Thalpomena azureipennis Uvarov, 1927

Dey, Lara-Sophie, Hochkirch, Axel, Moussi, Abdelhamid, Seidel, Matthias & Husemann, Martin, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Thalpomena Saussure, 1884 with new synonyms, Zootaxa 5100 (1), pp. 129-136 : 132-133

Thalpomena azureipennis Uvarov, 1927 —valid species

Thalpomena algeriana aberration azureipennis Uvarov, 1927: 199 [original combination]

Thalpomena azureipennis: Dirsh, 1949: 372 [elevation to species level]

Thalpomena rungsi Dirsh, 1949 —new junior subjective synonym

Thalpomena rungsi Dirsh, 1949: 374 [original combination]

Remarks. Thalpomena rungsi Dirsh, 1949 is a colour morph of Thalpomena azureipennis Uvarov, 1927 and is therefore proposed as synonym of the latter species.

Diagnosis (modified after Dirsh, 1949): Frontal ridge slightly constricted below ocellus, narrowed to apex. Fastigium long, widened at apex; carinae curved at apex. Pronotum flat; median carina in profile almost straight, slightly raised between second and third sulci; lateral margin of prozona between sulci slightly gibbose; metazona twice as long as prozona, its lateral margins straight, divergent, posterior angle right, its apex acute; lower margin of lateral lobe slightly sinuate. Coloration blackish dark grey; tegmina with pale or without spots, basal disc of hind wing rose-colored, blue or intermixed, slightly dull, with dark fascia (sometimes very weak), without basal ray ( Figure 2 B ). Hind femur inside black with light fascia in front of the knee. Hind tibia bluish.

Type locality: Morocco, Grand Atlas , Haute Reraya .

Type depository: T. azureipennis : Syntype, female, BMNH ; Syntype: male, BMNH; T. rungsi : Holotype, male, BMNH ; Paratype, female, BMNH .

Distribution: Morocco Plateau, foothills of surrounding mountain ranges ( Morocco).

Figures

FIGURE 2: Variation in wing morphology of male and female individuals of the valid members of the genus Thalpomena: A—Thalpomena algeriana; B—Thalpomena azureipennis; C—Thalpomena coerulescens; D—Thalpomena dernensis and E—Thalpomena viridipennis.