Penaincisalia cuiva Prieto & Rodríguez, 2007

Prieto, Carlos & Rodriguez, Gabriel, 2007, A new species of Penaincisalia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini) from the high Andes of Colombia, Zootaxa 1660, pp. 61-68 : 63-67

Penaincisalia cuiva Prieto & Rodríguez , new species.

( Figs. 1 A,B; 2A,B,C,E,G; 3A, B)

Description. Male. Wing shape: Forewing length 14.8 mm (measured from forewing apex to base at thorax), Hindwing apex rounded and anal tail appearing as a blunt spatulated lobe, vein CuA1 with a minute caudal extension. Fringe on both wings formed of long scales without pigment. Dorsal surface: Both wings iridescent sky blue except for a broad black border (approximately 5mm) at submarginal and marginal area of wings. Costal margin black on both wings. Forewing scent pad small (approximately 1/5 length of the discal cell) trapezoid in shape and black. Ventral surface: Ground color of both wings reddish brown, with evenly scattered white scales between medial and submarginal bands on both wings, a rather square patch of scattered white scales on apical part of forewing and scattered white scales between discal margin and basal portion of hindwing. Slightly irregular brown forewing medial band has an ill-defined proximal edge and a distal edge more sharply defined. Forewing submarginal elements appear as a band of continuous lunular spots. Hindwing anal fold covered by scattered white scales, except for a brown line crossing middle. Hindwing discal margin appears as an irregular, zigzag brown medial band crossing wing. Hindwing submarginal elements appear as an irregular line dividing submarginal (reddish brown) and postmedial (scattered white) part of wing.

Body: Thorax dark brown, abdomen dark brown dorsally and orange ventrally.

Genitalia: Eighth abdominal tergite simple and in shape rectangle; caudal extension of valvae in lateral view aproximately 1/3 length of valvae and with a smoothly rounded dorsal margin at basal portion; valvae ventral keel with triangular blunt projection ( Fig. 2 E); uncus with very deep and rounded medially with indentation dorsally; aedeagus long and uniformly narrow throughout, with a prominently convex anterior half, a shallowly concave posterior half, and a blunt tip; distal portion of aedeagus presents two cornuti, first a flattened, concave and serrate-tipped rod positioned dorsally in posterior third of aedeagus, and second short, anteriorly tapered, convex and dorsally serrate ( Fig. 2 C). Saccus small and triangular in shape.

Female. Wing shape: Forewing shape triangular and pointed, hindwing apex rounded and anal tail occurring as a lateral lobe accompanied with a long tail extending from vein CuA2 plus a short well defined extension of vein CuA1. Dorsal surface: Both wings iridescent silver-green ill-defined at apical part and accompanied by a broad black border (approximately 5mm) at submarginal and marginal portion of wings. Hindwing tornal lobe suffused with reddish brown scaling. Ventral surface: Ground color of both wings reddish brown, with scattered white scales between medial and submarginal bands on both wings, this area broader than on the male forewing. A square patch of white scales at apex of forewing and scattered white scales between discal margin and basal portion of hindwing. Medial and submarginal bands on both wings as in male. Thorax dark brown, abdomen dark brown dorsally and orange brown ventrally.

Genitalia: Ductus bursae constricted almost centrally in ventral view, lacking membranous area between ductus bursae posterior and anterior segments. Ductus bursae anterior segment longer than posterior segment. Signa occurring as simple sclerotized plates.

Type. HOLOTYPE ɗ: Colombia, Departamento de Antioquia, Los Llanos-San Andres road km 1-2 Santa Rosa, 2600–2750 m., 14.IX.2003, 6 o 38’ N, 75 o 27’ W., Leg. Gabriel Rodríguez. The holotype is currently in GR, but will be deposited in ICN. PARATYPES: 2 ɗ GR: Colombia, Departamento de Antioquia, Los Llanos-San Andres road Km 1-2 Santa Rosa, 2600–2750m., 14.IX.2003, leg. Gabriel Rodríguez. 1 Ψ ICN: Colombia, Antioquia, Belmira, El Valle, 2700m robledales, 19–21 IV. 1997, C. Sarmiento CES 377.

Etymology: This species name is derived from that of the type locality in Colombia, “Llanos de Cuiva ” where the males, including the holotype, were collected.

Diagnosis and discussion: The male of Penaincisalia cuiva is distinguished from other “ browni group” species by having a sky blue dorsal wing surface and a wide postmedial band that consists of scattered white scales between the medial and submarginal bands on both wings. The medial zigzag band on the ventral surface of the hindwing with a sky blue dorsal surface, plus a black square androconial brand is an unique combination of characters in the “ browni group”. The phenotypically closest species, P. magnifica , has a very similar dorsal surface ( Fig. 1 C,D), but the hindwing shape is more rounded in P. c u i v a. The tornus lobe is longer in P. magnifica and the hindwing blue is much more extended, reaching the basal portion of the tornal lobe. The hindwing medial band in P. c u i v a is markedly irregular, while in P. magnifica has a continuous band perceptibly curved towards the basal portion of the wing. Moreover, neither P. magnifica nor the other species in the “ browni group” have such pattern of scattered white scales on the ventral surface as P. c u i v a. The second cornutus in P. c u i v a male genitalia is shorter and less serrated in the dorsal portion ( Fig. 2 C) than that of P. magnifica ( Fig. 2 D). Although the valvae shape is very similar in these species ( Fig. 2 E,F,G,H), P. magnifica has a more rounded basal portion on the caudal extension of the valvae (Fig. F) (in lateral view). The ventral keel in P. c u i v a is bluntly triangular and more prominent than in P. magnifica . The female genitalia are illustrated in figure 3.

Biology: P. c u i v a was collected in a livestock pasture with patches of oak forest. At the moment of capture, the three males collected did not show any hilltopping behavior typical of other members of this genus. They were assembled on top of an isolated tree top 6–7 m high, between 10:30 and 11:30 AM. The larval host plants and the nectar sources are unknown.

Distribution: Spatial: The species is known only from the type locality in Colombia ( Fig. 4 ). The “Páramo de Belmira” is a compact massif extending in a north-south direction in the central cordillera of Antioquia. This area was defined recently as a local centre of endemism for cloud forest butterflies by Pyrcz & Rodriguez (2006). The new species was discovered near the type locality of Lymanopoda paisa Pyrcz & Rodriguez, 2006 , a striking pronophiline whose blue dorsal surface may play an important role in mating and in species recognition, in the same way as apparently occurs with eumaine butterflies. Temporal: Known only from April and September.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adults (dorsal surface on left and ventral surface on right). A, Paratype ♂ P. c u i v a. Colombia, Antioquia (GR). B, Paratype Ψ P. cu iva. Colombia, Antioquia, Belmira. (ICN). C. P. magnifica ♂ Colombia, Cauca. D. P. m a g - nifica Ψ Colombia, Caldas.

FIGURE 2. Genital structures of P. cu iva and P. magnifica. Male genitalia. A, paratype P. cuiva genitalia in lateral view; B, paratype P. cu iva in ventral view with aedeagus removed; C, paratype P. cuiva. detail of the second cornuti; D, P. m a g - nifica detail of the second cornuti. E, P. c u i v a valvae in lateral view; F, P. magnifica valvae in lateral view; G, P. c u i v a valvae in ventral view; H, P. magnifica valvae in ventral view.

FIGURE 4. Map of Colombian Andes illustrating the known distribution of P. c u i v a and P. magnifica.