Phavaraea poliana (Druce), 1893

Miller, James S, 2009, Generic Revision Of The Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae) Part 2: Josiini, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (321), pp. 675-1022 : 732

Phavaraea poliana (Druce) Figure 308 ; plate 27

Eucyane poliana Druce, 1893: 285 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Guyana, Essequibo Riv- er.

TYPE: Syntype ♀, leg. Whitely ( BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Phavaraea poliana (pl. 27) shows a wing pattern similar to that of P. rejecta (pl. 28), except that the transverse FW band is white rather than being yellow-orange, and the band in P. poliana tends to be wider. Other than wing color, the easiest way to separate P. poliana and P. rejecta is by the color of their labial palpi (see Phavaraea species key). Males of P. poliana exhibit a stunning patch of brilliant, iridescent purple androconia on the venter of A2–6 (pl. 27), with matt-black androconia on A7 and A8. In P. rejecta , the androconia on A2–A6 are dull blackish purple (pl. 28), and those on A7 and A8 are gray black.

Distinguishing features of the genitalia include the following: In males, the anterior apodeme on St8 is truncate in P. poliana (fig. 308E), but bifid in P. rejecta (fig. 310E). Females show stronger differences. The signum in P. rejecta is a narrow transverse sclerite (fig. 310B), raised from the outer surface of the CB. In contrast, the signum of P. poliana is a large, broad plate (fig. 308B).

Like Phavaraea rejecta , P. poliana is quite rare—I know it from 15 specimens. The two species are sympatric, but P. poliana shows a more restricted distribution, occurring in the Guyana Shield as well as the lower portion of the Amazon River in Brazil.

DISTRIBUTION: Brazil (AMNH, CMNH, CUIC, VOB, ZMH); Guyana (BMNH); Suriname (BMNH); French Guiana (BHC, BMNH).

DISSECTED: 3, French Guiana, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-303 ) ; ♀, Suriname (‘‘interio’’), Sep 1892, leg. C.W. Ellacombe, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-304 ) .

Figures

Fig. 308. Genitalia of Phavaraea poliana (3 JSM-303, ♀ JSM-304). A, 3 genitalia; B, ♀ genitalia; C, 3 Tg8; D, aedeagus; E, 3 St8, ventral view.