Twenty-five new species of Costa Rican Limacodidae (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea)

Abstract

Twenty-five new species of neotropical Limacodidae, primarily from Central America, are described. The majority of these species (n=15) are from Parasa and Natada generic complexes, both presently known to contain only spiny caterpillars. In the Parasa complex, they include: Parasa figueresi, new species, Parasa joanae, new species, Parasa sandrae, new species, Parasa shirleyae, new species, Euclea mesoamericana, new species, Euclea zurquicola, new species, Euclea microcippus, new species, Euclea costaricana, new species, Euclea gajentaani, new species, Euclea josepsi, new species, Talima beckeri, new species, Talima weissi, new species, and Talima erojasi, new species. In the Natada complex, two new taxa are Natada delgadoi, new species, and Natada varablancana, new species. In a generic complex with hairy caterpillars, the Phobetron complex, six new taxa are: Phobetron guzmanae, new species, Isochaetes dwagsi, new species, Isochaetes kenjii, new species, Isochaetes heevansi, new species, Isochaetes tapantiensis, new species, and Vipsophobetron davisi, new species. In the Prolimacodes and Perola complexes, caterpillars are known to be smooth. New species in the Prolimacodes complex are Prolimacodes montanus, new species, and Dichromapteryx saborioi, new species, while the Perola complex includes Perola aenea, new species, and Epiperola browni, new species. Euclea microcippus, Parasa sandrae and Vipsophobetron davisi are the smallest species known to occur in their genera. Euclea mesoamericana and Parasa figueresi are relatively common in collections but have been mistakenly grouped with Euclea cippus (Cramer) and Parasa schausi Dyar, respectively. Each was reported from both Central and South America, but is now considered to be limited to South America. Talima weissi is closely related to the Mexican species T. assimilis (Dyar), sharing both a detachable clump of hairs on 8 th abdominal segment in males and large ductus seminalis, which hold the hairs, in females. Larval descriptions or hostplants are presented for P. sandrae, P. joanae, E. mesoamericana, E. gajentaani, T. beckeri, T. weissi, I. dwagsi, I. kenjii, I. heevansi, and V. davisi. Euclea zurquicola, E. josepsi, T. erojasi, N. delgadoi, N. varablancana, P. guzmanae, I. tapantiensis, and E. browni are known from only one locality, each in Costa Rica, while the last four are known only from unique specimens.