Varifula geomops Brown 2024, new species

Varifula geomops Brown, new species LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E6BD94A1-FBB5-4335-8361-4DF7E50761A5 (Figs. 8, 26) Remarks and diagnosis. Varifula geomops was originally recognized by Nicolas Obraztsov as an undescribed species, and he placed it in his manuscript genus “Apoeulia” (in 1964 based on specimen labels), long before Razowski's description of Varifula. In comparison to V. fulvaria, the forewing is conspicuously shorter in length and has a more reticulated pattern. In the male genitalia of Varifula geomops, the transtilla has a larger folded median region with a broadly U-shaped ventral margin; the valvae are more parallel-sided throughout; and the termination of the sacculus is indicated by a small angle at the ventral margin of the valva, which is lacking in V. fulvaria. Description. Head: Scales of vertex and frons cream; scales of labial palpus mostly cream on outer and inner surface; scaling of antenna cream. Thorax: Dorsum scaling cream. Forewing length 9.5 mm (n = 2); ground color pale cream, faintly reticulated throughout with pale gold-brown scales, densest in distal 0.5 of wing, creating faint, narrow, incomplete, median and terminal fasciae; fringe pale cream. Underside brownish cream, darker than upperside, reticulated throughout. Hindwing concolorous with forewing, with faint, pale gold-brown mottling; fringe cream. Underside dingy white with pale gray mottling. Abdomen: Male genitalia (Fig. 26) with rod-like uncus; socius moderately long, pendant, densely clothes in fine hairs; gnathos well defined with pointed terminal plate representing the fusion of the lateral arms; transtilla with conspicuous, subrectangular folded region medially with a broadly U-shaped concavity, and with irregular rows of tiny spines; valva mostly parallel-sided from base to ca. distal 0.1; weakly upcurved, sacculus a simple, linear, sclerotized region along venter of basal 0.4 of valva, with a small angle at its distal termination, lacking a free distal process; phallus comparative large, robust, rather short; vesica with tiny patch of 10–12 extremely small non-deciduous cornuti. Female genitalia unknown. Types. Holotype ♂, Chile, Maule Region, Chovellén, 5 Dec 1953, L. Peña (USNM). Paratype (1♂). Chile: Maule Region: Chovellén, 5 Dec 1953, L. Peña (USNM). Distribution and biology. Varifula geomops is known only from the type locality in the Maule Region of Chile, at an elevation of about 75 m. Nothing is known of the life history. Etymology. This species was originally recognized as distinct by Nicholas Obraztsov, who used the name “Apoeulia geomops” on its genitalia slide label. Hence, it seems fitting to adopt his species name.