Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Pyrcz & Warren-Gash, 2013

Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Warren-Gash, Haydon, Lorenc-Brudecka, Jadwiga, Dieuwko Knoop,, Oremans, Philippe & Safian, Szabolcs, 2013, Taxonomy and distribution pattern of the African rain forest butterfly genus Euphaedra Huebner sensu stricto with the description of three new subspecies of Euphaedra cyparissa (Cramer) and one of E. sarcoptera (Butler) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Limenitidinae, Adoliadini), ZooKeys 298, pp. 1-37 : 19-22

Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Pyrcz & Warren-Gash ssp. n. Figs 5C, 5D , 7C, 7D , 11E , 12B

Type-locality.

Mount Nimba, Guinea

Material examined.

Holotype ♂: Guinée (Guinea), Mont Nimba, VI.1998, ex HWG, MZUJ; Paratypes (7 ♂and 4 ♀): 5 ♂and 1 ♀: Guinée, Mont Nimba, VI.1998; 1 ♀: same data but VI.2000, HWG; 2 ♂: same data but 02.V.1998, ex HWG; 1 ♀: same data but 02.V.1998, ex HWG, prep. genit. 01/09.11.2012, J. Lorenc, 1 ♀: Ivory Coast, Azagny N. P., 13.VIII.1999 (mislabeled), H. Warren-Gash leg., MZUJ.

Diagnosis.

Upperside ground colour golden yellow, same as in Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum , differing from the golden green of the nominate subspecies, pine green of Euphaedra sarcoptera styx or apple green of Euphaedra sarcoptera cyparissoides , differing from Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum , widely separated geographically,only in the narrower FWD subcapical elongated golden yellow patch.

Description.

Male ( Figs 5C, 5D ): Head, thorax and abdomen same as in the nominate subspecies. FW (length 38-40 mm, mean: 39 mm, n=6) with an elongated apical part, and gently convex outer margin; most of wing surface black, suffused with blue except for outer margin and apex, a black mid-discal cell black patch; golden green area from wing base to four-fifths of anal margin, covering most of discal cell; a large, elongated golden green subapical patch, extending from subcosta costa to vein Cu1, with the basal limit marked by an incision along vein M3, and a diffused outer edge, not reaching outer margin; fringes grey and black. HWD oval, compressed towards tornus, with a gently scalloped outer margin; golden green grey except for a black submarginal and marginal area, gradually narrowing from roughly 4 mm at apex towards tornus, where suffused with greenish blue scales; fringes grey and black. FWV pine green, lustrous, with a yellow overcast, except for the marginal area, more prominent in subapical area where forming a diffused elongated patch; basal to mid-cell area pink; a mid-cell bar, and a similar one along discal cell distal margin; four black, half-moon shaped patches along basally to the subapical yellow area, an elongated patch in mid cell Cu1-Cu2, and a series of submarginal patches, five smaller from costa to cell M3-Cu1 and two larger, oval, in Cu1-Cu2 and Cu2-1-2A. HWV golden yellow dusted with pine green along costa, with an elongated basal pink patch extending from costal margin to Rs to one-third costa, edged with black; six or seven median spots, four of which in discal cell, the one along costal margin considerably larger than the remainder; a row of eight large, roughly oval black submarginal patches; marginal area pine green and black. Male genitalia ( Fig. 11E ): Tegumen same length as uncus, with a flat dorsal surface; uncus stout, slightly arched, with a sharp tip pointing downwards, tegument and uncus approximately the same length as in the nominate subspecies; gnathos long, same length as uncus; pedunculus prominent; saccus flattened in lateral view; valvae with a smooth dorsal surface with an elongated distal extremity ending with a sharp tip, differing in this respect from the blunt valvae of the nominate subspecies and styx; aedeagus as long as valvae tubular and straight, with a sharp distal extremity, sensibly longer than in the nominate subspecies or styx, and prominent cornuti.

Female ( Figs 7C, 7D ): Head, thorax and abdomen abdomen same as in the nominotypical subspecies. Wings: FW (length 42-46 mm, n=3) with an elongated apical part, and gently convex outer margin; most of wing surface black; costa from base to apex dusted with dark blue; a golden yellow area from wing base to two-thirds of anal margin, covering lower half of discal cell; a prominent mid discal cell black round spot; a large, elongated golden yellow subapical patch, extending widely from subcosta costa to vein Cu1, with an irregular basal limit marked by an incision along vein M3, and a diffused outer limit, not reaching outer margin; fringes grey and black. HWD subtriangular with a gently scalloped outer margin; golden yellow, from Rs to costal margin dull brown; submarginal and marginal area black with a strong blue sheen, gradually narrowing from costa, where some 4 mm wide, to tornus, where blue takes over black; fringes grey and black. FWV green yellow, except for basal one-third where free of green and in subapical area where forming a large, diffuse patch; basal to median area purple; a series of black patches, a small rounded postbasal spot, a wide mid cell bar, a similar bar along discal cell distal margin, four patches along basal limit of a dif fused subapical light yellow area, two outer triangular, two central rectangular, a large irregularly shaped patch in mid cell Cu1-Cu2, and a series of submarginal patches, five smaller from costa to cell M3-Cu1 and two larger, one rounded and one oval, in Cu1-Cu2 and Cu2-1-2A. HWV golden yellow, with an elongated basal purple patch extending from costal margin to Rs to one-fourth costa, edged with black; six black median spots, three of which in discal cell, and a row of eight large, roughly oval black submarginal patches; marginal area darker bottle green and black. Female genitalia ( Fig. 12B ): Bursa copulatrix very large, larger than the rest of genital body, oval, no signa; ductus bursae narrow, gradually widening towards the opening of bursa, one-third the length of bursa; colliculum narrow, slat like with folded edges,, one-third the length of ductus bursae; ductus seminalis joins the colliculum at the entrance of ductus bursae; lamella postvaginalis very small, slat-like; papillae anales three times as long as wide in lateral view, compressed in ventral view, apophyse posteriores one and half as long as the width of papillae anales; von Siebold organ prominent.

Etymology.

The subspecific epithet of this taxon derives from iron in Latin, ferrum. The type locality, the massif of Mount Nimba on the Ivory Coast - Guinea border, is rich in iron ore. Iron ore mining is a serious threat for the unique ecosystem of this mountainous area of West Africa.

Range.

Distribution limited to the Mount Nimba area. Considered that southern Ivory Coast was extensively sampled for several years, also by one of the authors (HWG), we believe that one paratype was labeled as from “Azagny” by error.

Figures

Figure 5. Adults, males: A Euphaedra sarcoptera sarcoptera male, Bibiani, Ghana (dorsum) B Euphaedra sarcoptera sarcoptera, Bibiani, Ghana (venter) C Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea, holotype (dorsum) D Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea, holotype (venter) E Euphaedra sarcoptera styx, Tai, Ivory Coast (dosum) F Euphaedra sarcoptera styx, Tai, Ivory Coast (venter).

Figure 7. Adults, females: A Euphaedra sarcoptera sarcoptera Nsukka, Nigeria (dorsum) B Euphaedra sarcoptera sarcoptera Nsukka, Nigeria (venter) C Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea, paratype (dorsum) D Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea, paratype (venter) E Euphaedra sarcoptera styx Tai, Ivory Coast (dorsum) F Euphaedra sarcoptera styx Tai, Ivory Coast (venter).

Figure 11. Male genitalia (in lateral view, aedeagus extracted): A Euphaedra sarcoptera sarcoptera Bibiani, Ghana B Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo C Euphaedra sarcoptera styx Tai, Ivory Coast D Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo E Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea F Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo.

Figure 12. Female genitalia (in lateral view): A Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Kigoma, Tanzania B Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea C Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo.