Lophocampa atriceps (Hampson)

Vincent, Benoit & Laguerre, Michel, 2013, Four new Neotropical Lophocampa species with a redescription of Lophocampa atriceps (Hampson) (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), ZooKeys 264, pp. 47-69 : 49-50

Lophocampa atriceps (Hampson) Figs 1, 7, 13 and 19

Elysius atriceps Hampson, 1901: 113.

Type material.

Elysius atriceps : Male holotype [BMNH], examined. Type locality: Colombia. The holotype is labeled "sychesia atriceps type ♂ Hmpsn" ( Hampson’s hand); "Colombia 98-108" and “TYPE” (typeset).

Redescription.

Head - Antenna bipectinate, brown with yellow base and brown cilia. Frons light yellowish white, separated at base of antenna by transverse black line. Vertex yellowish white with a prominent black central spot. Palpi erect, yellow with second joint black at sides and third black and very short. Thorax - Patagia yellowish white with square black spot. Tegulae exteriorly yellowish white, medially brown, bordered with black. Thorax yellow-white with posterior medial brown spot. Legs with femur dull white spotted with brown; dorsal face of femur vivid yellow. Tibia dull white with brown spots. Tarsal segments brown with small whitish spots. Forewing - Brown irrorated with light and dark brown. One yellow spot and two small blacks dots at base. A series of bands formed by whitish spots, arranged as follows: antemedial band comprised of three spots; medial band curved, comprised of seven dark spots; postmedial band sinuous, a series of different size spots, the three adjacent to costa largest. Three spots forming triangle between median and postmedian bands, outermost on costa. Subterminal band comprised of spots of different shapes: arrowhead-shaped spot nearest tornus, second spot larger, spots above veins CuA1 and M2 very small and flattened, three near apex large, last one on apex ovate and compressed basad. Terminal line a series of white dots along margin. Ventral markings as above but paler. Hindwing - White slightly tinged with yellow marks on apex and along costa, with yellow tint along the anal border. Markings on ventral surface more contrasting. Abdomen - Tergites pale orange, almost entirely covered with long yellow hairs, and with a lateral series of black spots. Last segment pale orange, without hair. Sternites white with yellow-centered brown patches. Male genitalia - Uncus lozenge-shaped, setose, apex truncate. Tegumen and vinculum very slender. Saccus tongue-shaped, folded ventrally. Valve symmetrical, enlarged at base, slightly exceeding apex of uncus. Valvula slender, oblong and slightly twisted internally. Cucullus short, pointed and folded toward uncus. Juxta slender, with two arms fused in middle forming a stem with a elongated sclerotized patch at apex. Transtilla with two arms folded and converging, arms not fused, showing a large disconnect in the structure. Penis rectilinear, narrow with elongated caecum penis. Vesica large with two large and one small diverticulum. Five patches of cornuti: one at base, one on small diverticulum, and one on each of two large diverticuli. Female - identical to male except as follows: wingspan slightly larger. Antennae with pectinations shorter than in male; two small black points laterally on the collar, the central pair always present. Female genitalia - Lamella antevaginalis subrectangular, lightly sclerotized. Apophyses posteriores straight, enlarged at base, 1.3 mm long; apophyses anteriores slightly curved, 0.75 mm long. Papillae anales rectangular, setose, with a pair of small pseudopapillae. Dorsal sac-like pheromone glands absent. Ductus bursae rectangular, striped. Corpus bursae ovate, wrinkled, with large signum. Insertion of ductus seminalis ventrad and close to juncture of ductus bursae with corpus bursae.

Biology and distribution.

Early stages unknown. Colombia (Valle del Cauca), Ecuador (Guayas) and Costa Rica (Alajuela, Guanacaste, Puntarenas, Cartago). Hampson associated with the holotype an unspecified number of specimens from Bolivia, R[io] Tanampaya, [La Paz]. A second male specimen in the BMNH labeled atriceps is a specimen of Lophocampa griseidorsata Vincent & Laguerre, sp. n.

Remarks.

The holotype in the BMNH has not been dissected. The type locality on the label states only “Colombia”, so it is not possible to compare specimens from the same locality. However, the tips of the valves of the holotype are visible, and were compared with those of superficially identical specimens which were dissected. Specimens with valves matching those of the holotype are from the western slopes of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador and the mountains of Costa Rica. The description for the genitalia of Lophocampa atriceps provided here is based on a male originating from the western slope of Ecuador. A female from the same locality in Ecuador with similar habitus is described and illustrated, including the genitalia.