Galomecalpa decolorana Brown 2024, new species

Galomecalpa decolorana Brown, new species LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5961A957-7CB8-43EF-A34F-FE9E6959670A (Figs. 17, 36) Diagnosis and remarks. Whereas nearly all species of Galomecalpa have a distinct and similar forewing pattern featuring a bold, dark brown, triangular patch from the costa and a distinct dark basal patch, both of these forewing pattern elements are absent, or at least weakly developed, in G. decolorana. Instead, the forewing of G. decolorana is rather mottled with a faint darker region in the basal 0.25 and a rather ill-defined, pale, subtriangular blotch from the costa (Fig. 17). The male genitalia lack the pointed spine-like process that represents the termination of the sacculus that is present in all but G. meridana Razowski and Brown and G. concolor Razowski and Pelz, both of which have a forewing pattern typical of other Galomecalpa. Description. Male. Head: Scales of vertex and frons brownish copper to rust; labial palpus upturned, length ca. 1.3 times diameter of compound eye, with pale brown scales on outer surface, cream on inner surface; scaling of antenna pale brown on dorsum, length of sensory setae about equal to width of flagellomere. Thorax: Dorsum scaling brownish copper, paler posteriorly, metathoracic tuft absent. Legs unmodified, without hairpencil or other male secondary scales. Forewing length 8.0 mm (n = 1); forewing ground color pale cream, with sparse, irregular, pale brown mottling and streaks throughout, except in terminal area; mottling densest in basal 0.3 creating a faint basal patch; ill-defined, pale brown subtriangular patch from costa ca. 0.4‒0.7 distance from base to apex, with a few blackish specks near apex of triangle; a nearly straight, pale brown line extending from pretornal area of hind margin toward apex, bifurcating and curving inward beyond mid-termen; terminal region white; a small brown dot in apex; fringe white. Hindwing pale cream with faint, sparse, pale gray mottling; fringe pale cream; frenulum with one spine. Abdomen. Genitalia (Fig. 36) with tegumen attenuate dorso-posteriorly, vinculum broadly subquadrate; uncus long, uniform in width throughout; socii long, extending well beyond terminal plate of gnathos arms; gnathos arms gently curved, weakly notched immediately before short, pointed, terminal plate; transtilla with broad, weakly sclerotized medial plate; valva broad basally with ventral margin strongly undulate forming deeply convex sacculus, ending in broad ventral lobe beyond middle of valva lacking a terminal spine, apical portion of valva somewhat parallel-sided, rounded distally; phallus, long, slender, curved at termination of phallobase and in distal 0.2, otherwise straight, vesica lacking conspicuous cornuti. Female unknown. Type. Holotype ♂, Argentina, Tucumán, Ciudad Universitaria, 800 m, 20 Feb 1959, J. F. G. Clarke, USNM slide 154,867 (USNM). Distribution and biology. Galomecalpa decolorana is known only from the holotype male collected in Tucumán, Argentina, considerably farther south than any of its described congeners. The early stages are unknown. Etymology. The specific epithet is from the Latin “decolor” or faded, and refers to the comparatively subdued forewing pattern of this species.