Ephialtias bryce (Walker) Miller, James S, 2009

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 : 752-753

Ephialtias bryce (Walker) , new combination Plate 29

Josia bryce Walker, 1854: 303 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Brazil, Tapajós.

TYPE: Holotype ³, Bates Collection ( BMNH).

Josia rosea Hering, 1925: 526 , fig. 70h. New synonymy.

TYPE LOCALITY: Brazil, Itaituba.

TYPE: Syntype ³/ ♀ ( ZMH).

Josia subdraconis Bryk, 1953: 226 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Brazil, Amazonas, S. Gabriel.

TYPE: Holotype ♀ (not seen), leg. 29 Dec, ex Roman Collection.

DISCUSSION: According to my taxonomic interpretation, E. bryce can be distinguished from other Bryce Group species because the transverse FW band shows reddish coloring at it anterior and posterior ends in bryce , whereas the band is red exclusively at its anterior end in the other two taxa. Ephialtias bryce is also slightly smaller than E. draconis and E. tenuifascia . The genitalia of E. bryce are also distinctive. For example, in females, the elongate sclerite of the corpus bursae shows less curvature than in the other two, and is also much more densely spined.

Comparison of the types of bryce Walker and rosea Hering suggests that these are synonyms; they have identical wing patterns, with the same amount of rosy red in the transverse FW band, and a similar peachcolored central area near the band’s center (see Bryce Group species key). Both type localities are on the Rio Tapajós of Brazil — ‘‘Rio Tapajos’’ for bryce , and ‘‘Itaituba’’ for rosea . Hering’s rosea is here made a junior synonym of E. bryce . The only specimen of E. bryce at the BMNH is the Walker type. There are, however, nine examples identified as rosea in the ZMH collection, including a paratype. The male dissected for this study (JSM-1421) is from that series.

By studying material with wings strictly adhering to this characterization of E. bryce , it appears that the species is endemic to a relatively small area in the vicinity of the Rio

Tapajós, a large tributary that empties into the Amazon River near Santarém. The question becomes which name to apply to material from further west up the Amazon. Specimens from there do not show the pinkish-red FW band. I leave resolution of that issue to future revisionary work. I was unable to locate the type of subdraconis , described by Bryk (1953) as a subspecies of E. bryce .

DISTRIBUTION: Brazil (AMNH, BMNH, CUIC, USNM, ZMH).

DISSECTED: ³, Brazil, Itaituba , ZMH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1421 ) ; ³, Brazil, Pará , Itaituba, Rio Tapajós, Feb 1922, USNM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1728 ) ; ♀, Brazil, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-134 ) ; ♀, Brazil, Rio Tapajós , leg. B. Pohl, CU Lot 819, Sub 309, CUIC (genitalia slide no. JSM-1730 ) .

Ephialtias draconis (Druce) , new combination Figures 311G, 311H , 312 , 313 ; plate 29 [EX]

Actea draconis Druce, 1885a: 145 , pl. 14, fig. 6. TYPE LOCALITY: Panama, San Juan. TYPE: Syntype ³ (ZMH).

DISCUSSION: Ephialtias draconis is common in the Canal Zone of Panama ( Forbes, 1939a). I have observed it along the Pipeline Road (1993), flying during the day in considerable numbers. Because of the many entomologists who have worked in Panama over the years, E. draconis is well represented in most major collections. However, when attempting to delimit geographical boundaries for the species, serious problems arise. Aside from the vast amount of Panamanian material, only two examples of E. draconis are known from Colombia (USNM) . None has been captured in Ecuador. The next occurrence of the species as one travels south along the Andes is southeastern Peru and northeastern Bolivia. One might presume that this material represents an unnamed taxon. The HW in these southern examples is more salmon colored than the rosy red HW typical of E. draconis . However, their genitalia (JSM-717, 718) are indistinguishable from those of Panamanian specimens. I have therefore listed Bolivian material as E. draconis . Clearly, more work is needed to refine the taxonomic and geographical boundaries of this taxon.

Interestingly, E. draconis has been listed as the only dioptine occurring in Jamaica ( Prout, 1918), based on a single specimen in the BMNH collection. Todd (1981) questioned the veracity of that record. He discovered the specimen in question; it was purchased in 1888 from a ‘‘Mr. Mathew’’. The relevant BMNH accession records mention Lepidoptera from Australia and Chile, but nothing from Jamaica. Todd concluded that the specimen is mislabeled. There have been no subsequent reports of E. draconis occurring on Jamaica, or on any other island in the Antilles.

The type of E. draconis , one of the few Druce types residing at the ZMH, originally came from the Staudinger Collection ( Druce, 1885a).

This is one of only two members of the Josiini whose larvae are known to feed on Turnera ( Turneraceae ; see table 6). Ephialtias draconis male and female genitalia, as well as its caterpillars, are illustrated and discussed in Miller (1996).

DISTRIBUTION: Panama (AMNH, BMNH, CAS, CUIC, MUSM, NMW, UCB, USNM, ZMC); Colombia (USNM) ; Peru (AMNH, BMNH); Bolivia (AMNH, CMNH).

DISSECTED: ³, Panama, Canal Zone , Barro Colorado Island, CAS (genitalia slide no. JSM-703 ) ; ³, Panama, Canal Zone , Barro Colorado Island, AMNH (wing slide no. JSM-171 ; genitalia slide no. JSM-133 ) ; ³, Panama, Canal Zone , Barro Colorado Island, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-284 ) ; ³, Bolivia, Las Juntas , leg. Steinbach, CMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-718 ) ; ♀, Panama, Canal Zone , Barro Colorado Island, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-285 ) ; ♀, Panama, Canal Zone , Barro Colorado Island, 22 Mar 1945, leg. C.D. Michener, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-710 ) ; ♀, Bolivia, Las Juntas , leg. Steinbach, CMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-717 ) .

Figures

Fig. 311. Morphology of Ephialtias (33). A, head of E. dorsispilota, lateral view; B, head of E. dorsispilota, frontal view; C, head of E. dorsispilota, posterior view; D, head of E. monilis, lateral view; E, E. pseudena labial palpus; F, E. abrupta labial palpus; G, head of E. draconis, lateral view; H, E. draconis wings (illustration by J.S. Miller, except G by S. Goodman).

Fig. 312. Scanning electron micrographs of Ephialtias draconis 3. A, head in frontal view; B, proboscis in lateral view; C, sensilla styloconica near apex of proboscis; D, distal portion of antenna; E, junction of a single ramus with antennal shaft (ventral view); F, close-up of ramus, showing smooth area at ramus base.

Fig. 313. Scanning electron micrographs of Ephialtias draconis 3. A, large sensillum styloconicum of antenna (lateral view), located near apex of flagellomere; B, metathoracic tympanal opening, lateral view; C, close-up of tympanal opening; D, left epiphysis (mesal view); E, close-up of epiphysis surface; F, tibial spur, showing serrate apex.