Proceedings ofthe United StatesNational MuseumSMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ? WASHINGTON, D.C.
Volume 123 1967 Number 3620
Neotropical Microlepidoptera, XV
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Review of Genus Thioscelis(Lepidoptera: Stenomidae)
By W. Donald DuckworthAssociate Curator, Division of Lepidoptera
This paper represents part of a continuing study of the Neotropicalmoths of the family Stenomidae and presents for the first time, sincethe genus Thioscelis Meyrick was established in 1909, illustrations,descriptions, distributions, and keys to all the known species. Inaddition, during the course of the study, three new species wereencountered and are described herein.
1 Prepared with the aid of a National Science Foundation Grant. Previousparts of this same series are: I and II, Clarke, 1962, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol.113, no. 3457, pp. 373-388; III, Clarke, 1964, ibid., vol. 115, no. 3480, pp. 61-84;IV, Duckworth, 1964, ibid., vol. 116, no. 3497, pp. 97-114; V, Obraztsov, 1964,ibid., vol. 116, no. 3501, pp. 183-196; VI, Clarke, 1964, ibid., vol. 116, no. 3502,pp. 197-204; VII, Obraztsov, 1966, ibid., vol. 118, no. 3527, pp. 221-232; VIII,Duckworth, 1966, ibid., vol. 118, no. 3531, pp. 391-404; IX, Obraztsov, 1966,ibid., vol. 118, no. 3535, pp. 577-622; X, Duckworth, 1966, ibid., vol. 119, no. 3540,pp. 1-6; XI, Obraztsov, 1966, ibid., vol. 119, no. 3543, pp. 1-12; XII, Duckworth,1967, ibid., vol. 122, no. 3585, pp. 1-38; XIII, Duckworth, 1967, ibid., vol. 122,no. 3590, pp. 1-8; XIV, Clarke, 1967, ibid., vol. 122, no. 3591, pp. 1-8. 1
2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 123Although the moths composing the genus Thioscelis are among thelargest and most striking in the family Stenomidae, they are relativelyrare in collections. Thus, the distributional data presented is frag-mentary and, at best, merely reflects the state of current knowledgeconcerning the genus. Certainly a great deal more collecting mustbe done before an}^ reasonable speculations can be made concerningthe zoogeography of the group. Also, host plant records and otherlife cycle data are completely lacking at this time, emphasizing onceagain the critical need for increased field activity in the Neotropics.The author wishes to acknowledge with thanks the cooperation andaid of the following persons who have allowed him to study the typesand specimens in their charge: Mr. P. E. S. Whalley and Mr. AllanWatson of the British Museum (Natural History) ; Dr. J. G. Francle-mont of Cornell University; and Dr. Fritz Kasy of the Naturhis-torisches Museum, Vienna.The author also wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Mrs.Sandra Duckworth in all phases of the study. The map and linedrawings were prepared by Mr. Andre Pizzini and the photographsby Mr. Jack Scott.Work on this paper was aided in part by the National ScienceFoundation on Grant GB-1800.HistoryThe genus Thioscelis was described by Meyrick (1909, p. 29) for anew species, T. directrix, that he described from two specimenscollected in Peru. Walsingham (1912, p. 153) listed the genus forCentral America based on a specimen from Costa Rica in the U.S.National Museum determined by A. Busck as T. directrix. Meyrick(1932, p. 287) described a second species, T. geranomorpha, fromBrazil. Busck (1934, p. 6) listed Thioscelis and the two describedspecies in the Stenomidae part of the "Lepidopterorum Catalogus"series. Clarke (1955, pp. 380-381) selected a lectotype and illustratedthe wings and male genitalia of T. directrix in his study of the Meyricktypes in the British Museum (Natural History)
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Genus Thioscelis MeyrickThioscelis Meyrick, 1909, p. 29.Type-species: Thioscelis directrix Meyrick, by monotypy.Head rough, lateral tufts spreading. Labial palpus long, recurved,extending above head; second segment with appressed scales; apicalsegment acute at apex, slightly shorter than second. Foreleg short,tibia much dilated with dense scales; midleg normal, tibia covered
no. 3620 MICROLEPIDOPTERA, XV?DUCKWORTH 3
with dense scales; liindleg greatly elongated, tibia very long, denselyscaled dorsally and ventrally, tarsus longer than tibia, thickened withdense scales dorsally, tufted toward apex. Forewing with costaarched at base, straight beyond, apex square, termen straight, tornusrounded; with 12 veins, 2-5 approximate at base, 6-9 approximate atbase, 7 to termen, 11 from middle of cell. Hindwing broader thanforewing; with 8 veins, 3 and 4 connate, 5 approximate to 3 and 4, 6and 7 approximate at base.Male genitalia: Uncus long, somewhat recurved; gnathos complete,apex acute, hooklike; subscaphium absent; harpe with variouslyshaped ampulla clothed with short, heavy spines, furcate setae present;anellus large, sheathlike, with two digitate, setiferous lateral lobes;aedeagus simple, cornuti absent.Female genitalia: Ostium bursae sclerotized; ductus bursae mem-branous; inception of ductus seminalis near ostium; corpus bursaemembranous, with signum a small, lightly sclerotized spot.This genus is recognized easily owing to the large size of the mothsthat compose it and the extreme development of their hindlegs.Meyrick (1909, p. 30) first noted the unusual hindleg length in hisremarks on T. directrix: "A singular insect; the actual length ofposterior leg is, femur 3 mm., tibia 14 mm., tarsus 24 mm.; total 41mm." Inasmuch as biological data is lacking completely for thisgenus, it is impossible to determine the function or value of such longand seemingly awkward legs at this time. It is hoped that thispublication and others, either published or to be published, on thegenera composing the family Stenomidae will stimulate workers inLatin America to conduct biological studies that will help elucidatesuch problems.The possibility that the legs of the moths in this genus mightprovide characters useful at the specific level was investigated duringthe course of this study. The results achieved were not conclusiveowing primarily to the lack of sufficient numbers of specimens withintact legs. The great length of the hindlegs, three times the lengthof the abdomen in some species, results in frequent breakage or com-plete loss by handling, shipping, etc. As a result, the data gathered areconsidered to be too incomplete for presentation at this time.The genitalia provide a number of distinguishing characters for thegenus. The most outstanding male character is the development of aprominent ampulla bearing short, heavy setae. The size and shape ofthis ampulla varies among the species and provides reliable charactersfor then- recognition. Because the female of only one species, T.geranomorpha, is known, it is impossible to determine the characters ofgeneric significance in the female genitalia.
4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 123Key to Species of ThioscelisBASED ON MACULATION1. Hindwing ochreous shaded with gray 2Hindwing dark brown to black 42. Forewing with subterrainal line a series of black dots; with two black spots atapex 3Forewing with subterminal line a solid black line; without spots at apex.T. lipara, new species3. Forewing with subterminal line with strong outward arch.T. directrix MeyrickForewing with subterminal line with only a slight outward arch.T. whalleyi, new species4. Forewing light brown; subterminal line a solid black line.T. geranomorpha MeyrickForewing dark brown; subterminal line a faint series of black dots.T. fuscata, new speciesBASED ON MALE GENITALIA1. Ampulla rounded at apex; apex of gnathos slender 3Ampulla acute at apex, falciform; apex of gnathos broad.T. lipara, new species2. Harpe with apical region longer than ampulla 4Harpe with apical region equal or slightly longer than ampulla; ampullalarge, clublike with tendency for slight counterclockwise twist at apicalhalf T. directrix Meyrick3. Ampulla slender, digitate T. fuscata, new speciesAmpulla broad, expanded basally T. whalleyi, new speciesThioscelis directrix MeyrickFigures 1, 2, 5, 6; Plate 1 (Fig. 1); Map 1Thioscelis directrix Meyrick, 1909, p. 30.Alar expanse 54-63 mm.Antenna dark brown. Head light brown; second segment of labialpalpus black externally on basal half, apical segment dark brownanteriorly. Legs light brown, femora white, midtibia white, yellowabove toward base, hind tibia yellow orange dorsally, white ventrally,separated by a dark brown lateral line, mid- and hind tarsi dark brownto black. Thorax light brown dorsally, white ventrally. Abdomenyellow dorsally, white ventrally. Forewing light brown, paler andwhitish tinged at base of costa; costal edge ochreous basally, darkbrown beyond ; an area of ill-defined black spots on median third nearcosta; outwardly curving transverse subterminal line of black dotsfrom costa to dorsum; two ill-defined black spots at apex; a terminalline of black dots from apex to dorsum. Cilia ochreous, shaded withbrown from midtermen to apex. Hindwing ochreous heavily over-layed with gray. Cilia ochreous tinged with yellow orange.Male genitalia (slide WDD 3661): Uncus slightly recurved, some-what concave ventrally, apex variable, generally with slight notch but
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3620 MICROLEPIDOPTERA, XV?DUCKWORTH 5occasionally may be forked; apex of gnathos slender, acute; harpewith apical region equal or slightly longer than ampulla, ampullalarge, clublike with tendency for slight counterclockwise twist atapical half.Female genitalia: Unknown.Type: In the British Museum (Natural History).Type-locality: El Porvenir, Peru.Distribution: Peru: El Porvenir, south Peru, 3300 ft. (no date)Sani Beni, Lima (August); north Peru (no date); Peru (no date)Huancabamba, east Peru, 6000-10,000 ft. (no date). BoliviaChimate, 760 m. (September). Costa Rica: Tuis (May, June).This species is recognized easily by the large clublike ampulla inthe male genitalia. In maculation it is very similar to the followingspecies T. whalleyi, the principle difference being the more pronouncedoutward curviture of the sub terminal line on the forewing.Walsingham (1912, p. 153) listed T. directrix as occurring in CentralAmerica on the basis of a specimen in the U.S. National Museumdetermined by A. Busck. Meyrick (1932, p. 288) questioned thisrecord, stating: "Walsingham (Biol. C.-Am. iv, 153) records T.directrix from Costa Rica, on the authority of Mr. Busck; it is moreprobable geographically that the species intended is geranomor'pha"I have studied the specimen in question and compared it with thetypes of both T. directrix and T. geranomorpha and find that Busck'sdetermination was correct. The distribution pattern this producesis not uncommon in the family and actually is more feasible geo-graphically than that suggested by Meyrick.Thioscelis whalleyi, new speciesFigures 4, 7, 8; Plate 1 (Fig. 2); Map 1Alar expanse 50-52 mm.Antenna, head, legs, thorax, and abdomen as for T. directrix.Forewing as in T. directrix except subterminal line straighter, arisingnearer apex on costa. Hindwing as for T. directrix.Male genitalia (slide WDD 3660, paratype): Uncus slightly re-curved, somewhat expanded at apex; gnathos as for T. directrix; harpewith apical region longer than ampulla, ampulla short, expandedbasally on ventral margin.Female genitalia : Unknown.Type: In the United States National Museum, no. 69513.Type-locality: Campo Bello Rio, Brazil.Distribution: Brazil: Campo Bello Rio, Goiaz (January); Rio deJaneiro (January)
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Described from the male holotype: "No. 9, Campo Bello Rio,Brazil, Jan. 30, 1929"; one male paratype: "No. 9, Campo Bello Rio,256-176?67 2
6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 123Brazil, Jan. 10, 1931"; three male paratypes: "(J. F. Ziran), No. 9,Rio de Janeiro, 31-1-29, 1-3-27, 28-1-30."The species is related closely to the preceeding one, T. directrix;however, the short ampulla expanded basally in the male genitaliaserves to distinguish T. whalleyi from all other species.The maculation distinction between the two species was describedin the remarks on T. directrix.I take great pleasure in naming this species for my friend and col-league Mr. P. E. S. Whalley, lepidopterist at the British Museum(Natural History), who has been of great aid in my study of thefamily Stenomidae. Thioscelis lipara, new speciesFigures 9, 10; Plate 1 (Fig. 3); Map 1Alar expanse 53 mm.Antenna light brown. Head as for T. directrix. Legs as in T.directrix except hind tibia with less pronounced dark brown lateralline. Thorax and abdomen as for T. directrix. Forewing ochreous,overlaid with light brown; a small, distinct S-shaped black spot onmedian third near costa surrounded by a small patch of ill-definedblack dots; transverse subterminal and terminal lines complete ratherthan composed of dots as in previous two species, only slightly curved.Cilia ochreous. Hindwing ochreous lightly overlaid with gray.Cilia ochreous.Male genitalia (slide WDD 3658, type) : Uncus recurved, swollenat apex, with distinct apical groove; apex of gnathos broad, acute;harpe with apical region equal to or slightly shorter than ampulla,ampulla falciform, outwardly curved.Female genitalia : Unknown.Type: In the British Museum (Natural History).Type-locality : Fonte Boa, Amazonas, Brazil.Distribution: Known only from the type-locality.Described from the male holotype (S. M. Klages), Fonte Boa,Amazonas, May 1906.This species is distinguished easily by the falciform ampulla andbroad apex of the gnathos in the male genitalia. On maculation itdiffers in having a small, distinct S-shaped black spot on the medianthird of the forewing near the costa.Thioscelis geranomorpha MeyrickFigure 3; Plate 1 (Fig. 4); Map 1Thioscelis geranomorpha Meyrick, 1932, p. 287.Alar expanse 55-60 mm.Antenna light brown, becoming darker apically. Head light brown,face whitish; second segment of labial palpus light brown with dark
PROC. U.S. NAT. MUS. VOL. 123 DUCKWORTH?PLATE 1
Left wings: 1, T. directrix Meyrick; 2, T. whalleyi, new species; 3, T. lipara, new species;4, T. geranomorpha Meyrick; 5, T. fuscata, new species.

no. 3620 MICROLEPIDOPTERA, XV?DUCKWORTH 7brown scaling basally, apical segment dark brown. Legs as forT. directrix. Thorax light brown. Abdomen yellow dorsally, base ofsegments 2-4 irregularly gray; white ventrally. Forewing narrowerapically than for T. directrix, apex rectangular; light brown irregularlyshaded with darker scaling, maculation as for T. directrix except sub-terminal and terminal transverse lines solid, irregular black shadingat apex. Cilia light brown. Hindwings dark brown to black. Cilialight brown with a dark brown median shade.Male genitalia : Unknown.Female genitalia (slide WDD 3325, type) : Lamella antevaginalisbroadly notched on posterior margin; lamella postvaginalis with deepmedian groove.Type : In the Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria.Type-locality: Petropolis, Brazil.Distribution: Brazil: Petropolis (March); Sao Paulo (March).This species is separated readily from all others in the genus on thebasis of wing shape and maculation. The subterminal line on theforewing is solid, and the apex is much more rectangular than in theother species. Since the females of the other species are not known,it is impossible to compare the characters found in the genitalia.Thioscelis fuscata, new speciesFigures 11, 12; Plate 1 (Fig. 5); Map 1Alar expanse 46 mm.Antenna light brown basally, dark brown beyond. Head, legs asfor T. directrix. Thorax dark brown dorsally, tegula lighter. Ab-domen as for T. directrix. Forewing dark brown, lighter on costabasally, median third with ill-defined black spotting; subterminaltransverse line a faint series of black dots; terminal line barely dis-tinguishable. Cilia dark brown, somewhat lighter basally. Hind-wing dark brown to black. Cilia as for forewing.Male genitalia (slide WDD 3566, type): Uncus short, recurved,enlarged at apex; apex of gnathos slender at apex, acute; harpe withapex much longer than ampulla; ampulla small, slender, digitate.Female genitalia: Unknown.Type: In the British Museum (Natural History).Type-locality: La Oroya, Rio Inambari, Junin, 3100 ft., Peru.Distribution: Known only from the type-locality.Described from the male holotype (G. Ockenden), La Oroya, R.Inambari, Peru, September 1904, 3100 ft., dry seas.The small, slender, digitate ampulla in the male genitalia readilydistinguishes this species from all others in the genus.The dark brown fore- and hindwings is the most distinctive super-ficial character.
8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 123Literature CitedBtjsck, A.1934. Stenomidae. In Junk, Lepidopterorum catalogus, vol. 67, pp. 1-73.CliAKKE, J. F. G.1955. Catalogue of the type specimens of Microlepidoptera in the BritishMuseum (Natural History) described by Edward Meyrick, vol. 2.London, England: British Museum.Meyrick, E.1909. Descriptions of Micro-Lepidoptera from Bolivia and Peru. Trans.Ent. Soc. London, 1909, pp. 13-43.1932. Exotic Microlepidoptera, vol. 4, pp. 287-288.Walsingham, L.1912. Lepidoptera-Heterocera. Vol. 4 [BMNH, vol. 42] in Godman andSalvin, Biologia Centrali-Americana, pp. 1-482.
MICROLEPIDOPTERA, XV?DUCKWORTH
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Figures 1-4.? T. directrix Meyrick: 1, lateral view of head; 2, wing venation. T. gerano-morpha Meyrick: 3, ventral view of female genitalia. T. whalleyi, new species: 4, legs(scales removed).
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Figures 5?12.?'Ventral view of male genitalia (aedeagus removed) : 5, T. directrix Meyrick;7, T. whalleyi, new species; 9, T. lipara, new species; 11, T.fuscata, new species. Aedea-gus: 6, T. directrix Meyrick; 8, T. whalleyi, new species; 10, T. lipara, new species; 12,T.fuscata, new species.
MICROLEPIDOPTERA, XV?DUCKWORTH 11