Epilampra homage Vanker, Medina-Espinoza, & Evangelista sp. nov.

Figs 7, 8, Table 3

Type material.

Holotype: • male, pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label: “ Peru: MD [Madre de Dios], Estación Biológica Los Amigos: Plataforma Trail. 12°33'47"S, 70°06'12"W [-12.565481, -70.1027]. 265 m. 6. vii. 2021 [6 June 2021]. night hand coll. D. A. Evangelista leg ”. “ AUDE-PE-1-88. ” Paratypes. • 4 adult males. AUDE-PE-3-64, AUDE-PE-3-63, UIRB-PE-24-14, UIRB-PE-26-70 (locality and other data for all specimens are given in Table 4).

Determination.

This specimen is placed in Epilampra (vs Poeciloderrhis) based on the presence of the following characters that differentiate Epilampra from Poeciloderrhis: via not pointed (pointed in Poeciloderrhis), via and lve separated (vs fused in Poeciloderrhis), hooked phallomere (L 3 ’) with a subapical incision (incision absent in Poeciloderrhis), and R’ phallomere cleft not fused (vs fused in Poeciloderrhis). However, this specimen does have a modified T 1 with a triangular medial knob, which was previously only found in Poeciloderrhis. Placement in the burmeisteri species group is supported by autapomorphies in the male genitalia (see below).

Differential diagnosis.

This species’ male genitalia are almost identical to E. substrigata. There are some minor differences in via compared to the E. substrigata specimens shown by Roth (1970 d). Without more spatial sampling it is unclear whether the differences in via are distinctive. These species are separated by the presence of a tergal modification on T 1 in E. homage. E. homage also has a transverse carina on T 1, but this may be a plesiomorphy as it is found in Africalolampra, Parapoeciloderrhis, and perhaps other Epilampra species. Epilampra homage is easily separated from Africalolampra, and Parapoeciloderrhis in the morphology of L 2 ’: via separated from lve (vs connected), and the shape of via is with an irregular ridge apically (like a mountain range).

Description of holotype.

Male (AUDE-PE-1-88). Head. With large overlapping speckles, densest between the compound eyes, but the ecdysial suture lacks speckles. Dark band connecting ocelli in a U-shape, and underneath it, the speckles are sparser. Clypeus with some brown coloration at the base (dorsal) but otherwise lacking speckles along with the labrum.

Thorax. Pronotum. Speckled mostly homogenously throughout but densest medially. Other spots form a panther-face pattern. AV margin of forefemur type B 2 with five large spines preceding the row of small spines. On all legs, tarsal claws large, simple, with large arolia and all euplantulae present.

Abdomen. Ventral abdomen lightly colored with scattered spots of medium density. SG plate with a with a brown patch on the distal third (but brown patch does not meet the posterior margin). SG plate shape and styli typical of Epilampra. T 1 with a transverse carina and a medial modification. Medial modification strongly triangular (almost equilateral), with some hairs originating near the carina pointing towards the anterio-lateral sides of the triangle. Hairs line the depression that houses the triangle, which becomes very narrow at its deepest point. Face of triangle concavely dimpled. T 1 also modified with shallow depressions on either side, anterior to the carina and aligned with the edges of the square projection of the metanotum. Genitalia as shown in Fig. 8.

Remarks.

None of the several female Epilampra morphotypes in our collection are obviously attributable to this species. Perhaps some are E. homage females but sexual dimorphism (e. g., female Epilampra are typically larger than males) is making it difficult to associate the sexes.

Range.

We have no data for this species outside of Madre De Dios. Within Madre De Dios, this species was only found at Los Amigos Biological Station, and Finca Las Piedras Research station.

Habitat.

Low hill forest.

Etymology.

The specific epithet homage is meant to imply that this species has a combination of characters present in other taxa (E. substrigata, Poeciloderrhis, Africalolampra, and Parapoeciloderrhis), as if it were “ paying homage ” to them.