Cochylis yinyangana Metzler & Forbes, 2012, sp. nov.

Cochylis yinyangana, sp. nov., Metzler

(Figs 16–21, 23)

Holotype. Adult male, pinned with labels as follows: “ USA: NM: Otero Co., White Sands Nat[ional] Mon[ument] interdunal vegetation 106°11.38’W 32°45.69’ N 4,000' 15 Mar. 2008 WSNM 8 Eric H. Metzler uv tr[a]p Accss # WHSA 00131" “ HOLOTYPE USNM Cochylis yinyangana Metzler ” (USNM).

Paratypes. 203, 4Ƥ: USA: NEW MEXICO: Eddy Co.: Carlsbad Caverns N[ational]P[ark] (hereafter CCNP), basin brushland habit 104°29.449’W 32°06.642’ N 3,668', 12 Mar. 2008 CCNP 3, Eric H. Metzler, uv trp, Accss # CAVE—02263 (23). CCNP basin brushland habit 104°29.449’W 32°06.642’ N 3,668' 14 June 2007 CCNP 3 Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # CAVE—02263 (123). CCNP grassland habit 32°06.222’N 4160' 104°33.759’W 14 June 2007 CCNP 3 Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # CAVE—02263 (1Ƥ). Otero Co.: White Sands Nat[ional] Mon[ument] (hereafter WSNM) interdune vegetation, 106°11.38’W 32° 46.69 N 4,000' 17 May 2010 WSNM 8 Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # WHSA 0 0 131 (2Ƥ). WSNM interdune vegetation, 106°11.38’W 32° 46.69 N 4,000' 15 Mar. 2008 WSNM 8 Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # WHSA 0 0 131 (1Ƥ). WHSA interdunal vegetation 106°11.49’W 32°45.60’ N 4,000' 15 Mar 2008 WSNMB Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # WHSA 0 0 131 (33). WSNM edge of dunes habitat 106°11.32’W 32°45.72’ N 4,000' 26 Feb. 2009 WSNM 9 Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # WHSA 0 0 131 (13). WSNM edge of dunes habitat 106°11.32’W 32°45.72’ N 4,000' 25 Aug 2009 Wsnm9 Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # WHSA 0 0 131 (13). WSNM interdunal vegetation 106°11.59’W 32°45.60’ N 4,006' 15 Mar 2008 WSNM 2 Eric H. Metzler uv trp Accss # WHSA 0 0 131 (13). (EHM, MSU, USNM)

Diagnosis. Cochylis yinyangana is yellowish-white dorsally, with no markings; the ventral surface of the forewing ranges from yellowish-white to heavily smudged with charcoal-black. The hind wings are white. No other species of Cochylini in North America resembles C. yinyangana. The valva of C. yinyangana is broad at the base with a moderately distinct saccular area. The uncus is absent, the socii are inconspicuous and membranous, the transtilla has a strong central process that is broadly bent caudally with a blunt hook towards the apex, the juxta is broad, the arms of the vinculum are distinctly separated, and the apex of the bent sclerotized phallus is drawn out (0.5x the length of the phallus) to a pointed tip. The female genitalia of Cochylis are highly variable and cannot be simply characterized. In the female genitalia of C. yinyangana the ovipositor is not telescopic, the papillae anales are membranous and setose, the anterior apophyses and the posterior apophyses are approximately equal length, the ductus bursae is sclerotized, fluting posteriorly and membranous anteriorly, and the corpus bursae is membranous, long without signa.

Description. Adult male (Fig. 16, 17). Head: Front yellowish-white, scales strap-like, directed ventrally; vertex yellowish-white, scales strap-like, directed mesally and dorsad; labial palpus porrect, first segment yellowish-white, closely scaled; second segment, scales orange and raw-umber tipped laterally and ventrally, yellowish-white mesally and dorsally, scales longer forming fringe dorsally, not shaggy; third segment scales orange and raw-umber tipped basally, yellowish-white apically, directed forward, closely scaled. Haustellum coiled between labial palpi. Antenna filiform, dorsally yellowish-white, closely scaled, ventrally naked, setose, setae barely longer than width of antennal segment, bent apically. Thorax: Dorsum, laterally yellowish-white, mesal scales partially raw-umber, closely scaled; underside closely scaled, scales umber to black, reflective, mica-like. Foreleg, closely scaled, dorsally mostly black and raw-umber, ventrally yellowish-white, tarsomeres tipped with dirty-white. Midleg closely scaled, dorsally mostly black and raw-umber, ventrally yellowish-white, tarsomeres tipped with dirty-white. Hindleg closely scaled, dorsally mostly black and raw-umber, ventrally yellowish-white, tarsomeres tipped with dirty-yellow. Forewing length 4.2─ 6.2 mm, mean 5.6 mm, n = 9.); forewing yellowishwhite, sparse raw-umber scales seen with magnification, markings absent; fringe concolorous; underside heavily suffused with raw-umber and black scales, costa sometimes chamois color, terminal area sometimes chamois color; fringe yellowish-white, contrasting. Hind wing dirty-white, reflective, veins yellowish-white; anal lobe, scales reflective, dark-silver, mica-like; fringe concolorous; underside dirty-white, veins at base reflective silver-gold, costa reflective silver-gold, anal angle reflective silver-gold; fringe dirty-white. Abdomen: Dorsum closely scaled, reflective silver-gold, terminally yellowish-white; laterally basally reflective silver-gold, else yellowish-white; ventrally closely scaled, yellowish-white. Genitalia (Fig. 19) with tegumen wide, short, weak; uncus absent; socii appressed to tegumen, weak, weakly sclerotized, basally broadly coalesced, setae sparse, denticules sparse; transtilla, mesally bent ventrally to form median process; median process strong, long, hooked apically, blunt; saccus absent; vinculum arms not touching; valve basally broad, narrowing apically, costa thickened basally, cucullus narrowly rounded, setae sparse; sacculus, ventral margin strongly sclerotized, ventral margin with or without long setae, elsewhere undifferentiated; juxta prominent, widened laterally, dorsal edge slightly thickened, abruptly widened; phallus (Fig. 14) sclerotized, curved from 1/2 length to 45° apically, narrowed to apical point; teeth, external, numerous on apical 1/2; cornutus single, very thin, hair-like, length 0.25x phallus.

Female (Fig. 18): Head and Thorax: Similar to male. Antenna, setae very sparse. Forewing length 4.6–5.5 mm, mean 5.0 mm, n = 3. Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 21) with papillae anales membranous, elongate, setose; posterior apophysis extend anteriorly to sterigma; anterior apophysis length equal to posterior apophysis; sinus vaginalis bearing an inverted Y shaped sclerite; ductus bursae membranous surrounding a sclerotized tube, anteriorly rugose; corpus bursae membranous, long, capitate; no signum.

Systematics. This new species is placed in the genus Cochylis based on the structures of the male genitalia compared to the type species Cochylis rubellana (Hübner, 1823b), a synonym of Cochylis roseana (Haworth, [1811]). In the male genitalia the base of the valva is wide; the uncus is absent; the socii are membranous and broadly coalesced basally; the arms of the vinculum are separate; the transtilla is well developed with the median process elongate and curved in the apical 0.5; the costa of the valva is sclerotized in the basal 0.5; the saccular area is differentiated and the ventral margin is sclerotized basally; and the phallus is long and slightly curved with a sharp apex.

Distribution and biology. Cochylis yinyangana was collected at White Sands National Monument, Otero County, NM and at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Eddy County, NM. The immature stages of C. yinyangana are unknown. The life histories of several species of Cochylis, mostly from the Old World, are well documented on several plant families (Robinson et al. 2012).

Etymology. The specific name of this species, yinyangana, recognizes the nearly white upper side and blackish underside colors of the forewings. The phrase yin and yang, often depicted by the black and white circular symbol, Taijitu, is used to describe how polar opposites, in this case the white upper and blackish undersides, are interconnected and interdependent in the totality of the adult moth.

Remarks. The underside of the forewing, thorax including legs, and abdomen of most specimens is noticeably darkened, ranging from dark-umber to black. On a few specimens, the number of dark scales on the underside is reduced, and the underside of one specimen has only scattered dark-umber scales in a yellowish-white base color. The cornutus in the phallus is difficult to see without a compound microscope and more than 10x magnification.