Prometheus zagraea salvina ( Westwood, 1877 )

Berghe, Eric Den, 2020, Synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) from Honduras and Nicaragua, Central America, Zootaxa 4895 (2), pp. 272-284 : 279-280

Prometheus zagraea salvina ( Westwood, 1877)

( Fig 1I )

Castnia salvina Westwood, 1877:190-191 , lam. 32, fig. 1 [ Panama]

Gazera carilla Schaus, 1911: 192-193 . [ Costa Rica]

Castnia (Doubledaya) columbina panamensis Talbot, 1929:70-71 . [ Panama]

Zegara zagraea salvina (Westwood) ; Lamas, 1995:85. [ Lamas (1995) considers carilla (Schaus) a synonym of zagraea salvina (Westwood) ]

Zegara carilla, Chacón & Montero, 2007 : pl 24.

Zegara columbina, Chacón & Montero, 2007 : pl 24.

Prometheus zagraea salvina (Westwood) ; González & Domagała, 2019:17.

Even though it is not uncommon, very little is known about this species whose two recognized ssp. can be found from Colombia to Central America ( Lamas 1995, Miller 1986). The nominate ssp. has been associated with Aechmea magdalenae (André) André ex Baker (Bromeliaceae) ( Miller, 1986), thus it should not be surprising that P. zagraea salvina feeds on another bromeliad within its range. This particular ssp. was previously known from Costa Rica and Panama ( Lamas 1995), thus this new report from northern Nicaragua considerably expands its geographic range. The species P. zagraea has been mentioned as a member of a mimicry complex that includes different families of Lepidoptera ( Miller 1986, González et al. 2010; González & Hernández-Baz 2012). One of the co-authors (EVDB) was able to obtain detailed information on associated species from Cerro Jesus, Nicaragua. In this locality, several “tiger-patterned” Lepidoptera co-exist and the Mullerian mimetic ring is complex. Several associated lepidopterans fly synchronously: Chetone angulosa ( Walker, 1854) (Erebidae) , Lycorea halia atergatis Doubleday, 1847 , Mechanitis polymnia (L. 1758), Eueides isabella (Stoll, 1781) , Heliconius ismenius Latreille, [1817] , Consul fabius cecrops (Doubleday, [1849]) (Nymphalidae) . Even though both, males and females of P. zagraea salvina present the basic “tiger-pattern” of the others in the mimicry complex, females have broader wings and are larger, and the males seem to mimic different species. Even though the typical flight pattern of Castniidae is fast, both sexes of P. zagraea salvina adopt the slow flight pattern of Heliconius butterflies. Besides this castniid, the other Batesian mimic found in the area was C. fabius cecrops , which is not very common. Also, three specimens of Chetone angulosa were attracted to a light trap the night before the specimens of P. z. salvina were collected, however, this Erebidae was not active during the day but it behaves exactly as does P. z. salvina .

Material Examined: NICARAGUA: 5 Ƌ, 1 ♀, Nueva Segovia, Cerro Jesus , 13°57´47.12”N 86°10´17.51”W, 988m, 15. V .2018 leg E. van den Berghe, active at noon ( EVDB)

Figures

FIGURE 1: Giant butterfly-moths (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) from Honduras and Nicaragua. A. Ƌ, Telchin cacica procera (Boisduval, [1875]), Morazán, Honduras (UNAH, Honduras); B. Ƌ, Telchin atymnius drucei (Schaus, 1911), Honduras (Streck- er Collection, FMNH, Chicago, USA); C. ♀, Telchin atymnius futilis (Walker, 1856), Atlántida, Honduras (CURLA, Honduras); D. Ƌ, Telchin evalthe viryi (Boisduval, [1875]), Honduras (Strecker Collection, FMNH, Chicago, USA); E. Ƌ, Telchin diva diva (Butler, 1870), Carazo, Nicaragua (MEL, Nicaragua); F. Ƌ, Telchin licus microsticta (Rothschild, 1919), Atlántida, Honduras (CURLA); G. Ƌ, (Type), Athis inca inca Walker, 1854, Honduras (NHMUK, London); H. Ƌ, Athis clitarcha (Westwood, 1877), Atlántida, Honduras (CURLA); I. ♀, Prometheus zagraea salvina (Westwood, 1877), Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua (EVDB). Scale: 10 mm.