Siderus toussaint Faynel, Robbins & Fåhraeus, 2024

Faynel, Christophe, Fåhraeus, Christer, Ramirez, Juan-Jose & Robbins, Robert K., 2024, The genus Siderus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in French Guiana: four newly discovered species and conspicuous male genitalia polymorphism, Zootaxa 5519 (1), pp. 38-58 : 52-56

Siderus toussaint Faynel, Robbins & Fåhraeus sp. nov.

( Figures 11, 12 , 21 , 24 , 27 , 32 )

Diagnosis and description. Male mean FW length: 14.2 mm (n = 2). Siderus toussaint sp. nov. is externally similar to S. leucophaeus and S. parvinotus , but it is smaller and the dorsal blue color is more muted. Males ( Fig. 11 ) are dorsally dull blue with dark brown margins. They have, like the other members, a double androconial spot inside and outside (smaller) the discal cell. They have no cubital spot in Cu1–Cu2, like S. bisignatus sp. nov. and S. athymbra and no VHW brown color at base as these two species. In the VHW postmedian line, the last element in Sc+R1-Rs is bigger and triangular, similar to S. parvinotus . Male genitalia ( Fig. 21 ) have rounded valvae at the base with elongate extension, one cornutus at the penis end, and a pointed saccus. Females ( Fig. 12 ) are dull blue dorsally with the same ventral wing pattern as the males. Female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ) look like the other Siderus species except that the ostium bursae is less wide and not circular; there are also two thorn-shaped signa in the middle of the corpus bursae.

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 11 ): “ GUYANE FR. // Crique Toussaint // 28. 03. 01 // C. FAYNEL”. [white rectangular label, printed in black with date handwritten], “C. FAYNEL // n° 1090”, [white square label, printed in black], “CF-LYC-523” [orange rectangular label, printed in black], “prep. gen. CF n°389” [white rectangular label, printed in black], “Holotype ♂ // Siderus toussaint // Faynel, Robbins & Fåhraeus, 2024” [red rectangular label, printed in black]. Will be deposited in MNHN. The approximative GPS data of the type locality are 5°21’ N, 53°00’ W.

Paratypes: FRENCH GUIANA. 1♂, 1♀, Kourou, Route du Degrad Saramaca pk14.5, Montagne des Singes , 14.VI.2020, 5.0736, -52.6991, N. Page & M. Leroy leg., L422 & L423 ( Fig. 12 ), DNA CF-LYC-1237 & 1239 (coll. Leroy & Page) ; 1♂, 1♀, same locality, 18.VI.2022, light trap, N. Page & M. Leroy leg., L1317 & L1318 (coll. Leroy & Page) ; 1♂, same locality, 25.VI.2022, N. Page & M. Leroy leg., L1333 (coll. Leroy & Page) ; 1♂, same locality, 29.VIII.2022 (found in a spider web), N. Page & M. Leroy leg., L1387 (coll. Leroy & Page) ; 1♀, same locality, 9.IX.2023, N. Page & M. Leroy leg., L1937 (coll. Leroy & Page) ; 1♂, 1♀, same locality, 19.VIII.2023, in copula, N. Page & M. Leroy leg., L1939 & L1938 (coll. Leroy & Page) ; 1♂, 1♀, same locality, 22.IX.2023, in copula, N. Page & M. Leroy leg., L2109 & L2110 (coll. Leroy & Page) ; 1♂, 1♀, Kourou, Montagne des Singes , 176 m, 29.VIII.2022, 05°07’ N, 52°69’ W, in copula, N. Page & M. Leroy leg., dissections K. Florczyk 206 & 207 ( CF) . ECUADOR. Sucumbios. 1♀, Lumbaqui , 1000 m, 00°01’42’’ N, 77°18’55’’ W, 18.IX.2013, DNA CFC39452 ( FILS) ; 2♂, Cerro Lumbaqui Norte , 0°01.7′N, 77°19.2′W, 900–1000 m, 31.XII.2005, 01.I.2007, Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♀, same locality, 01.VI.2007 ( RCB) . Napo. 1♂, Pto. Napo Rd , 540m, 20.IX.1990, Nicolay leg., RKR Genitalia 1999:150 ( USNM) ; 1♂, 1♀, 14 km Tena-Puyo Road , 1°06.7′S, 77°46.9′W, 600 m, X.2005, Aldas & Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♂, 28 km Tena-Puyo Road , 1°11.3′S, 77°49.9′W, 820 m, 04.I.2010, Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♀, 28 km Tena-Puyo Road , 1°11.3′S, 77°49.9′W, 800 m, 12.IX.2006, Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♂, 12.5 km Puerto Napo-Ahuano Rd , 1°04.3′S, 77°41.9′W, 500m, 07.I.2006, Aldas & Busby leg. ( RCB) . Pastaza. 1♂, 37 km Puyo Arajuno Rd , 1°21.1’S, 77°42.7’W, 1000m, 08.IX.2001, Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♀, 37 km Puyo Arajuno Rd , 1°22.6’S, 77°42.6’W, 1100m, 11.I.2012, Busby leg. ( RCB) . Morona Santiago. 1♀, 32.5 km Santiago-Puerto Morona Rd , 2°59.1′S, 77°48.1′W, 650m, 22.IX.2004, Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♀, 32.8 km Santiago-Puerto Morona Rd , 2°58.9′S, 77°48.1′W, 670–750m, 29.IX.2004, Aldas & Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♀, 47.6 km Santiago-Puerto Morona Rd , 2°56.2′S, 77°44.8′W, 245m, 24.IX.2014, Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♀, 53.1 km Santiago-Puerto Morona Rd , 2°55.0′S, 77°42.7′W, 210m, 17.IX.2016, Busby leg. ( RCB) ; 1♀, Santiago ( Hill North of Town ), 3°02.3′S, 78°00.3′W, 350 m, 21.IX.2015, Busby leg. ( RCB) . PERU. Loreto. 1♂, Picuroyacu , 126m, 03° 37’ S, 73° 15’ W, II.2011, Ramírez leg., Coll. C.F. n° 15865, DNA CF- LYC-410 ( CF) ; 1♂, Rio Momón, Iquitos — 100 m, XI.2005, Michael Büche leg., Collection Faynel n° 15152 ( CF) ; 1♂, Iquitos, Rio Momón , 100 m, XI.2005, Coll. C.F. n° 15656, ( CF) ; 1♂, Iquitos , 100 m, X.2005, Michael Büche leg., Collection Faynel n° 15156 ( CF) ; 1♂, Picuroyacu , VIII.2013, 03°37’ S, 73°15 ‘ W, J.J. Ramírez leg. ( CF) ; 1♂, Rio Itaya , 120 m, 04°16’ S, 73°34’ W, 17.XI.2008, DNA CFCD01294 ( FILS) . San Martín. 1♂, Juanjui , 400–800m, IX.2008, Coll. C. F. n° 15535 ( CF) . Madre de Dios. 1♂, Pakitza , 400m, 8–14.IX.1989, Lamas leg., RKR Genitalia 1990:116 ( USNM) .

Distribution. French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru (LO, SM, MD).

Natural history. This species occurs in lowland rainforest. In French Guiana, both sexes are frequently encountered in copula on Montagne des Singes hilltop at the end of the day (voucher at 6m at 18:00). It is believed that the territorial activity of this species is during mid-afternoon in the canopy. Once mated, both individuals fall into the lower vegetation level where they usually spend the rest of the day hung. Thus, three couples have been found after “beating” the leaves at the forest edge with a very long net at the end of the afternoon (Leroy & Page pers. obs.). A couple was attracted by a light trap. A female was photographed by Pascal Bonin feeding on Varronia ’s flowers ( Fig. 27 ).

Etymology. The name of this new species comes from the place called “Crique Toussaint” near Sinnamary where the first specimen in French Guiana was found. “Criques” are small rivers crossing the forest. They represent nearly 70% of the hydrographic network of French Guiana and appear to be used as dispersal corridors by butterflies. This name is in apposition.

Remarks. Specimens from Ecuador / Peru and French Guiana differ by 1.3% distance (pairwise p-distance) and have been assigned different BINs on BOLD (ACK2438 and AEK1481 respectively). The two populations are allopatric with a huge geographic distance, but in a more realistic model for sequence evolution such as the codon model (vs pairwise p-distance nucleotide model in BOLD) the distance between the population appears not significant in the ML tree.

Figures

FIGURES 6–16. Siderus adults from French Guiana, dorsal face at left. 6. S. leucophaeus ♂. 7. S. parvinotus ♂. 8. S. diringeri sp. nov., HT ♂. 9. S. diringeri sp. nov., PT ♀. 10. S. bisignatus sp. nov., HT ♂. 11. S. toussaint sp. nov., HT ♂. 12. S. toussaint sp. nov., PT ♀. 13. S. athymbra ♂. 14. S. athymbra ♀. 15. S. castelain sp. nov., HT ♂. 16. S. castelain sp. nov., PT ♀.

FIGURES 17–21. Siderus male genitalia (new species). Posterior part on top, left lateral view with penis (on the left), ventral view with setae drawn only on right uncus and right valva and penis removed (on the right). 17. Siderus bisignatus sp. nov., HT (French Guiana). 18. Siderus bisignatus sp. nov., PT (Peru, LO). 19. Siderus diringeri sp. nov., HT (French Guiana). 20. Siderus castelain sp. nov., HT (French Guiana). 21. Siderus toussaint sp. nov., HT (French Guiana).

FIGURES 23–26. Siderus female genitalia showing very similar aspect. Posterior part on top, left lateral view on the left, ventral view on the right. 23. Siderus leucophaeus. 24. S. toussaint sp. nov., PT (French Guiana). 25. Siderus diringeri sp. nov., PT (French Guiana). 26. Siderus castelain sp. nov., PT (French Guiana).

FIGURES 27–28. Female Siderus in situ in French Guiana. 27. Siderus toussaint sp. nov., feeding on Varronia schomburgkii (on the left). 28. Siderus athymbra. Images not at the same scale (pictures courtesy of Pascal Bonin).

FIGURES 29–32. Distribution map of the new Siderus new species. 29. Siderus diringeri sp. nov. 30. Siderus bisignatus sp. nov. 31. Siderus castelain sp. nov. 32. Siderus toussaint sp. nov.