Oxyethira absona Flint 1991

Oxyethira absona

This odd species is closely related to O. quinquaginta Kelley with which it shares the elongate process of sternum 7, the vestigial claspers, asymmetrical arms of the subgenital plate, and large number of antennal segments. It is easily distinguished by the details of shape of most of the parts and especially by the caliper-shaped sclerite of the phallus.

ADULT.—Length of forewing, 2.5 mm. Color pale brown; forewing pale brown with a few white marks and fuscous maculae. Antenna with 48 segments. Segment 7 with an elongate ventromesal process. Male genitalia: Segment 8 with a broad, U-shaped midventral excision; laterally produced slightly and terminating in a 90° angle. Segment 9 completely withdrawn in abdomen, extending anteroventrally into segment 6; dorsum membranous; posteroventral margin bearing curved small humps. Subgenital plate with two arms unequal in length, both pointed apically and broadened ventrally. Phallus with a twisted, apicolateral, ribbonlike sclerite arising at midlength, at which point is a caliperlike, heavily sclerotized structure, one arm of which bears the ejaculatory duct, and all is enclosed in a membranous sac.

MATERIAL.—Holotype, male: COLOMBIA. DPTO. ANTIOQUIA: Quebrada La Cebolla, El Retiro (trap A), 5 Jun 1983, U. Matthias. USNM Type.

Paratypes: Same data as holotype, but May 1983-Feb 1984, 31, 59. Quebrada Potreros, W La Fé, 19 Feb 1984, C.M. & O.S. Flint, Jr., 19; same, but 26 Feb 1984, 1, 10. Quebrada Mosca, 1 km W Guarne, 7 Feb 1983, O.S. Flint, Jr., 1; same, but 2 Mar 1984, C.M. and O.S. Flint, Jr., 1, 1. Quebrada La Agudelo, 2 km E El Retiro, 25 Feb 1984, C.M. & O.S. Hint, Jr., 1. Río Medellin, 5 km S Caldas, 16 Feb 1983, O.S. Hint, Jr., 1, 3.

Oxyethira species

Females of two additional species, very distinctive based on internal genital structures, were taken in the Department They are listed so as to alert readers to the presence of additional species.

Oxyethira species A

MATERIAL.—COLOMBIA. DPTO. ANTIOQUIA: 10 km E Medellin [road to Las Palmas], 21 Feb 1984, C.M. & O.S. Flint, Jr., 1. Quebrada La Mosca, 1 km W Guarne, 2 Mar 1984, C.M. & O.S. Flint, Jr., 1.

Oxyethira species B

MATERIAL.—COLOMBIA. DPTO. ANTIOQUIA: Quebrada El Retiro, 16 km NW Medellin [road to San Pedro], 20 Feb 1984, C.M. & O.S. Flint, Jr., 1.

This is a genus of exclusively New World distribution. It is most diverse in Central and South America, but outliers are found as far as Canada, Chile, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Fifty species have already been described from the Nootropics, but studies being undertaken by S.C. Harris, who studied the material here enumerated, indicate that the number of species will increase many-fold.

The larvae construct solid, cylindrical and slightly tapered cases made of small sand grains. A number of larval descriptions exist: Botosaneanu and Sykora (1973), Flint (1964b), and Wiggins (1977). There arc no reports on the larval food.