Description of Boenasa davidsoni Laguerre sp. n.

ZooBank:https://zoobank.org/ 8AB308A8-CC3A-45B0-ADEC-0543CB0EC040

Holotype, ♂, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Pedernales, La Abeja, 38 NNW Cabo Rojo, (18°09' N 71°38' W). 1160 m, 13-VII-1987, J.E. Rawlins & R.L. Davidson leg. Dissected Gen. ML3874 (light-blue manuscript label). In CMNH.

Paratypes, 4 ♂ & 3 ♀, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, same data as holotype. In CMNH.

Diagnosis. – A small species with chocolate brown forewings with a pinkish basal streak. Hindwings unmarked and light pink. Head and collar pinkishcream and strongly contrasting.

Male (Fig. 4 on top)

FWL = 7 mm and WS = 15 mm.– Head. Antennae thin and ciliate, light pink. Palpi black. Vertex pinkish beige. Patagia pinkish beige with some reddish hairs. – Thorax. Thorax including tegulae brownish black. – Abdomen. Abdomen covered with orange red hairs, darker towards base. – Wings. Forewings chocolate brown with a pink streak from base to mid internal border. A thin blackish lineon the termen margin.Hindwings plainpinkish red withlong hairs on the anal border, nearly completely upturned with venter facing dorsally and vice versa. Below similar to upperside: forewings dark brownish with a large reddish patch on disk and hindwings plain pinkish red.

Genitalia male (Fig. 5)

Genitalia symmetrical. Uncus very long and narrow, with a pointed tip, evenly bent downwards. Valvae extending posteriorly slightly beyond base of uncus, ovoid with sharp denticulate extremity at cucullus pointing dorsally. Vinculum slightly concave, no saccus. Presence of a long subscaphium slightly sclerotized. Aedeagus short and cylindrical, thinly sclerotized, vesica conical very minutely spiculate.

Female (Fig. 4 below)

FWL = 9 mm and WS = 19 mm. Similar to male but larger and without upturned hindwings. Below on forewings the reddish patch is suffused with brownish scales.

Etymology. – Named in honor of Robert L. Davidson who collected a large part of the studied material and for his unlikely contributions to lepidopterology by spreading more moths than any other coleopterist.

Early stages. – Unknown.

Distribution. – Presently known from medium altitudes localities in the southern part of the Dominican Republic. The species is uncommon across its range.