Lyces tamara (Hering), 1925

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 : 779

Lyces tamara (Hering) , new combination Figure 325F–J ; plate 31

Josia tamara Hering, 1925: 527 , fig. 71b.

TYPE LOCALITY: ‘‘Honduras’’.

TYPE: Holotype ♀ ( ZMH).

DISCUSSION: Lyces tamara is the northernmost member of a five-species clade within the Patula Group. This subgroup, which ranges as far south as southeastern Brazil, includes L. annulata , L. cruciata , L. minuta , and L. aurimutua . The clade is united by the presence of an orange-yellow transverse band on A1, and an orange-yellow longitudinal band on the T1 pleuron. Their male genitalia exhibit a wide costal flange. In addition to being the largest of these species, Lyces tamara is the only one showing a white longitudinal stripe on the abdominal pleuron; in all others this stripe is orange. The male genitalia of L. tamara are unique among Lyces in exhibiting a strange, caplike dorsal structure on the uncus (fig. 325F).

In addition to the ZMH holotype, I know L. tamara from 14 specimens: three from Veracruz, Mexico ( FNHM, PMNH) ; one from Puebla, Mexico ( FNHM), eight from Chiapas, Mexico ( ARTC, LACM, PTC) ; and two from Guatemala ( LACM, USNM). Of this material, the only male is at the LACM ( JSM-1674 ) .

Hering (1925) described tamara in Josia , and it was retained there by Bryk (1930). Here, it is referred to Lyces as a new combination.

DISTRIBUTION: Honduras (ZMH); Guatemala (LACM, USNM); Mexico (FNHM, LACM, PMNH, PTC).

DISSECTED: Holotype ♀ (genitalia slide no. JSM-701 ); ³, Mexico, Chiapas, ‘‘ Chorradero’ ’, 3 Jun 1973, leg. Robert Wind, LACM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1674 ); ♀, Guatemala, Alta Verapaz, Tamahu , 1000 m, 5 Dec 1983, leg. P. Hubbell, LACM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1675 ).

Figures

Fig. 325. Genitalia of Lyces. A, ³ of L. longistria (JSM-1489); B, ♀ of L. longistria (JSM-1715); C, aedeagus of L. longistria; D, ³ Tg8 of L. longistria; E, ³ St8 of L. longistria; F, ³ of L. tamara (JSM- 1674); G, ♀ of L. tamara (JSM-1675); H, aedeagus of L. tamara; I, ³ Tg8 of L. tamara; J, ³ St8 of L. tamara.