Pseudotinea hemis (Schaus, 1927) HALL & CALLAGHAN, 2003

HALL, JASON P. W. & CALLAGHAN, CURTIS J., 2003, A revision of the new riodinid butterfly genus Pseudotinea (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), Journal of Natural History 37 (7), pp. 821-837 : 833-834

Pseudotinea hemis (Schaus, 1927) comb. n.

(figures 4A–D, 9A, B, 13)

Calydna hemis Schaus, 1927: 73 . Type locality: Santa Catarina, Brazil. Holotype W USNM [examined].

Identification and taxonomy

Average FW length, both sexes: 14.5 mm. Male Pseudotinea hemis closely resembles only P. gagarini , but its postdiscal orange patches on both dorsal wing surfaces are considerably narrower, that on the fore wing being divided in cell Cu2, it has a prominent postdiscal whitish band on the ventral hind wing that extends from the costal to anal margin without a continuous black band proximally, and it has more prominent submarginal spots on both ventral wing surfaces. As the female of P. gagarini is unknown, female P. hemis most closely resembles that of P. volcanicus . It differs on the dorsal surface by having fore wing postdiscal orange that extends to the costa, and on the ventral surface by having the same prominent postdiscal whitish band on the hind wing as the male.

The female P. hemis specimen in the ZMHU bears Stichel’s manuscript label ‘bombax’, but the specimen was not collected until 1930, shortly before his death, and he clearly never had time to publish the name.

Biology

Nothing is known about the biology of this very rare species. Given its rarity and restricted range, and the human threat to its habitat, P. hemis must be considered vulnerable in conservation terms.

Distribution

This species is only known from the coastal Serra do Mar range in Paraná and Santa Catarina states in south-east Brazil (see figure 14). However, it should be looked for in the Serra do Mar of Rio Grande do Sul state to the south, and in the inland Serra Geral range of Santa Catarina and Paraná states .

Specimens examined

Brazil: Paraná, Lapa, 1 W SMF; Santa Catarina, Blumenau, Rio Lacisz (December), 1 X ZMHU; No specific locality, 1 W USNM.