Mothonica cubana Duckworth 1969

Mothonica cubana

Alar expanse 14–19 mm.

Antenna white suffused with brown basally, brown beyond. Head brown suffused with white; labial palpus white sprinkled with brown scales. Thorax white sprinkled with brown scales dorsally; legs white; forelegs heavily shaded with brown exteriorly, mid and hind legs suffused with brown, heavier on tarsi. Forewing white sprinkled with brown scales, 6 and 7 stalked; an indistinct brown triangular area on costa at basal one-third; a larger, more distinct brown triangular area on costa at one-half; an outwardly curving transverse line from costal two-thirds to dorsum before tornus composed of series of fuscous dashes; a series of terminal fuscous dots from costal two-thirds to tornus; a fuscous spot at end of cell; a fuscous patch on dorsum below spot; a triangular fuscous patch on dorsum at anal angle; cilia brown apically; lighter basally with a fuscous basal line. Hind wing white overcast with brown towards apex; cilia whitish, with fuscous basal line from apex, disappearing in vicinity of vein 2.

MALE GENITALIA (slide AB, Nov. 8, 1934, holotype).—Uncus short, rodlike, apically setiferous. Gnathos as in M. ocellea Forbes. Anellus reduced; with two large bladelike, apically acute lateral lobes, each with a small setiferous secondary lobe on ventral edge arising near base. Aedeagus short, broad, achieving greatest width at midpoint; cornuti a large cluster of heavy spines. Harpe very similar to M. kimballi Duckworth but saccular lobe narrower, saccular margin deeply excavated approximate to base of lobe.

FEMALE GENITALIA (slide AB, Nov. 8, 1934, para-type) .—Lamella postvaginalis membranous except two sclerotized bars extending from outermost anterior edge to midpoint posteriorly. Lamella antevaginalis membranous except for two lightly sclerotized areas laterad of ostium. Ostium large, flaring. Ostium bursae sclerotized, width greater than length, inner wall lined with numerous scobinations. Ductus bursae membranous, without distinct transition into corpus bursae. Corpus bursae membranous, signa two narrow dentate plates with faint sclerotized bridge between them. Inception of ductus seminalis at junction of ostium bursae and ductus bursae.

TYPE.—In the U.S. National Museum, No. 69952.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Candelaria, Pinar del Rio, Cuba.

DISTRIBUTION.—Known only from the type-locality.

FOOD PLANT.—Copernicia glabrescens (Palmae). Larvae boring in the seeds.

Described from the male holotype: E. E. A. Cuba, Ent. No. 10360, Candelaria, P. del Rio, Oct. 2/34, A. R. Oleto; boring seeds of Copernicia; two female paratypes with same data as above except Oct. 3/34.

This species is very close to M. kimballi Duckworth described from Florida. The genitalia, however, provide several distinguishing characteristics. In the male genitalia of M. cubana the lateral lobes of the anellus are bladelike and apically acute, the aedeagus is broadest at the midpoint and the cornuti consist of a large cluster of medium spines; whereas in M. kimballi the lateral lobes are not apically acute, the aedeagus is rather uniform in width throughout and the cornuti consist of two clusters of small spines. In the female genitalia M. cubana has a flaring ostium and ostium bursae lined with scobinations; while in M. kimballi the ostium has a large median slot and the ostium bursae is without scobinations.

This species appears endemic to Cuba; however, additional collecting may alter this presumption. It is interesting to note the close relationship between this species and M. kimballi that occurs in Southern Florida. Biological studies on the North American Stenomidae being conducted by Dr. D. H. Habeck, University of Florida, may provide information concerning M. kimballi that will aid in further clarification of the relationship between the two species and allow a more detailed assessment of the position of M. cubana in the West Indian fauna.

Stenoma Zeller, 1839, p. 195.

This genus is an unnatural accumulation of unrelated species that have been assigned by previous workers who were primarily describing species and not establishing generic limitations. The West Indian species included here is maintained in this genus for convenience, since it will be part of a new genus to be described in a generic revision of the family now in preparation.

Mothonica cubana is a moth of the family Depressariidae. It is found in Cuba.

The wingspan is 14–19 mm. The forewings are white sprinkled with brown scales and with an indistinct brown triangular area on the costa at the basal one-third. There is a larger, more distinct brown triangular area on the costa at one-half and an outwardly curving transverse line from the costal two-thirds to the dorsum before the tornus, composed of a series of fuscous dashes. There is also a series of terminal fuscous dots from the costal two-thirds to the tornus and a fuscous spot at the end of the cell, as well as a fuscous patch on the dorsum below the spot and a triangular fuscous patch on the dorsum at the anal angle. The hindwings are white.

The larvae bore the seeds of Copernicia glabrescens.