Neposa hestia 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 : 43-44

Neposa hestia Austin and A. Warren , new species

( Fig. 51-52 , 95 )

Description. Male – unknown.

Female ( Fig. 51-52 ) - forewing length = 16.8 mm (n=1, holotype); forewing apex more or less pointed, termen convex; hindwing termen convex cephalad, slightly concave caudad before weakly lobate tornus; dorsum dark brown; sparse orange overscaling basad, prominent along proximal 1/2 of costa, dense yellow-orange overscaling in proximal 2/3 of anal cell; translucent white macules as follows: subapical in R 3 - R 4 , R 4 - R 5 , and R 5 -M 1, quadrate and overlapping, increasing in size caudad ; postmedial M 3 -CuA 1, trapezoidal, offset distad and not overlapping larger quadrate macule in CuA 1 -CuA 2; hourglass-shaped at distal end of discal cell, latter three macules narrowly outlined with orange; opaque yellow-orange macule midcell in posterior CuA

2

-2A; fringe pale brown cephalad, pale yellow-orange caudad of 2A.

Dorsal hindwing largely brown, orange submarginal macules from Rs to mid-cell CuA 2 -2A, that in Rs-M 1 offset proximad from remainder of series, divided in M 1 -M 3 by single line of brown scales; sparse long pale orange setiform scales in base of discal cell (where some have greenish tinge), in proximal 3/4 of CuA 2 -2A and more densely along vein 2A nearly to termen; fringe dull orange cephalad, pale yelloworange caudad of 2A.

Ventral forewing largely orange-brown cephalad, macules as on dorsum except that in 2A is whitish; black in base of Sc-R 1, in discal cell to distal macule; black in CuA 1 -CuA 2 and CuA 2 -2A proximad of macules; dark brown (nearly black) in CuA 1 -CuA 2 distad of macule to about 1/2 distance to termen, distad in CuA

2

-2, and in entire anal cell; fringe orange-brown cephalad, dull pale yellow-orange caudad of 2A.

Ventral hindwing largely orange, appears mottled by vaguely paler yellow-orange patches (beneath submarginal macules of dorsum, along outer margin, and elsewhere), submarginal markings accentuated distad by small darker red-brown macules; mixed dark brown and orange in posterior CuA 2 -2A and all of 2A-3A; long orange setiform scales along proximal 2/3 of vein 3A; fringe yellow-orange cephalad, paler caudad of 2A.

Dorsal head orange, few pale orange scales above, behind, and beneath eye; palpi quadrate, orange and a few black setiform scales on dorsum becoming yellow-orange mixed with black scales on sides and venter, 3rd segment black, stout, not exceeding scales of 2nd segment; antennae of moderate length (48% of costal length), dull orange on dorsum, venter yellow and checked with black, black broadest proximad, club of moderate length (40% of length of shaft), yellow-orange and black, nudum red-brown, darker distad, 11 (n=1) segments; dorsal thorax black, somewhat rubbed but apparently entirely covered with orange setiform scales; ventral thorax black, overscaled with dark orange setiform scales, pectus yelloworange; legs orange distad, brown proximad, pale orange setiform scales on femur and tibia, protibia smooth, red-brown epiphysis short, reaching junction with tarsus, mesotibia spined, single pair of spurs, outer 1/2 length of inner, metatibia spined, two pairs of spurs, outer about 2/3 length of inner; dorsal abdomen dark brown; ventral abdomen ochreous and fulvous.

Genitalia ( Fig. 95 ) - lamellae broad, caudal edge of lamella postvaginalis lobate, lobes broadly separated by shallow U-shaped excavation, lamella antevaginalis narrower than lamella postvaginalis, deeply excavate centrally into broad V-shape, ostium bursae about twice as broad as deep; ductus bursae sclerotized, broad in ventral view and relatively long (2.3 mm including antrum), constricted in middle, relatively straight in ventral view but slightly twisted to left, straight and expanding cephalad in lateral view, numerous very thin internal sclerotized plates; corpus bursae broad, less than 1.5 times as long as broad, weakly wrinkled longitudinally.

Type. Holotype female with the following labels: white, handprinted - / Mex: Veracruz / road above / Las Minos / 8 April 1990 / John Kemner / el. 9000’ /, white, printed and handprinted - / Allyn Museum Photo / No. 90721, 21A1 / 19, 20 /, white, printed and handprinted - / Allyn Museum / Acc. 1990-12 /, white, printed and handprinted – / Genitalia Vial / SRS-3738 /, white, printed - / MGCL / FLMNH / Specimen no. / 34058 /, and red, printed - / HOLOTYPE / Neposa hestia / Austin & A. Warren /. Deposited at MGCL .

Type locality. MEXICO: Veracruz, road above Las Minas (misspelled Las Minos on label), 9000’.

Etymology. In Greek mythology, Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and sister of Hera, after which a very similar species, N. heras was apparently named. This alludes to the close relationships of these two species.

Distribution and phenology. The species is known only from the type taken in April.

Diagnosis and discussion. With the paucity of material, an attempt to superficially distinguish N. hestia from N. heras is perhaps premature. These only suggest that N. hestia is larger than N. heras , has smaller macules on both the dorsal forewing and hindwing, and is more orange on the venter compared with the olivish aspect of N. heras . The genitalia, however, are diagnostic. Female N. hestia have the caudal lobes on the lamella postvaginalis more broadly spaced than on N. heras , the lamella antevaginalis is more deeply excavate, and the ductus bursae is more constricted centrally in ventral view and has thinner internal sclerotized plates. Additionally, the corpus bursae of N. hestia appears shorter and more compact.

Figures

Figure 37-60. Librita and Neposa (full data in text; ds = dorsal surface, vs = ventral surface; scale bar = 10mm). 37) L. librita, male (holotype of Augiades hecale), Guerrero, Mexico, ds; 38) same, vs; 39) L. librita, male, Michoacán, Mexico, 27 July 1996, ds; 40) same, vs; 41) L. librita, female, Chiapas, Mexico, 19-23 October 1971, ds; 42) same, vs; 43) L. librita, female, Michoacán, Mexico, 23 July 1997, ds; 44) same, vs; 45) N. heras, holotype male, Guerrero, Mexico, ds; 46) same, vs; 47) N. heras, male, Oaxaca, Mexico, 19 October 2008, ds; 48) same, vs; 49) N. heras, female, Guerrero, Mexico, ds; 50) same, vs; 51) N. hestia, holotype female, Veracruz, Mexico, 8 April 1990, ds; 52) same, vs; 53) N. isabelae, holotype male, Guatemala, 22 October 1965, ds; 54) same, vs; 55) N. isabelae, paratype male, Guatemala, 4 December 1965, ds; 56) same, vs; 57) N. armandoi, holotype male, Oaxaca, Mexico, 23 September 2007, ds; 58) same, vs; 59) N. armandoi, paratype male, Oaxaca, Mexico, 25 October 2008, ds; 60) same, vs.

Figure 93-95. Female genitalia of Librita and Neposa (full data in text; shown are left lateral and ventral views; scale bar = 1 mm). 93) L. librita, Oaxaca, Mexico (GTA #14137); 94) N. heras, Guerrero, Mexico (ADW #97-111); 95) N. hestia, Veracruz, Mexico, holotype (SRS #3738).