Daedalma eliza Pyrcz & Willmott, 2011

Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Greeney, Harold F., Willmott, Keith R. & Wojtusiak, Janusz, 2011, 2898, Zootaxa 2898, pp. 1-68 : 20-21

Daedalma eliza Pyrcz & Willmott , n. sp.

( Figs. 4C, 4D, 9A, 13D)

[ Daedalma adamsi d’Abrera ; Salazar, 2004: 255 (misidentification).]

Material examined: ECUADOR: HOLOTYPE male: Carchi, Las Golondrinas , 2400 m, 19.VI.1999, T. Pyrcz & J. Wojtusiak leg., red, rectangular label saying : Holotype, MZUJ; PARATYPES (19 males and 2 females) , 1 male: same data as the holotype, TWP ; 1 male: same data but 20.VI.1999, 2400–2500 m, BMNH ; 1 male: same data but 22.VI.1999, 2200 m, PUCE ; 1 male: same data but 2250 m, TWP ; 1 male: same data but 2450 m, TWP ; 2 males: same data but 01.VII.1999, 2250 m, TWP ; 1 male: same data but 2350 m, TWP ; 1 male: same data but 02.VII.1999, 2400 m, TWP ; 1 male: same data but no altitude, 19.VI.1999, TWP ; 4 males: same data but 2100 m, 27.xi.1996, K. Willmott leg., KWJH (1 to be deposited in MECN, 1 to be deposited in FLMNH) ; 2 males: Carchi, above Las Juntas , 1600–2000 m, VIII.2001, I. Aldaz leg., MBLI ; 1 female: same data as the holotype 2450 m, TWP ; 1 female: same data as the holotype but 15.IX.1997, K. Willmott leg., KWJH ; COLOMBIA: 1 male: Nariño, Cumbitará , 23.IX.1996, G. Rodríguez leg., GRM . Additional material: 1 male: Pichincha, km 13 Nanegalito-Quito rd. , Reserva El Pahuma, 2400 m, 26.X.1997, K. Willmott leg., KWJH .

Diagnosis: This species and D. parvomaculata are both recognised from D. dinias by the small size of the FWD postmedian patch in males, orange in D. parvomaculata and dark crimson in D. eliza . In the females of D. dinias and D. eliza the FWD orange patch is wide and extends to the costa, whereas in D. parvomaculata it ends in mid-discal cell. The female of D. parvomaculata has no trace of orange or red on the HWD contrary to D. eliza and D. dinias , which have a well marked patch along the costa and at the apex, while in D. eliza some orange markings are also apparent in the median area (cell M2-M3). Daedalma eliza is also similar in appearance to the central Peruvian D. adamsi , whose FWD patch is the same colour as in D. eliza , but is situated more distally, and does not enter the discal cell.

Description: MALE ( Fig. 4C): Head: Eyes dark brown, covered with short and dense setae; palpi, twice length of head, light brown covered with chestnut hair; antennae 2/5 length of costa, slender, club only slightly thicker than shaft, chestnut ventrally, dark brown dorsally. Thorax: Dorsally and ventrally blackish, legs light brown. Abdomen: Dorsally and laterally blackish, ventrally lighter dull brown. Wings: FW (length: 27–30 mm; 28,16 mm; n=12) costa slightly arched, outer margin protruded at vein M1 and slightly wavy. HW costa protruded at apex, outer margin undulate with two tail-like extensions at veins Cu1 and Cu2. FWD blackish; a faint dark crimson oval patch with inner 1/3 third inside discal cell and outer 2/ 3 in cell M3-Cu1, slightly extending in some individuals into cell Cu1-Cu2. HWD uniform blackish. FWV blackish grey-brown; a lighter grey median patch in same position as upperside crimson patch but extending further across discal cell and reaching costal vein; a whitish subapical elongate patch with scaling and a dark brown spot distally; a marginal band in apical area composite of olive and shades of brown. HWV ground colour chocolate brown with a complex mosaic of silver, milky white and brown patches typical for genus; postdiscal milky white patch in cell M2-M2 triangular. Genitalia ( Fig. 9A): Uncus stout, curved downwards in middle; gnathos thin, 2/3 length of uncus; saccus deep and widening in basal area; valvae elongate with a smooth ampulla, and nearly as wide at apex as in median part, with a small apical tip curved upwards; aedeagus straight and smooth, shorter than valva + saccus.

FEMALE ( Fig. 4D): Head: Eyes chocolate brown covered with dense, short setae; palpi twice length of head, pale yellow covered with sandy yellow hair; antennae 2/5 length of costa, slender, orangeish dorsally and ventrally, club only slightly thicker than shaft, slightly darker. Thorax: dorsally and ventrally medium brown, legs sandy yellow. Abdomen: dorsally and laterally medium brown, ventrally beige. Wings: FW (length: 32 mm) and HW shape same as in male. FWD ground colour dark brown, slightly lighter in basal area; an oblique, elongate orange patch across discal cell and vein Cu1, whitish along costal cell; three connected whitish subapical patches along costa, in M1-M2 and M2-M3; fringes alternately milky white and brown. HWD ground colour dark brown; a diffuse postdiscal patch extending from costa to vein Cu1, enclosing darker brown patches in M1-M2 and M2-M3; fringes yellowish in costal area, orange on “tails”. FWV colour pattern reflected from dorsal surface but lighter; subapical and apical area sandy yellow. HWV pattern typical for genus consisting of a complex mosaic of yellow, chestnut and chocolate brown elements; ground colour sandy yellow; darker, chocolate brown in median area and in cell M2-M3 along distal margin; magenta scaling along zigzagging brown median line. Genitalia ( Fig. 13D): Sinus vaginalis small and shallow. V-shaped batten on lamella postvaginalis large, and heavily sclerotized. Hump in middle of lamella postvaginalis sharp in lateral view, pointing posteriorly. Heavy sclerotization of eighth segment limited to dorsal most part of tergum and to lateral slats connecting with sinus vaginalis. Posterior part of lamella postvaginalis slightly sclerotized and wrinkled. Ductus bursae with delicate parallel wrinkles, gradually narrowing toward posterior. Antrum very short, and bent, opens to sinus vaginalis at its very bottom. Colliculum absent. Papillae anales flattened, separated on ventral side by wide, slightly wrinkled wall of tuba analis. Strongly sclerotized cuticular slat connects eighth tergite with lamella postvaginalis. Apophyses posteriores reduced. Bursa copulatrix asymmetric, ductus bursae gradually narrowing towards ostium, with parallel wrinkles, bent at site where it meets with ductus seminalis. Two ribbon-like signa in middle of bursa slightly bent.

Etymology: This species is dedicated to Miss María Eliza Manteca Oñate, the president of the Las Golondrinas Foundation, which established the reserve where most of the type specimens were collected.

Remarks: Daedalma eliza is most closely related to D. parvomaculata . The two species share common features of the male genitalia, in particular a noticeably stout uncus. In D. parvomaculata , sexual dimorphism is slight, and the female barely differs from the male except for a larger and better marked FW orange patch, whereas D. eliza is strongly sexually dimorphic, as are D. boliviana or D. fraudata , and the female has a wide oblique reddish orange patch on the FW. Given that these differences in wing pattern are much more marked than others that separate other sympatric species (e.g. D. boliviana , D. fraudata and D. rubroreducta ), we believe D. eliza is best treated as a distinct species. Daedalma eliza is endemic to the west Andean Cordillera of Ecuador (Carchi) and Colombia (Nariño). Its northern distributional limit appears to be the Río Patía valley, while specimens have been collected from as far south as Pichincha province in western Ecuador. Quantitative sampling with baited traps showed a narrow altitudinal range, 2250–2450 m, occasionally as low as 2100 m. Other data, indicating collections below 2000 m, are unreliable. It is not uncommon in its habitat, undisturbed mid-elevation montane forests, being encountered most often along ridge tops.