Five new species of the genus Singularia Arenberger , 1988 ( Lepidoptera , Pterophoridae )

Abstract. Expeditions of Ron Brechlin, Viktor Synjaev, Mildred Márquez, Juan Machado, Oleg Romanov and other colleagues over the last five years in Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia have resulted in significant collections of Pterophoridae Zeller, 1841. The article describes five new species: Singularia brechlini Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov., Singularia sinjaevi Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov., Singularia guajiro Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov., Singularia tolima Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov. and Singularia lesya Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov.


Material and methods
Holotypes and paratypes of the species described are stored in the collections listed below.Preparation of genitalia is necessary for the identifi cation of Pterophoridae Zeller, 1841.Dissections were performed using standard methods.

Diagnosis
The male genitalia of Singularia brechlini Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp.nov.resemble those of S. carabayus, but differ from them by rodlike anellus arms, which are wider and shorter in S. carabayus.
The female genitalia of the new species are similar to those of S. alternaria in the shape of the antrum and signum, but differ by the shorter and more narrow antrum, and the wider signum.

Etymology
The species is named after the prominent German entomologist Dr. Ronald Brechlin, specialist in Saturniidae and Sphingidae, organizer and member of the expeditions during which this species was collected.MALE GENITALIA.Valves symmetric, strongly widened in middle part and narrowed in apical part.Small fi nger-like processes in basal part of both valves.Anellus arms rod-like, slightly widened at apices.Saccus wide, horseshoe-like.Uncus narrow, long, strongly tapered and bent at apex.Phallus thin, slightly concave, equal to uncus in length.FEMALE GENITALIA.Papillae anales oval.Apophyses posteriores thin, long.Apophyses anteriores not developed.Antrum short, in shape of narrow funnel.Ductus bursae narrow and long, poorly sclerotized.Bursa copulatrix round, signum fusiform.

Flight period
January, April, March, November.

Diagnosis
The male genitalia of Singularia sinjaevi Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp.nov.resemble those of S. walsinghami, but differ from them by the narrow, long rod-like anellus arms whereas those of S. walsinghami are shorter and angulate.The phallus of the new species is strongly thickened and bent at a right angle in the basal part, whereas the phallus of S. walsinghami is almost straight.

Etymology
The species is named after Viktor Synjaev, the prominent Russian traveller and entomologist, who collected this species.

Male
EXTERNAL CHARACTERS.Wingspan of holotype 19 mm.Head, thorax and tegulae grey.Labial palps very short, 2.5 times shorter than eye diameter.Fore wings ash-grey.Small black spot at cleft base.Fringe inside cleft dark grey, slightly lightened only at base.Hind wings and fringe unicolorous ash-grey.Legs mottled brown with pale portions.MALE GENITALIA.Valves symmetric, rather wide, smoothly narrowed in distal part.Anellus arms long, rod-like, slightly concave.Uncus narrow, long, tapered at apex.Phallus rather short, strongly thickened, bent at right angle in basal part, in distal part signifi cantly narrowed, equal to uncus in length.

Female
Unknown.

Distribution
Bolivia.

Flight period
October.

Diagnosis
The male genitalia of Singularia guajiro Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp.nov.are similar to those of S. alternaria in the form of the valves, but differ from them in the wide uncus and the zigzag-shaped phallus.The female genitalia of the new species resemble those of S. brechlini sp.nov. in the long fi liform signum, but differ from them by the structure of the antrum and the apophyses anteriores.

Etymology
The species is named after one of the indigenous peoples of Colombia, the Guajiro.

Diagnosis
The male genitalia of Singularia tolima Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp.nov.resemble to those of S. walsinghami in the short phallus and the tapered distal part, but differ from them by the asymmetric valves and the uncus, which is widened in the middle part.

Etymology
Toponymic name, after the state of Tolima where the new species has been collected.with bright white spot.First and second lobe from middle to apex brightly white.Fringe inside cleft dark grey with alternation of white portions.Hind wings ash-grey.Fringe of fi rst lobe monochrome grey, second lobe with portion of white hairs in distal part, outer fringe of third lobe from base and further beyond the middle lightened with white hairs.Legs mottled brown with pale portions.MALE GENITALIA.Valves asymmetric, left one wider than right one.Distal part of both valves noticeably narrowed.No fi nger-like processes at valve bases.Anellus arms thin, of different lengths, left one two times shorter than right one.Saccus narrow with deep notch.Uncus strongly widened in middle part, tapered at apex.Phallus short, smoothly curved, thickened in basal part, tapered in distal part.

Female
Unknown.

Distribution
Colombia.

Flight period
April.

Diagnosis
The male genitalia of Singularia lesya Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp.nov.are similar to those of S. carabayus in the curved phallus, the arched saccus and the uncus, which is widened in the middle part and tapered at the apex.They are different in the strong saber outgrowths in the lower basal part of the sacculus, the rhomboid valves and the absence of fi nger-like processes at the valve bases.The female genitalia are distinguished by the absence of the signum and the broad lobe of the lamina postvaginalis in S. lesya sp.nov.

Etymology
The species in named after Olesya Snigur.

Flight period
October-February.

Remarks
An image of the female of this species was presented in the work of Gielis (2011) as the female of Singularia carabayus.An image of the real S. carabayus female was published in the description of this species by Arenberger (1990).

Discussion
The rich neotropical fauna of insects, including that of Pterophoridae, is still poorly studied today.Entomological expeditions in recent years have resulted in the discovery of these fi ve Pterophoridae species new to science.Species of Singularia inhabit remote mountain areas of Southern and Central America, and so they are rare in collections.As a result of our study, we now k now 12 species of Singularia, and it is possible that this number will signifi cantly increase in the future with further investigations in these hardly accessible areas of Central and South America.