Buzyges mellanaformis Austin and A. Warren, 2009

Austin, George T. & Warren, Andrew D., 2009, New looks at and for Onespa, Buzyges, and Librita (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae), with new combinations and descriptions of a new genus and six new species, Insecta Mundi 2009 (89), pp. 1-55 : 25-28

Buzyges mellanaformis Austin and A. Warren , new species

( Fig. 33-36 , 70 , 82 , 92 )

Description. Male ( Fig. 33-34 ) - mean forewing length = 14.2 mm (13.8-14.8 mm, n=8; from Costa Rica); forewing with pointed apex, termen prominently convex, no stigma or brand; hindwing convex, weakly lobate at tornus; dorsal forewing dark brown with red-brown iridescence especially distad; proximal 1/2 costa yellow-orange; sparse paler yellow-orange overscaling in base of discal cell and CuA 2 -2A; yellow-orange overscaling of flat and setiform scales in middle 1/2 of anal cell; opaque pale yellow-orange macules as follows: subapical in mid-R 3 -R 4 (a few scales) and near bases of R 4 -R 5 and R 5 -M 1, more or less quadrate, of about equal size, series more or less perpendicular to costa; postmedial, M 2 -M 3, centered beneath origin of M 2, more or less quadrate; M 3 -CuA 1, in base of cell, triangular with concave distal edge; CuA 1 -CuA 2, quadrate with distal edge concave, largest, centered under origin of CuA 1, overlapping proximal 1/2 of macule in M 3 -CuA 1 and completely macule in CuA 2 -2A that is well-developed, more or less quadrate but with caudal portion extending far proximad; no macule in discal cell; fringe dull pale orangebrown.

Dorsal hindwing dark brown with iridescence as on forewing; proximal 2/3 overscaled with long ochreous and orange setiform scales in discal cell and caudad, extending nearly to termen along vein 2A; prominent opaque pale yellow-orange postmedial macules in M 1 -M 3 (quadrate), M 3 -CuA 1 (triangular), and CuA 1 -CuA 2 (quadrate), these separated by brown veins, that in M 1 -M 3 divided by thin line of brown; vaguely defined pale yellow-orange macule at distal end of discal cell; fringe pale orange.

Ventral forewing dull dark brown; costa, apex, and outer margin cephalad of vein CuA 1 overscaled with red-brown, entirely filling costal, radial, and medial, and most of subcostal cells, distad of macules in M 2 -M 3 and M 3 -CuA 1, narrowing to vein CuA 2; anterior discal cell overscaled with red-brown, flat and setiform scales; posterior 1/2 of CuA 2 -2A (proximad of pale macule) and all of anal cell with brown paler than remainder of wing; macules as on dorsum except subapical macules vague (mixed with red-brown overscaling) and macule in CuA 2 -2A without proximal extension cephalad and paler yellow-orange; veins at distal end of discal cell black; fringe as on dorsum.

Ventral hindwing entirely overscaled with red-brown except sparser on both sides of vein 2A making this region largely black, and as vaguely paler postmedial macules, appears mottled; small red-brown (slightly darker than ground color) macule in base of M 1 -M 3 near origin of M 1, may be vague, another darker macule may be near origin of M 3 and/or dark scaling extends along veins at end of discal cell; fringe as on dorsum.

Dorsal head black with mixture of black, greenish, and ochreous setiform scales, small ochreous spots just behind antennae, ochreous behind and beneath eye; palpi subquadrate, dorsum with mixture of black and ochreous setiform scales, whitish on sides and venter, black on inner surface, 3rd segment black, barely extending beyond scales of 2nd segment; antennae long (55% of costal length), shaft black on dorsum, checkered narrowly with yellow-orange on venter, club 34% of length of shaft, black on dorsum, yellow-orange on venter, nudum red-brown becoming darker at tip, 11 (n=2), 12 (n=3), or 13 (n=3) segments; dorsal thorax black and ochreous with green iridescence especially centrally; ventral thorax ochreous; legs red-brown with long ochreous setiform scales especially proximad, protibia not spined, red-brown epiphysis short, extending distad to barely overlap proximal portion of tarsus, mesotibia not spined, pair of spurs distad, outer about 2/3 length of inner, metatibia not spined, two pairs of spurs, outer about 2/3 length of inner; dorsal abdomen black, long ochreous setiform scales cephalad, caudal end pale orange; ventral abdomen ochreous.

Genitalia ( Fig. 70 , 82 ) - uncus very short, weakly hooked caudad in lateral view, entire and narrowing to weakly lobed caudal end in dorsal view; gnathos robust, well-separated from and shorter than uncus in lateral view, divided with arms slender, widely apart cephalad and approaching caudad in ventral view; tegumen broad in lateral view, broad in dorsal view and flaring cephalad, ventral arm combining with dorsal arm of saccus, this combined structure bent ventrad of its middle; anterior arm of saccus moderately long and thin, straight, about length of uncus and dorsal portion of tegumen, moderately broad caudad in ventral view, then narrower (but not tapering) to rounded cephalic end; valva simple, no differentiation between costa and ampulla, latter produced dorsally to small pointed triangular process near juncture with harpe, harpe curved and produced caudad to sharply pointed process, sacculus narrow, ventral edge of valva prominently concave in middle; aedeagus slightly curved cephalad, tubular, long, about 1.5 times length of valva, caudal end slightly expanded, blunt, small triangular titillator on right side caudad; vesica with cornuti including a small flexible lightly spinulose pad and two small heavily sclerotized thorn-like structures.

Female ( Fig. 35-36 ) - mean forewing length = 15.2 mm (14.9-15.7 mm, n=3, from Costa Rica); forewing with pointed apex, termen prominently convex; hindwing convex, very weakly lobate at tornus; dorsal forewing dull brown, little iridescence; proximal 1/2 costa dark red-brown; sparse dark red-brown overscaling at base of discal cell and CuA 2 -2A; sparse orange overscaling of flat and setiform scales in middle 1/2 of anal cell; opaque pale yellowish macules as follows: subapical in base of R 5 -M 1, irregular in shape; postmedial, M 2 -M 3, in base of cell, quadrate; M 3 -CuA 1, in base of cell, triangular, completely overlapped by macule in M 2 -M 3; CuA 1 -CuA 2, proximal edge just proximad of origin of CuA 1, quadrate (nearly square), largest, overlapping proximal edge of macule in M 3 -CuA 1, completely overlapping macule in CuA 2 -2A that is narrow cephalad and broader caudad; no macule in discal cell; fringe mixture of orange and brown becoming pale orange caudad of vein CuA 2.

Dorsal hindwing dull brown without iridescence seen on male; proximal 2/3 overscaled with long ochreous and brown setiform scales in discal cell and caudad, nearly extending to termen along vein 2A; opaque yellow-orange postmedial macules in M 1 -M 3 (narrow cephalad, broader caudad and divided by thin brown line), M 3 -CuA 1 (quadrate), and CuA 1 -CuA 2 (vague), these more or less quadrate, separated by brown veins; vaguely defined pale yellow-orange macule occasionally at distal end of discal cell; fringe pale orange.

Ventral forewing dull dark brown; costa, apex, and outer margin cephalad of vein CuA 1 overscaled with red-brown, entirely filling costal, radial, and medial, and most of subcostal cells, this occurring distad of macules in M 2 -M 3 and M 3 -CuA 1, narrowing to vein CuA 2; anterior discal cell overscaled with redbrown, flat and setiform scales; posterior 1/2 of CuA 2 -2A (proximad of pale macule) and all of anal cell with brown paler than remainder of wing; macules as on dorsum except subapical macules vague (mixed with red-brown overscaling) and macule in CuA 2 -2A without proximal extension cephalad and paler yelloworange; veins at distal end of discal cell black; fringe brown cephalad to CuA 2, then pale orange.

Ventral hindwing entirely overscaled with red-brown except sparser on both sides of vein 2A, and as vaguely paler postmedial macules; small red-brown (slightly darker than ground color) macule in base of M 1 -M 3 near origin of M 1, may be vague, another darker macule may be near origin of M 3 and/or dark scaling extends along veins at end of discal cell; fringe orange, paler caudad of CuA 2.

Dorsal head black with mixture of black, greenish, and ochreous setiform scales, small ochreous spots just behind antennae, ochreous behind and beneath eye; dorsal palpi mixture of black and ochreous setiform scales, whitish on sides and venter, black on inner surface, 3rd segment black, barely extending beyond scales of 2nd segment; antennae 50% of costal length, shaft black on dorsum, checkered narrowly with yellow-orange on venter, club long (43% of length of shaft), black on dorsum, yellow-orange on venter, nudum red-brown becoming darker at tip, 12 (n=2) or 13 segments (n=1); dorsal thorax black and ochreous with green iridescence especially centrally; ventral thorax ochreous; legs ochreous with long ochreous setiform scales especially proximad, protibia not spined, red-brown epiphysis short, extending distad to barely overlap proximal portion of tarsus, mesotibia not spined, pair of spurs distad, outer about 1/2 length of inner, metatibia not spined, two pairs of spurs, outer about 2/3 length of inner; dorsal abdomen black, long ochreous setiform scales cephalad, caudal end pale orange; ventral abdomen ochreous.

Genitalia ( Fig. 92 ) - lamellae trapezoidal, caudal edge of lamella postvaginalis excavate centrally into relatively broad and shallow V-shape flanked by small lobes, lamella antevaginalis narrower than lamella postvaginalis, excavate centrally, ostium bursae about twice as broad as deep; ductus bursae sclerotized, relatively long (2.2 mm including antrum), straight in ventral view and constricted in middle, slightly curved dorsad in lateral view; corpus bursae elongate, about 1.4 times as long as broad, prominently wrinkled transversely caudad, indistinctly wrinkled longitudinally cephalad.

Types. Holotype male with the following labels: white, printed - / COSTA RICA: Prov. San José / Bajo la Hondura , 1150-1450m / 10 o 03’37”N, 83 o 58’55”W / 13. vi. 2005 / I. Nakamura leg. /, red, printed - / HOLOTYPE / Buzyges mellanaformis / Austin & A. Warren /, deposited at MGCL . Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Cartago Province; Alto Belén, 1500-1700m, above Muñeco, Orosi Valley , 9 o 45’56”N, 83 o 54’04”W, 2 September 2008, leg. I. Nakamura (5 males; INIC) ; same locality and collector, 26 September 2007, (5 males, GTA #14031 ; INIC) ; COSTA RICA: Cartago Province; Parque Nat. Tapanti , ~ 1400m, 9 o 44’01”N, 83 o 46’46”W, 3 June 2005, leg. I. & N. Nakamura, K. Nishida & A. Damaceno (1 female, GTA #14058 ; INIC) ; COSTA RICA: San José Province; Bajo la Hondura , 1150-1450m, 10 o 03’37”N 83 o 58’55”W, 13 June 2005, leg. I. Nakamura (1 male; INIC) ; same locality and collector, 3 September 2007 (2 males; INIC) ; same locality and collector, 23 September 2006, (1 female; INIC) ; same locality, 21 March 2006, leg. I. &. M. Nakamura (1 male; INIC) ; COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Province; Monteverde Preserve , 1500m, 10.18 oN, 84.48 oW, 3 December 1994, W. A. Haber (1 female, ADW #99-30; ADWC) ; same location, 24 June 1996, WAH-154, reared, host: Chusquea scabra (1 female; WAHC) ; Monteverde, Windy Corner , 10.18 oN, 84.48 oW, 1500m, 31 December 1996, W. A. Haber (1 male; WAHC) . Paratypes are deposited in ADWC, INIC, and WAHC.

Type locality. COSTA RICA: San José Province ; Bajo la Hondura , 1150-1450 m, 10 o 03’37”N 83 o 58’55”W .

Etymology. The name of this species reflects its superficial resemblance to a number of species of the genus Quasimellana Burns, 1994 , formerly placed within Mellana Hayward, 1948 (see Burns 1994b).

Distribution and phenology. The species is presently known from elevations above 1150 m in the Cordillera Central of Cartago and San José provinces and Cordillera de Tilaran in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. Most specimens were taken in September, but individuals from March, June, and December suggest more than one generation annually.

Biological notes. This species was reared by William Haber, at Monteverde, Costa Rica, on Chusquea scabra Soderstr. and C. Calderón (Poaceae) .

Diagnosis and discussion. Buzyges mellanaformis superficially shares with both Onespa and other Buzyges the lack of a stigma, relatively long antennae, subquadrate palpi with a relatively short 3rd segment, and marked sexual dimorphism. The species’ alliance with Buzyges is indicated by genital morphology of both sexes. Males have a relatively short uncus and tegumen and saccus typical of Buzyges and the valva is compact with a short triangular caudal process. Female genitalia are also typical of Buzyges in the very broad sterigma, broad and centrally constricted ductus bursae without the complex sclerotization seen for Onespa , and a broad corpus bursae. The meso- and metatibia of B. mellanaformis , however, are not spined, different from others of the genus. As with Onespa (see above), the presence of tibial spines is not considered a genus-specific character in Buzyges .

Buzyges mellanaformis among Buzyges species has the most convex termen to the forewing. It lacks orange in the discal cell of the forewing, its macules forming an evenly curved postmedial series extending to the subapical macules, with a break in cell M 1 -M 2. Overall the species has a more subdued and duller aspect than others of the genus.

Figures

Figure 19-36. Buzyges (full data in text; ds = dorsal surface, vs = ventral surface; scale bar = 10 mm). 19) B. idothea, holotype male, Costa Rica, ds; 20) same, vs; 21) B. idothea, male, Costa Rica, 10 March 2004, ds; 22) same, vs; 23) B. idothea, female, Costa Rica, 10 March 2004, ds; 24) same, vs; 25) B. rolla, male, Panama, 26 August 1976, ds; 26) same, vs; 27) B. rolla, female, Panama, 26 December 1969, ds; 28) same, vs; 29) B. benito, holotype male, Jalisco, Mexico, ds; 30) same, vs; 31) B. benito, male, Oaxaca, Mexico, 24 October 2008, ds; 32) same, vs; 33) B. mellanaformis, holotype male, Costa Rica, 13 June 2005, ds; 34) same, vs; 35) B. mellanaformis, paratype female, Costa Rica, 23 October 2006, ds; 36) same, vs.

Figure 67-70. Male genitalia of Buzyges (full data in text; shown are lateral view of uncus, gnathos, tegumen, and saccus; dorsal view of uncus and tegumen; ventral view of gnathos uncus; internal view of right valva; ventral view of saccus; ventral, dorsal, right lateral and/or left lateral views of aedeagus; scale bar = 1 mm). 67) B. idothea, Costa Rica (ADW #97-102); 68) B. rolla, Costa Rica (GTA #14055); 69) B. benito, Oaxaca, Mexico (SRS #4468); 70) B. mellanaformis, Costa Rica, paratype (GTA #14031).

Figure 75-86. Rigid cornuti of Onespa, Buzyges, Librita, and Neposa (full data in text; shown are lateral and dorsal views). 75) O. nubis, El Salvador (SRS #4803); 76) O. gala, Michoacán, Mexico (GTA #14065); 77) O. brockorum, Sonora, Mexico, paratype (SRS #1852); 78) O. nakamura, Costa Rica, holotype (GTA #14033); 79) B. idothea, Costa Rica (ADW #97-102); 80) B. rolla, Costa Rica (GTA #14055); 81) B. benito, Oaxaca, Mexico (SRS #4468); 82) B. mellanaformis, Costa Rica, paratype (GTA #14031); 83) L. librita, Veracruz, Mexico (GTA #14135); 84) N. heras, Guerrero, Mexico (ADW #97-112); 85) N. armandoi, Oaxaca, Mexico, holotype (GTA #14143); 86) N. isabelae, Guatemala, paratype (ADW #98-15).

Figure 90-92. Female genitalia of Buzyges (full data in text; shown are left lateral and ventral views; scale bar = 1 mm). 90) B. idothea, Costa Rica (SRS #3754); 91) B. rolla, Costa Rica (GTA #14057); 92) B. mellanaformis, Costa Rica, paratype (GTA #14058).