Notes and synonymy on the Neotropical moth genus Xylodonta Becker (Notodontidae, Nystaleinae), with special reference to the species occurring in Brazil

The Notodontidae genus Xylodonta Becker, 2014 is represented by 20 species, five of them new, four from Brazil: X. giffordi sp. n. , X. imitans sp. n. , X. ochreibasis sp. n. , and X. robustoides sp. n. ; and one from Guatemala: X. monzoni sp. n. ; one species: X. pythia (Druce, 1894) stat. rev. , is removed from the synonymy with X. xylinata (Walker, 1865), three: X. placida (Schaus, 1911) syn. n. and X. riparia (Druce, 1906) syn. n. (=X. guarana (Schaus, 1892)) and X. patrickgoodwilliei Chacón, 2017 syn. n. (=X. xylinata (Walker, 1865)) are synonymized; and one: N. russula (Dognin, 1909) comb. n. is transferred to Nycterotis Felder. Diagnosis and illustrations of adults and genitalia of all species recorded from Brazil are provided to allow their identification.

and compared with their collections.The holotypes of the new species are provisionally deposited in VOB, and will be transferred, together with the collection, to a Brazilian institution in the future.Genitalia were prepared following the methods described by Robinson (1976).Terms for morphological characters follow Hodges (1971).

Results and discussion
As shown in the summary presented below, this study brings to 20 the number of species known to Xylodonta, among them five described as new here.Synonymy and other useful information are also presented.
Diagnosis.Brown; forewings elongate, narrow, with a woody pattern; basal half of antenna strongly pectinate; male genitalia with uncus digitiform, long, bent ventrad, bearing a thorn distally; socii vestigial; valvae rod like, long; distal margin of 8 th sternite, in male, strongly bifurcate, each arm with serrate margins, often asymmetrical.Sexually dimorphic.Females larger, antenna with basal half of most species pectinate, though pectination shorter than in males; abdomen bulky, 8 th sternite thick, strongly sclerotized, often longer than wider; genitalia proportionally small in relation to the size of the abdomen, usually shorter than the lengh of 8 th sternite.
Distribution.Mexico, throughout Central America, south to Argentina; absent in the Antilles.
Food plants.Chacón et al. (2017) reared the larvae of six species belonging to the genus on the leaves of several genera of Fabaceae.
Remarks.The species included here resemble those belonging to Dasylophia Packard, to which they were formerly associated.In the female genitalia, the connection of 8 th to 9 th sternite is strongly sclerotized, making it difficult, when dissecting, to remove the genitalia leaving the 8 th sternite connected with the rest of the abdomen.This would not be a serious problem if the sternite was less sclerotized -more transluscent-or if the genitalia were longer.Therefore, if the 8 th sternite is left in place, it superposes the genitalia in the slide preparation, making the characters difficult to access.
Distribution.Central and Southern Brazil, mostly in the Cerrado biome.
Remarks.The type material has not been located, however, there is a good watercolor of the type, in the USNM collection, ordered by Schaus.A very distinct species for the genus, either externally and in the shape of genitalia, as shown by the illustrations, which cannot be confused with any other from it's range.Diagnosis.FW with ochreous blotch at base contrasting yellow; area distad of postmedial band pale yellow; HW whitish, veins marked fuscous, especially in the females.
Distribution.Central and southern Brazil, in high elevations.
Remarks.This, imitans sp.n. and guarana form a group of similar species that lack the conspicuous blackish dashes on FW, below cell.Similar to guarana but the ochreous basal area more contrasting yellowish; area distad of postmedial band pale, not dark gray as in the other two.Female antenna short ciliated -basal half pectinate in the other two.Genitalia and 8 th sternite of both sexes strongly distinct, as shown by the illustrations.Diagnosis.Male FW with basal blotch diffuse; area distad of postmedial band fuscous, followed by a pale yellow patch on termen, below apex.Male HW whitish, veins marked gray; female HW gray, veins contrasting.
Distribution.Brazil, from Rondônia and Maranhão, south to São Paulo, and in the Peruvian Amazonia.
Etymology.From the Latin imitor -atus = copy, mimic; neuter.Remarks.Very similar to guarana, but on average smaller; the conspicuous pale patch on termen, below apex of FW, makes it readily distinct from this and ochreibasis sp.n.; female FW broader than those of guarana and ochreibasis, HW dusted gray -yaline in the other two.Genitalia and 8 th sternite very distinct from any other in the genus, as shown by the illustrations.
Remarks.This is the species of the genus with the broadest range, and with the male genitalia and 8 th sternite much distinct from all the others, as shown by the illustrations.Both guarana and placida were described by an unspecified number of males, however the lectotype of the first, the only specimen traced, is a female, and a further female of placida, not mentioned in the original description, was found together with the male lectotype.It is very likely that Schaus regarded the specimen of guarana as male because the female has pectinate antennae, like the males, though shorter.Among the specimens in the author's collection there are 3 males and one female from Mexico: Campeche, Escárcega, 30.ix.1973 (Becker, 23970); Veracruz, Estación Biológica de los Tuxtlas, 11-16.vi.1981 (Becker, 41972).These specimens, that match the types of placida are smaller and paler than the typical form, a feature that is common in populations from dry areas.In the dry areas of Mexico and Central America it can be easily confused with the pale form of Nycterotis lupia (Druce), a polymorphic species, of which specimens were collected together.Females can be readily distinguished by the antenna, filiform in lupia.
Distribution.Brazil, from BA to PR, along the Atlantic Forest, into northern Argentina.
Remarks.This and robustoides are similar to the species related to the xylinata-terrena group, but in those the postmedial band is indistinct.This and robustoides sp.n. are externally indistinct, but genitalia and 8 th sternite of both sexes quite different, as shown in the illustrations.One indication to separate them is distribution: robusta ranges along the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil and northern Argentina; robustoides sp.n. is an Amazonian species.
Description.Male (Fig. 1N) 20-22 mm (44-48 mm wingspan), female (Fig. 1O) 24-26 mm (52-56 mm wingspan).Ochreus, dusted dark fuscous.Labial palpi dark fuscous dorsally, two dark thin lines laterally; frons and vertex brown; antenna fuscous.Thorax fuscous; patagia brown; tegula pale yellow, dorsal margin brown; FW veins marked blackish; postmedial band pale ochreus, double, rounded outwards from costa to CuA1, then curved inwards to A1, and straight to dorsum; followed by a triangular dark fuscous patch, from costa to before termen; four minute, white dots along costa, distad of postmedial band; termen with blackish lunules between veins; cilia pale ochreus, intermixed with blackish scales, interrupted on veins; male with two black dashes: one along the lower margin of cell, followed by a black round dot; second below cell, from base to CuA2; underside pale yellow, pattern faint; female with a large, oval, pale ochreus patch at base.HW pale yellow, heavily dusted fuscous, especially towards margins.Abdomen dorsally dark fuscous, slightly banded pale yellow; a dorsal, diffuse pale yellow band, from 4 th segment to tip; underside pale yellow, a line of diffuse dots along middle; distal margin of 8 th male sternite (Fig. 3R) asymmetrical, branches widely apart; small teeth at tip.
Distribution.Brazil, western Amazon.Etymology.In reference to it's extremely similarity to robusta.Remarks.Externally indistinct from robusta.Genitalia and 8 th abdominal segment, of both sexes quite different, as shown by the illustrations.One indication to separate them is distribution: this is an Amazonian species, whreas robusta ranges along the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil and northern Argentina.
Remarks.This and terrena are almost indistinct, however with very different genitalia.A complex of species has been included in all collections under this name, as well shown by Chacón et al. (2017), who identified eight species in Costa Rica alone, six of them undescribed.By accepting the synonymy proposed by Druce (1897: 454) and followed by subsequent authors, regarding pythia as a junior synomym, they incurred in a mistake and described the true xylinata as a different species.The distribution of both xylinata and pythia overlap in Costa Rica, but no specimen of the former has been recorded north of Costa Rica, neither any pythia specimen has been recorded from south of this country.The identification established here is based on a series of 13 males and one female from Ecuador, that matches both the holotype of xylinata -including their genitalia-and the species described by Chacón as patrickgoodwilliei., 2D) FW pale ochreous, dusted fuscous; postmedial band ill-defined; two thin dashes: one inside the cell, toward the end, the other just below, reaching base; female FW (Fig. 2C) less dusted and less lined basad of postmedial band, looking more ochreous.
Distribution.Southern Mexico to Costa Rica.
Remarks.All specimens known were collected in Central America only, from Costa Rica north to Mexico.The species treated as xylinata by Chacón et al. (2017: 44-46, figs. 49-57) in reality represents this, that is confirmed by his statement: "This identification is based on barcode results from 7 of these specimens, which showed a barcode similar to that of the holotype of Notodonta pythia, synonymous with X. xylinata according to Becker (2014)".A correction is needed here: the first author who synonymized both names was Druce (1897: 454), what has been followed by all subsequent authors.The genitalia illustrated here, which match those presented by Chacón et al. (2017: 44-46, figs. 49-57), belong to specimens from Mexico: the male (Fig. 4D, E) from Campeche, 30 km N of Escarcega; the female (Fig. 5H) from Veracruz, Huatuzco.This and scottmilleri are almost indistinct externally, so specimens from Costa Rica, where the two overlap, should have their genitalia examined for identification.Diagnosis.Male FW (Fig. 2E) pale yellow, heavily dusted gray; postmedial band ill-defined; two thin dashes: one inside the cell, toward the end, the other just below, reaching base; female FW (Fig. 2F) less dusted and less lined basad of postmedial band, looking more ochreous.
Distribution.Costa Rica to Southern Brazil.Food plants.Glyricidia sepium (Fabaceae) (Chacón et al. 2017: 42) Remarks.Similar to the other species in the xylinata group, especially to giffordi.Male genitalia (Fig. 4S) of Brazilian specimens have the tip of valvae less indented than those of specimens from Costa Rica, otherwise identical, including the peculiar shape of the 8 th sternite (Fig. 4U).Easily separated by the lack of postmedial fascia on male FW, and faded in the female.Both males and females can be distinguished from giffordi by the HW dusted gray (whitish in the latter).Diagnosis.FW pale yellow, heavily dusted gray; postmedial band pale yellow; area distad of this band dark gray, reaching apex; HW white, cilia dusted gray.Female FW with area basad of postmedial band slightly dusted gray, looking pale yellow.
Distribution.Peru and Brazil: western Amazonia to Central Brazil, in the Cerrado biome.
Etymology.Named after the late Scott biologist David Gifford, Professor of Ecology at the Universty of Brasília.Dave, who, among other activities, was a dedicated collector of Lepidoptera, often offered moths specimens to add to the VOB collection.
Remarks.Similar to scottmilleri but HW whitish, not dusted gray as in this.
Distribution.Guatemala, at high elevations.
Etymology.In honour to the Guatemalan biologist José Monzón, who collaborated with the author during a collecting expedition to several localities in his and other Central American countries.
Remarks.This belongs to a group of high elevation species which share strongly pectinate antenna, a feature common among moths flying at high elevation.Externally this species is almost identical to robertodelgadoi, billhaberi and mocosa, species also from high elevations, the first two from Costa Rica and last one from Ecuador.So far, monzoni, the smaller of them, is the only one found north of Costa Rica.
Distribution.French Guiana to Brazil, south to SP. Remarks.Both sexes similar to those of the Central American X. rufitincta and X. angustipennis, but genitalia clearly a Nycterotis.The females of these three species have antennae short ciliated, looking filiform.Specimens of russula from the caatinga biome, of Northeast Brazil (Fig. 2O) are smaller and paler.Both male and female genitalia very distinct from any other species from Brazil.
This belongs to a group of high elevation species which share strong pectinate antenna, a feature common among moths flying at such altitudes.Externally this species is almost identical to robertodelgadoi, billhaberi and monzoni, species from high elevations in Central America.So far, mocosa is the only species of the group with strong pectinate antennae in Ecuador.The specimens studied match the holotype, including genitalia, illustrated again here, based on a better preparation.