Cheimas opalinus rosalinus Pyrcz, 2018

Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Lorenc-Brudecka, Jadwiga, Boyer, Pierre & Zubek, Anna, 2018, Subspecies-level systematics and affinities of Cheimas Thieme - an endemic genus of the subparamo of the Venezuelan Cordillera de Mérida (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), Zootaxa 4422 (2), pp. 219-243 : 223-226

Cheimas opalinus rosalinus Pyrcz , n. ssp.

( Figs. 3A–D , 4A–D , 10E , 11F )

Type locality: Páramo El Rosal , southern Batallón Massif , Cordillera de Mérida, Táchira State, Venezuela

A. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, La Culata

B. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, Mérida (ex. coll. Staudinger)

C. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, El Potrero

D. Cheimas opalinus opalinus female, La Culata

E. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, Esnujaque via Tuñame

F. Cheimas opalinus opalinus female, El Potrero

A. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, La Culata

B. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, Mérida (ex. coll. Staudinger)

C. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, El Potrero

D. Cheimas opalinus opalinus female, La Culata

E. Cheimas opalinus opalinus male, Esnujaque via Tuñame

F. Cheimas opalinus opalinus female, El Potrero

Material examined: HOLOTYPE ♂: VENEZUELA, Cordillera de Mérida , Táchira State: Páramo El Rosal, 2950 –3050 m, 01–02.III.1996, T. Pyrcz leg., CEP-MZUJ (to be deposited in MIZA) ; PARATYPES: VENEZUELA, Cordillera de Mérida, Táchira State: 61 ♂: Páramo El Rosal, 2950 –3050 m, 01–02.III.1996, T. Pyrcz leg., (1 prep. 388/ 30.05.2016 J. Lorenc , 2 prep. genit. 389/ 30.05.2016 J. Lorenc) ; 30 ♂: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal , 3000–3050 m, 01.XII.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 3 ♂: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal , 3000–3050 m, 02.XII.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♂: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal , 3000–3050 m, 03.XII.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♀: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal, 2900 –2950 m, 29.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♀: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal , 3000–3050 m, 01.XII.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♀: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal , 3000–3050 m, 01–02.III.1996, prep. genit. 391/ 08.06.2016 J. Lorenc, CEP-MZUJ ; 2 ♂: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal , 3000–3050 m, 01.XII.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. 2016-221, kölcsön anyag 2007 . IX.26, HMNH; 1 ♀: El Batallón , Páramo El Rosal, 2900 –2950 m, 29.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 49 ♂ and 2 ♀: Paramo el Rosal, La Grita vers San José de Bolivar km 22, 3050 m, 1.XII.2005, P. Boyer leg., PBF.

Diagnosis. Both sexes of this subspecies are immediately recognizable from all other subspecies of C. opalinus by the lighter, chestnut upperside ground colour, and the very small HWD blue patch, elongated and restricted mostly to the anal area, and a lighter steely blue than in any other C. opalinus subspecies. They are usually smaller than all the subspecies of C. opalinus , except C. opalinus cristalinus n. ssp., with a somewhat more acute FW apex. Female’s ductus bursae ( Fig. 11F ) is narrow and longer than all the subspecies of C. opalinus except for C. opalinus cristalinus n. ssp ( Fig. 11 D–E ).

Description. Head, thorax and abdomen not differing from C. opalinus . Wings described below:

FWL: 26–29 mm, mean: 28,2 mm (n=65).

D colour: glossy chestnut, lighter basally

HWP colour: metallic steely blue

HWP shape: subtriangular, extending from postbasal area, along the outer margin of the discal cell and vein CuA1, and along the anal margin to postmedian area, generally not entering the discal cell, nor cell M3–CuA1, except occasionally for a few scales

Individual variation. In some specimens, the lightening of the chestnut colour is limited to the basal area and discal cell, in others, a majority, it spreads distally from the discal cell to the submarginal area. On the FW the transition between basal chestnut and distal brown is gradual. On the hindwing the limit between the two shades is sharper.

Etymology. This subspecies is named after its type locality, Páramo El Rosal.

Geographic range. Páramo El Rosal , apparently throughout the southern part of the Páramo de Batallón massif in the Cordillera de Mérida. It has not been reported so far from the southernmost Páramo Zumbador , nor from the north-westward Páramo La Negra.

Altitudinal range. 2900–3050 m a.s.l.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Cheimas adults (dorsum)

FIGURE 4. Cheimas adults (venter)

FIGURE 10. Cheimas male genitalia (lateral view, aedeagus extracted, in lateral and ventral view from its natural position) A. Cheimas opalinus cristalinus, Páramo Cendé (prep. genit. 395/21.06.2016)

FIGURE 11. Cheimas female genitalia (lateral view)