Lamprospilus bicolor mirador Faynel & Prieto, 2023

Prieto, Carlos, Faynel, Christophe & Lorenc-Brudecka, Jadwiga, 2023, Integrative description of two new species and two new subspecies of Lamprospilus Geyer (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), Zootaxa 5244 (2), pp. 145-159 : 151-153

Lamprospilus bicolor mirador Faynel & Prieto , ssp. nov.

( Figures 11, 12 , 32 )

Type material. Holotype male: PERU, Cuzco, Carretera Manu, Km 68, El Mirador , 1722 m, S13°04.108′, W71°33.229′, 1.VIII.2019, 14:00 (local time), C. Faynel leg., DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1022 . The holotype will be deposited in MUSM.

Paratypes (n = 35): 6 males, RCCF: same locality as holotype, 31.VII.2019 ; 1 male, RCCF: same locality as holotype, 31.VII.2019, 14:10, DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1020 ; 1 male, RCCF:same locality as holotype, 5.VIII.2019 ; 3 males, RCCF: same locality as holotype, 31.VII.2021 ; 6 males, RCCF: same locality as holotype, 21.IX.2021 ; 3 males, RCCF: same locality as holotype, 23.IX.2021 ; 1 male, RCCP: same locality as holotype, 21.IX.2021 ; 2 males, FILS: PERU, Puno, Sandia , 900 m, 21.VIII.2010, DNA sample ID CFC22432 ; same locality as holotype, 21.IX.2021 ; 2 males, RCCF: BOLIVIA, La Paz, Caranavi, Taipiplaya , 994 m, 2.V.2019, S15°56′15.697″, W 67°28′4.292″, G. Siebel leg., DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1209 (will be deposited in CBF) ; La Paz, Caranavi, Antennes de Carrasco , 1660 m, 23.X.2020, S15°40.468′, W 67°29.364′, C. Faynel leg., DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1500 ; 2 females, RCCF: ECUADOR, Tungurahua, Topo, Río Negro , 1300 m, 2011, J.C. Petit leg. ; Morona-Santiago, Pablo Sexto , 1350 m, 9.I.2012, J.C. Petit leg. ; 6 females, RCCF: PERU, San Martín, Rioja, Naranjos , 15.VI.2020, DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1485 ; San Martín, Nuevo Cajamarca , 850 m, S5°56′, W77°19′, XI.2020, DNA sample ID CFLYC-1874 ; San Martín, Afluente , 1350 m, IV.2010 ; Huánuco, Flor de Café , 1450 m, S9°11′, W75°47′, 22.III.2021, DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1875 ; same locality as holotype, 8.VIII.2019, 13:10, DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1024 ; 23.IX.2021, 11:40, DNA sample ID CF-LYC-1647 ; 1 female, RCCP: same locality as holotype, 15:30 ; 1 female, FILS: PERU, Cuzco, Fundo Cadena , 900 m, -13.351, -70.841, 18.IX.2010 .

Description.

Male: Wings. Forewing average costal length measured from wing base to apex 14.8 mm (n = 22, min = 12.7 mm, max= 16.7 mm); same dorsal dull blue coloration and same ventral wing pattern as the nominal subspecies ( Figures 9 and 11 ). The differences are 1) ventral coloration more grey than brown, 2) on forewing ventral surface the short median line at the end of the discal cell straight, not outwardly bent, 3) on hindwing ventral surface the postmedian line straight, not wavy, 3) a reduced orange spot on hindwing ventral surface veins CuA 1 -CuA 2 cell with the black inside broader ( Figure 11 ).

Male genitalia: Minor differences, for example brush organs less dense and dark compared with the nominal subspecies.

Female: Wings. Forewing average costal length measured from wing base to apex 14.1 mm (n =5, min = 12.3 mm, max= 15.3 mm); same dorsal ground color light blue and same ventral wing pattern as in the nominal subspecies ( Figures 10 and 12 ). The ventral wing surface pattern elements listed in the male description that separate L. bicolor mirador ssp. nov. from L. bicolor bicolor sp. nov. also apply to the female.

Female genitalia: No differences with the genitalia of the nominal subspecies.

Etymology: Named after the place known as El Mirador (“the viewpoint”) in the Cosñipata valley, where the first specimens were caught. A masculine noun in apposition.

Diagnosis: The diagnostic characters are given in the male description. We found no other striking elements distinguishing this subspecies from the nominal subspecies described from Colombia (BIN: ACV4947) despite the high intersubspecific mean genetic distance was 4.01%. Moreover, the populations from Peru in the north (San Martín), center (Huánuco) and south (Cuzco), and northern Bolivia share the same barcode (BIN: ACP8506) with maximum divergence in BIN only 0.18% (p-dist). Based on previous data ( Prieto et al. 2021), a distance of more than 4% often reveals a specific separation.

Distribution: East slope of the Andean Cordillera, Yungas from Ecuador (Tungurahua and Morona-Santiago), to Peru (San Martín, Huánuco and Cuzco) and Northern Bolivia (La Paz). Altitudinal range 850–1720 m.

Remarks: Males were commonly observed flying on a ridgetop, in the Cosñipata valley slopes, tree-topping around an isolated tree (2.5 m high) and landing in the middle of the tree (approximately at 1.5–2 m above the ground). They were active between 13:40 and 14:30 hours in August (eight observations) and between 14:40 and 16:30 hours in September (ten observations) with more sunny days. Females were found crossing male territories at 11:30, 13:10 and 15:30 hours. This species was recorded as “137 Lamprospilus sp. n. 1.” from the Cosñipata valley in February, August and November ( Lamas et al., 2021) between elevations 1050–1750 m and treated as an “uncommon species that resembles L. coelicolor and replaces it at higher elevations.”

Figures

FIGURE 32. Collecting localities of the new taxa.

FIGURES 9–16. Adults. 9. Lamprospilus bicolor sp. nov. male (Holotype, Aguacatal, Colombia); 10. Lamprospilus bicolor sp. nov. female (Paratype, Aguacatal, Colombia); 11. Lamprospilus bicolor mirador ssp. nov., male (Holotype, Peru); 12. Lamprospilus bicolor mirador ssp. nov., female (Paratype, Peru); 13. Lamprospilus coelicolor, male (French Guiana); 14. Lamprospilus coelicolor, female (French Guiana); 15. Lamprospilus aunus, male (Colombia); 16. Lamprospilus aunus, female (French Guiana).