(FIGS 24, 25, 59, 60, 92, 109, 110, 137)

Hemipecten acutipennis Schaus, 1905: 340. Hemipectrona vinnea Schaus, 1921: 391.

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SPINULATA IN COSTA RICA

1a. Hindwing dark brown; fringe lighter................................................................................................... 2

1b. Hing wing creamy white to light tan; fringe similar to hindwing............................................................. 3

2a. Forewing with transverse row of medial spots absent (Figs 26, 27).................................................... manes

2b. Forewing with transverse row of medial spots present, and a series of brown spots between medial row and base of wing (Fig. 28)..................................................................................................... oblongata sp. nov.

3a. Forewing with numerous bands of narrow, transverse striae parallel to termen (Figs 29, 30).................................................................................................................................................. quasivinnea sp. nov.

3b. Forewing with few bands of wide, obliquely transverse striae, almost convergent at apex (Figs 24, 25).................................................................................................................................................... acutipennis

Cossula vinnea (Schaus, 1921). Donahue, 1995: 126. [syn. nov.]

Cossula acutipennis (Schaus, 1905). Donahue, 1995: 126.

Male (Fig. 24): Forewing length: 14–21 mm

Head: Antenna cream; labial palpus cream, irrorated with light brown ventrally, mostly brown dorsally; frons mostly cream to cream irrorated with brown; vertex cream, irrorated with rusty-brown.

Thorax: Patagia same colour as vertex; dorsum and tegula mostly cream to cream, irrorated with rustybrown; pleura cream; venter cream to cream and brown; legs same as venter, with tarsi mostly brown, irrorated with cream. Forewing mostly cream with some light brown; costal margin greyish brown to brown, with some brown striae; a large dark rustybrown spot in discal cell, with two smaller, dark rusty-brown spots falling in a line immediately below discal spot; a series of lateral greyish brown striae along termen; fringe creamy light brown; forewing cream to cream and light brown ventrally; costal margin rusty-brown with some striae; rusty-brown discal spot present, with brown, obliquely transverse striae along termen. Hindwing cream to creamy light brown dorsally and ventrally; fringe with same colour variation as hindwing.

Abdomen: All cream dorsally and ventrally, intermixed with light brown and rusty-brown dorsally and lighter in colour ventrally.

Male genitalia (Figs 59, 60, 92): Valva subtrapezoidal, approximately 0.8¥ length of genital capsule; gnathos–uncus expanse approximately 0.7¥ length of genital capsule. Saccular process a triangular patch of blunt spines ending along basal margin of valva; juxta process truncate and mostly fused to valva; gnathos arms long; gnathos bridge minutely rugose and broadly curved as viewed posterio-ventrally, with degree of curvature variable; bridge trilobed to varying degrees as viewed dorsally; uncus elongate and digitiform, with acute apex. Aedoeagus strongly curved, tapering to a slender, acute apex as viewed laterally; apex rounded as viewed ventrally; coecum strongly swollen dorsally.

Female (Fig. 25): Forewing length: 18–18.5 mm.

Head: Similar to male.

Thorax: Similar to male. Hindwing creamy greybrown dorsally and ventrally.

Abdomen: Creamy grey-brown dorsally, mostly cream ventrally.

Female genitalia (Figs 109, 110): Sternite 8 well developed and triangular, with sides slightly concave; intersegmental membrane between abdominal sternites 7 and 8 developed, sclerotized, sculptured with numerous cuticular pits, ridges and wrinkles; small sclerotized ridge immediately above ostium; ductus bursae short, curved and with many longitudinal cuticular wrinkles; corpus bursae somewhat small and oblong, approximately 0.6¥ length of bursa copulatrix.

Distribution: Guatemala and Costa Rica, south through northern South America to Brazil.

Types: ♂ (holotype, vinnea), FRENCH GUIANA: St. Laurent du Maroni, Schaus, type No. 9014, (USNM) [examined]. ♂ (holotype, acutipennis), GUATEMALA: Cayuga, May, Schaus & Barnes, type No. 23449, (USNM) [examined].

Material examined: BOLIVIA: Río Songo, 750 m: 1 ♂, Fassl, slide USNM 85733, (USNM). Provincia del Sara, 450 m: 1 ♀, J.Steinbach (CM). BRAZIL: MATTO GROSSO: Campo Bello, Río Zikán: 2 ♂, slide USNM 85603, (USNM); Chapada dos Guimaraes: 3 ♂, 25.v.1989, V. Becker, slide USNM 85682 (VOB, USNM). SANTA CATHARINA: 1 ♂, Fritz Hoffmann, slide USNM 85734, (USNM). ESPIRITU SANTO: Linhares, 40 m: 1 ♂, 25–30.i.1998, V. Becker, slide USNM 85736 (USNM). SAO PAULO: Cotia, Morro Grande, 900 m: 1 ♂, 16–17.i.2001, V. Becker, (VOB). RONDONIA: Vilhena, 600 m: 1 ♂, 2–4.xii.1992, V. Becker, slide USNM 85735, (USNM). PARA: Belem, 20 m: 1 ♀, i.1984, V. Becker, (VOB). COLOMBIA: VALLE: C. C. Hq., Bajo Calima, 300 ft: 3 ♂, 11.i.1985, J. B. Sullivan, slides USNM 85611, 85684, (USNM). COSTA RICA: GUANACASTE: Los Almendros, P. N. Guanacaste, 300 m: 1 ♂, 3–25.x.1993, E. Lopez, (INBio); Casa Oeste, Cerro El Hacha, 12 km SE La Cruz, 300 m: 1 ♂, x.1987, A. Chacon, slide USNM 85790, (INBio); Santa Rosa National Park, 300 m: 1 ♂, xii.1983, D. H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs, slide USNM 85674, (USNM). FRENCH GUIANA: St. Jean du Maroni: 2 ♂, W. Schaus, Le Moult, slide USNM 85651, (USNM). St. Laurent du Maroni: 2 ♂, Dognin, slide 96029, 1 ♀, July, Le Moult, slide USNM 85098, (USNM). GUATEMALA: Chajel: 1 ♀, August, Schaus & Barnes, (USNM); Quirigua: 2 ♂, iii, 2 ♂, iv, 2 ♂, v, Schaus & Barnes, slides USNM 85618, 85741, 96109, 96110, 96139, SRD 004 (USNM). Sayache Petem: 1 ♂, 12.vii.1972, V. Becker, slide USNM 85683, (VOB). GUYANA: Bartica: 1 ♂, 2.iii.1913, R. S. Parish, 1 ♂, 29.iii.1913, Parrish, (CM). Mazaruni- Potaro District, Takutu Mountains: 1 ♀, 13.xii.1983, 1 ♂, 16.xii.1983, EARTHWATCH Research Expedition, W. E. Steiner & P. J. Spangler, slides USNM 85122, 85671, (USNM). PERU: Yurimaguas, R. Huallaga: 1 ♂, 6.vi.1920 (CM). VENEZUELA: BOLIVAR: 10 km S. of km 88, at Piedra de Virgen, 1 ♂, 20 March 1982, G. F. & J. F. Hevel, slide USNM 85673, (USNM). 1 ♀, Itatiaya (Rio), (CM).

Host: Unknown.

Flight period: Adults have been collected throughout the year over the broad range of this species.

Discussion: The species group consisting of vinnea, acutipennis and quasivinnea has been difficult to resolve. Although the holotypes of vinnea and acutipennis appear superficially distinct, examination of the large series available indicates their synonymy by revealing an essentially complete, intermediate range of variability in wing pattern and genital morphology. Spinulata quasivinnea differs from acutipennis in possessing distinct transverse striae over the forewing.

Two other South American species closely resemble acutipennis: Spinulata julius from Brazil and an undescribed species that occurs in eastern South America, through Ecuador, Peru and parts of Brazil. Spinulata julius is the largest in size of the three and possesses a light rusty-brown discal spot on the forewing, compared with the dark brown to fuscous spots present in the other two species. The undescribed species from eastern South America differs from acutipennis in having the three medial spots fused into one enlarged, elongate spot.