costal margin, nearly completely upturned with venter facing dorsally and vice versa. Below similar to upperside.

Variations. In some of the specimens housed in Carnegie Museum there is a red mark near the tornus in the subterminal area, and in other specimens a light-brown subterminal band.

Genitalia male ( Fig. 7 View Fig ).

Genitalia symmetrical. Uncus long and narrow, with a pointed tip, evenly bent downwards. Valvae short, extending posteriorly slightly beyond base of uncus. Valvae strong, narrowed in the distal half after a strong toothlike process of the distal sacculus pointing inward towards the central body axis of the moth. Presence of membranous subscaphium. Vinculum evenly rounded with a small saccus. Aedeagus short and cylindrical. Vesica with a row of cornuti and two small patches of spicules.

Female ( Fig. 6 View Fig )

FWL = 8 mm and WS = 15 mm. Similar to male but larger and without upturned hindwings. The forewings background color is lighter, dark brown whereas the hindwings background color is darker, bright red, the thin black border present also on costa.

Etymology. – Named in honor of Kevin Keegan, Insect Collection Manager at Carnegie Museum of Natural History who provided the totality of the new material.

Early stages. – Unknown.

Distribution. – Presently known from low altitude localities in the northern part of the Dominican Republic. Common across its range.

The third species exhibits also the very special upturned hindwings but the size is noticeably larger, the color pattern is not chocolate brown and pink but plain dull brown and the male genitalia are no longer symmetrical but largely asymmetrical. For all these reasons we decided not to include it in the genus Boenasa and we describe a new genus below under the name Neoboenasa gen. n. to recall the specificity of the hindwings shape.