A new species of Macaria Curtis (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae) from the Andes of northern Chile

Abstract

Macaria kruegeri Vargas, Hausmann & Parra sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on adults reared from larvae collected on the shrub Adesmia spinosissima Meyen (Fabaceae) at about 3200 m elevation in the Andes of northern Chile. Macaria kruegeri resembles Macaria alba (Bartlett-Calvert, 1893), described from southern Chile. However, the two species can be accurately separated based on subtle differences in wing pattern and the shape of the valvula of the male genitalia. In addition, there is a DNA barcode divergence (COI gene) of 4.9% between both taxa.