Penaincisalia caeruleanota Hall & Willmott

Hall, Jason P. W., Willmott, Keith R. & Busby, Robert C., 2005, Five new Penaincisalia species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini) from the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru, Zootaxa 797, pp. 1-20 : 3-6

Penaincisalia caeruleanota Hall & Willmott , new species ( Figs. 1 A,B; 2A; 3A,B; 5)

Description.— Male: Forewing length of Holotype [HT] 15 mm (Paratypes [PTs] 14–16 mm). Forewing costal margin approximately straight, distal margin slightly concave around vein Cu2 and convex in apical half of wing, apex pointed; hindwing anal margin convex, apex rounded and tornus elongated to form a prominent, tailless, spatulate lobe, creating a notably concave distal margin; venation typical for genus (see the venation of P. loxurina in Johnson, 1992 ). Dorsal surface: Both wings dull iridescent dark purple, except for a variably broad black border at distal margin that broadens at apex (very broad on hindwing, occupying distal half of wing), a very narrow black border at costal margin of forewing and a broad black border at costal margin of hindwing, and a gray hindwing anal fold, hindwing tornal lobe with reddish brown scaling along inner half and a small, oval patch of brilliant pale blue scales in outer half; forewing androconial cluster appears to be a scent pad, versus a scent patch (sensu Clench, 1975; Robbins, 1991), with very densely layered, elongate, smooth­tipped black scales, scent pad oval and centered around upper distal corner of discal cell, with a few androconial scales extending along discal cell end ( Fig. 2 A); fringe of both wings on both surfaces reddish brown, with variably long whitish scales forming an outer whitish fringe that is most prominent on hindwing. Ventral surface: Ground color of both wings rufous brown, becoming paler towards anal margin of forewing, darker towards base (almost black in places) and along distal margin of both wings, and yellowish brown around discal cell ends and throughout much of region between postdiscal and submarginal bands of both wings, tornal lobe with a sparse scattering of white scales; discal cell ends marked by a black spot on forewing and a dark rufous brown line on hindwing; broader, dark rufous brown postdiscal bands have an ill­defined proximal edge and a distal edge more sharply defined by a heavier concentration of dark scales, forewing band extends from costal margin to vein 2A and is diagonal above vein M3 and vertical below it; jagged hindwing band extends from costal margin to vein Cu2 before turning sharply toward anal margin; dark brown submarginal spots on both wings prominent in all cells except Cu2.

Head: Labial palpi brown dorsally, white ventrally; second segment with long, dense, ventrally directed scales, rufous brown along outer margin and whitish along inner margin; third segment short, pointed slightly downwards; eyes brown and densely setose, surrounded by predominantly brown scaling; frons with long, dense, rufous brown setae, some whitish setae ventrally; antennae 50–60% length of forewing, segments brown with darker sclerotization around tip and white scaling at base, white scaling more widespread ventrally on segments immediately before clubs, clubs predominantly orange­brown.

Body: Thorax dark brown and hairy, with dull blue gray setae dorsally, tegula dark brown; all legs brown to rufous brown, with scattered whitish scaling on mid and hindlegs; abdomen dark brown dorsally and orange­brown ventrally.

Genitalia ( Figs. 3 A,B): Uncus with smoothly rounded posterior margin and very deep medial indentation dorsally; gnathos smoothly rounded at elbow, constricted in diameter before tip; tegumen enlarged into a broadly triangular, slightly inwardly curved, posterioventral projection six times width of lower portion of vinculum, small saccus is triangular in ventral view and extends at approximately 120° from vinculum; valvae in lateral view consist of elongate, narrowly triangular posterior processes, with a short, broadly triangular projection at their ventral base that has a convex ventral margin, valvae joined at anterio­dorsal margin by membranous tissue; aedeagus long and uniformly narrow throughout, with a prominently convex anterior half, a shallowly concave posterior half, and a blunt angular tip, ductus ejaculatorius exits anterior region of aedeagus from an elongate dorsal area immediately before rounded anterior aedeagal tip (caecum), two cornuti present in distal portion of aedeagus when vesica uneverted, first a narrow, flattened, convex­concave and serrate­tipped rod positioned dorsally in posterior third of aedeagus, and second a short, anteriorly tapered, prominently convex and dorsally serrate spine positioned below posterior tip of first cornutus; eighth abdominal tergite a simple rectangle.

Female: Differs from male as follows: Forewing length 16.5 mm. Forewing distal margin markedly more convex; hindwing distal margin straight, tornal lobe has a long, broad tail extending from vein 2A. Dorsal surface: Ground color of both wings slightly paler; dull iridescent dark purple replaced on both wings by pale blue, which is slightly reduced on forewing, oval patch of pale blue scales in hindwing tornal lobe absent and reddish brown scaling along inner margin of lobe more prominent, forewing androconial pad absent. Ventral surface: Ground color a more uniform reddish brown; postdiscal bands slightly less prominent, white scaling in hindwing tornal lobe more dense.

Body: Dorsal surface of thorax, abdomen and tegula paler and brighter bluish gray; all legs paler brown.

Type material.— Holotype ď, ECUADOR: Loja, km. 7 Loja­Zamora rd., 3°59.25'S, 79°9.20'W, 2500 m, 16 May (I. Aldas & R. C. Busby) ( USNM).

Paratypes: ECUADOR: Loja, same locality data as holotype, 1ď Oct ( MECN), 1ď Dec ( USNM); 1ď, km. 10 Loja­Zamora rd., 3°59.10'S, 79°8.55'W, 2600 m, Nov (I. Aldas & R. C. Busby) ( USNM); 2ď, Cerro Palma, km. 27 Loja­Cuenca rd., 3000 m, 7 Apr (J. P. W. Hall & K. R. Willmott) ( JHKW); 1Ψ, km. 11 Yangana­Cerro Toledo rd., 4°23.0'S, 79°8.90'W, 2550 m, 23 Sept (R. C. Busby) ( RCB). Morona­Santiago, 1ď, km. 18 Limón­Gualaceo rd., 2400 m, 3 Oct (R. C. Busby) ( RCB). Azuay, 1ď, km. 20 Gualaceo­ Limón rd., 3200 m, Sept (I. Aldas & R. C. Busby) ( RCB).

Etymology.— This species name is derived from the Latin words “caerulea” and “nota”, meaning sky blue and spot, respectively, in reference to the characteristic, iridescent pale blue spot in the tornal lobe of the dorsal hindwing.

Diagnosis.— Penaincisalia caeruleanota seems to form a monophyletic group with P. browni Johnson, 1992 (= regala Le Crom & Johnson, 1997), P. saraha Johnson, 1992 (= pantanosa Johnson & Adams, 1993), P. v i t t a t a Johnson, 1992, P. magnifica Johnson, 1992 , and P. p u r p u re a Johnson, 1992 (= amazona Bálint & Wojtusiak, 2003), species formerly treated under Pons ( Johnson, 1992; Bálint, 2001b). All six of these species, hereafter referred to as the “ browni group”, have a sexually dimorphic hindwing shape that is unique among the Neotropical Eumaeini . Males have a hindwing tornus that is elongated into a tailless, spatulate lobe, whereas females (that of P. magnifica is unknown to us) have a tail extending from that lobe along vein 2A. The male of P. juliae , described below, has the same hindwing shape, but because its male genital morphology is so divergent, and several subtle wing pattern characters suggest that it belongs in a different species group of Penaincisalia , we conclude that a tailless, spatulate­lobed hindwing tornus has evolved independently in P. juliae and the “ browni group”. The six “ browni group” species are also unusual within Penaincisalia in having a prominent, short, triangular process at the ventral base of the male genital valve tip, instead of a rounded process or none at all.

The male of P. caeruleanota is most readily distinguished from other “ browni group” members by having a small oval patch of brilliant pale blue scales in the outer half of the tornus on the dorsal hindwing, but it also has less purple on the dorsal hindwing, which is confined to the basal half of the wing. It is worth noting that the ventral surface of male P. caeruleanota appears to be rather variable, but this variability is actually largely due to the condition of the specimen. Worn specimens lose the prominent white fringe and become brown in the postdiscal areas, where the yellow scaling has been rubbed off. Both sexes are additionally diagnosed by having a prominently angular, instead of roughly straight, postdiscal band on the ventral forewing, which extends diagonally from the costal margin to vein M3 and then vertically below it. Penaincisalia caeruleanota can be confused only with P. purpurea , as both species have a very undulating, instead of approximately straight, postdiscal band on the ventral hindwing. However, in P. caeruleanota this band is: 1) at its most distally extended between cells M1 and M3 and at its least distally extended in cell Cu1, whereas in P. purpurea the band is at its most distally extended in cell M1 and at its least distally extended between cells M2 and M3; 2) equally distally extended in cells 2A and Cu2, instead of less distally extended in cell 2A compared to Cu2; and 3) bulbously undulating at its distal margin, instead of jaggedly undulating and produced into tiny points at most veins. Aside from P. purpurea , the only other candidate for the closest relative to P. caeruleanota is P. magnifica , as both species have nearly identical wing shapes. The male genitalia vary very little among the “ browni group” species, but those of P. caeruleanota do have a slightly more prominent triangular process at the ventral base of the valve tip in lateral view.

Biology.— This species inhabits elfin cloud forest from 2400 to 3200 m. Males were encountered in Ecuador perching as solitary individuals or in small groups on hilltops and ridgetops. They rested on bushes 2 to 4 m above the ground, and were active on their perching posts from the mid morning to mid afternoon. The only known female was found flying low to the ground along a ridgetop.

Distribution.— Penaincisalia caeruleanota currently is known only from southern Ecuador (Morona­Santiago, Azuay and Loja), but almost certainly ranges into northern Peru (see Fig. 5 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Penaincisalia adults (dorsal surface on left, ventral surface on right) at x 1.6 life­size. A, paratype ɗ P. caeruleanota, Cerro Palma, S. Ecuador (JHKW). B, paratype Ψ P. caeruleanota, km. 11 Yangana­Cerro Toledo rd., S. Ecuador (RCB). C, paratype ɗ P. juliae, km. 34 Jimbura­San Andrés rd., S. Ecuador (JHKW). D, paratype Ψ P. juliae, La Playa, Huicungo, P. N. Río Abiseo, N. Peru (MUSM). E, holotype ɗ P. andreae, Río San Francisco, Zamora­Loja rd., S. Ecuador (USNM). F, holotype ɗ P. libertada, Cumpang, between Tayabamba and Ongón, N. Peru (MUSM). G, holotype ɗ P. i s m a e l i, km. 10 Loja­Zamora rd., S. Ecuador (USNM).

FIGURE 2. Male Penaincisalia dorsal forewing scent pads. A, P. caeruleanota. B, P. juliae. C, P. andreae. D, P. libertada. E, F (higher magnification view of E), P. is ma eli.

FIGURE 3. Penaincisalia male genitalia in lateral (A, C, F, I) and ventral (B, D, G, J) views, with lateral view of eighth tergite in E and H; all genitalia are figured at approximately the same scale, with the width of each boxed figure 3.4 mm. A, B, P. caeruleanota. C, D, E, P. juliae. F, G, H, P. andreae. I, J, P. libertada.

FIGURE 5. Topographic maps of the northern Andes, illustrating the known geographic ranges of the five new Penaincisalia species.