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Title: A new species of Clepsis Guenee, 1845 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona

Author
item DOMBROSKIE, JASON - UNIV. OF ALBERTA, STUDENT
item Brown, John

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2009
Publication Date: 10/30/2009
Citation: Dombroskie, J.J., Brown, J.W. 2009. A new species of Clepsis Guenee, 1845 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 111:769-774.

Interpretive Summary: The caterpillars of many moths in family known as leaf-rollers are important pests of forest, ornamental, and agricultural plants, causing billions of dollars in damage annually. The purpose of this paper is to describe and illustrate a species of leaf-roller moth that is new to science. The new species is known only from the higher elevations of the Santa Rita, Huachuca, and Chiricahua mountains of southeastern Arizona, which are referred to as the “sky islands.” This information will be of interest to systematists studying the distribution and diversity of leaf-roller moths and biogeographers with an interest in the American Southwest.

Technical Abstract: Clepsis sangreyana, new species, is described and illustrated from the “sky islands” (i.e., Chiricahua, Huachuca, and Santa Rita mountains) of southeastern Arizona, U.S.A. Superficially, it is most similar to Argyrotaenia dorsalana (Dyar, 1903), but it is assigned unambiguously to Clepsis Guenée on the basis of the characteristically modified transtilla, which includes a narrow or membranous mesal portion and a dentate or spiny subbasal swollen lobe. Among Nearctic congeners, the male genitalia of C. sangreyana are most similar to those of C. fucana (Walsingham), but those of C. sangreyana can be distinguished by the more broadly pointed valva, narrower transtilla, bulbous uncus, and broader tegumen. The extremely short ductus bursae of the female genitalia of C. sangreyana is unique among species of Clepsis.