A new species of Eupithecia Curtis (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from the Andes of northern Chile

TLDR

This new species was discovered using a light trap in the Copaquilla ravine, at about 2800 m elevation on the western slope of the Andes of northern Chile, and resembles that of E. atacama, which is also Chilean.

Abstract

Eupithecia copaquillaensissp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae, Eupitheciini) is described and illustrated. Adults of this new species were discovered using a light trap in the Copaquilla ravine, at about 2800 m elevation on the western slope of the Andes of northern Chile. The morphology of the genitalia of E. copaquillaensis resembles that of E. atacama (Vojnits, 1985), which is also Chilean. However, the shape of the smaller cornutus and the signa in the male and female genitalia respectively enable accurate differentiation of the two species. DNA barcodes are used to associate male and female E. copaquillaensis.