Strophotina Brown 1998

Strophotina Brown, 1998 Strophotina Brown 1998b: 44; Razowski and Pelz 2003: 194; Brown 2005: 601. Chirotes Razowski & Becker, 1999: 417. Prochirotes Razowski 2001: 277. [replacement name for Chirotes] Type species. Eulia strophota Meyrick, 1926. Remarks and Diagnosis. Brown (1998b) described Strophotina for two species: Eulia strophota, from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador; and a new species, S. curvidagus Brown, from Costa Rica. A year later, Razowski and Becker (1999) described the genus Chirotes for two new species: C. chorestis from Ecuador and C. niphochondra from Brazil. However, based on facies and male genitalia, Chirotes is undoubtedly a synonym of Strophotina. Subsequently, Razowski (2001) proposed the replacement name Prochirotes for Chirotes because the latter was preoccupied. In 2003, Razowski and Pelz added S. apparata from Ecuador, bringing to five the number of species in the genus. Below I add one new species from Argentina. According to Brown (1998b), Strophotina can be distinguished from similar genera (i.e., Seticosta Razowski, Anopinella Powell, and Galomecalpa Razowski) by the following combination of characters of the male genitalia: short, somewhat ovate valvae (longer and slenderer in Seticosta and Anopinella); a row of spinelike setae from the costa of the valvae (shared with Seticosta); narrow, extremely elongate, apically-pointed socii (shared with Galomecalpa); and a modified transtilla with a long, slender median process (simple in Seticosta, Anopinella, and Galomecalpa). Based on a phylogenetic analysis of the Apolychrosis group of genera, Brown & Adamski (2003) identified the following as autapomorphies for Strophotina: the ovate shape of the valvae; the extremely elongate socii; the long median process of the transtilla; and the slender arms of the gnathos. Distribution and Biology. As currently defined, the genus includes six described species (including the new species described below) ranging from Costa Rica south through Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil, usually at elevations above 1200 m. The new species extends the known geographical range of the genus considerably southward to Argentina. Nothing has been reported on the early stages.