Telemiades meris (Plötz, 1886)

Siewert, Ricardo Russo, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Casagrande, Mirna Martins, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Telemiades Hübner, [1819] (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Eudaminae), with descriptions of fourteen new species, Zootaxa 4721 (1), pp. 1-111 : 75-77

Telemiades meris (Plötz, 1886)

( Figs 132–135 , 177 , 204 , 218 )

Arteurotia meris Plötz, 1886 (Möschler in litt.). Stett. ent. Ztg. 47: 87; Colombia.— Godman, 1907. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (7)20: 151.

Pellicia meris ; Draudt, 1922, in Seitz. Gross–Schmett. Erde 5, p. 893, pl. 174e (d).— Shepard, 1934. Lep. Cat. 64, p. 154.— Williams & Bell, 1939. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 65: 156.—Hayward, 1947. Acta zool. Lill. 4: 276.

Telemiades nicomedes [misidentification]; Moss, 1949. Acta zool. Lill. 7: 48, pl. 4, fig. 16 (larva); biol., host plant.—de Jong, 1983. Tijd. Ent. 126: 241.—Bridges, 1983. Lep. Hesp. 1, p. 75, 81, 98; 2, p. 36; syn.: meris, punctatus .—Bridges, 1988. Cat. Hesp. 1, p. 118, 129, 156; 2, p. 60; syn.: meris, punctatus .—J. de la Maza E.; White & R. G. de la Maza E., 1991. Rev. Soc. Mex. Lep. 14: 17.—Austin; Brook & Mielke, 1993. Trop. Lep. 4, Suppl. 2: 6; ecol.—R. G. de la Maza E. & J. de la Maza E., 1993. Marip. Chiapas, p. 202.—Warren, 2000, in Llorente; González & Papavero (eds). Biodiv., Tax., Biogeogr. Art. Mex. 2, p. 550; syn.: meris, punctatus .— Mielke, 2004. Hesperioidea, p. 56, in Lamas (ed.). Checklist: Part 4A, Hesperioidea–Papilionoidea, in Heppner (ed.). Atlas Neotrop. Lep. 5A; syn.: punctatus .—Luis Martínez et al., 2004, in García–Mendoza; Ordóñez & Briones–Salas. Biodiv. Oaxaca, p. 353.— Burns, 2005. Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington 107 (4): 774, 780, 781, figs 23, 24 (male d, v), 25 (pupa), 26 (larva); host plant.— Mielke, 2005. Cat. Amer. Hesperioidea 3, p. 748; syn.: punctatus . —Glassberg, 2007. Swift Guide Butt. Mexico and C. America, p. 180, figs (d); host plant.— Beccaloni et al., 2008. Monografías Tercer Milenio 8: 103; host plant.—Luis–M., Salinas–G. & Llorente–B., 2011, in Álvarez (coord.). Chiapas: estudios diversidad biol., Inst. Biol., UNAM, Mexico, p. 387.

Telemiades nicomedes nicomedes [misidentification]; Evans, 1953. Cat. Amer. Hesp. 3, p. 27, pl. 27 (male gen.); syn.: meris, punctatus .— Steinhauser, 1975. Bull. Allyn Mus. 29: 30.—Robbins et al., 1996, in Wilson & Sandoval. Manu, p. 246.— Austin et al., 1999. Trop. Lep. 9, Suppl. 2: 12.—Barrios; Méndez & Austin, 2006, in Cano (ed.). Biodiversidad de Guatemala 1, p. 439.

(no genus) meris; Beattie, 1976. Rhop. Direct., p. 200.

Telemiades meris meris ; Mielke & Casagrande, 1998. Revta bras. Zool. 14: 990.— Mielke, 2004. Hesperioidea, p. 56, in Lamas (ed.). Checklist: Part 4A, Hesperioidea–Papilionoidea, in Heppner (ed.). Atlas Neotrop. Lep. 5A.— Mielke, 2005. Cat. Amer. Hesperioidea 3, p. 747.—Núñez B., 2008. Trop. Lep. Res. 18 (2): 80.—Núñez B., 2009. Trop. Lep. Res. 19 (2): 77.—Garwood & Lehman, 2013. Butt. C. Amer. 3, Hesp., p. 61, figs (d, v).

Telemiades meris ; Kerpel et al., 2014, in Bravo & Calor (eds). Arthrop. Semiárido. Biodiv. Conserv., p. 271.—Garcia–Salik et al., 2014. Shilap Revta. lepid. 42 (166): 274.

Type material. Arteurotia meris Plötz, 1886 was described based on an unspecified number of specimens from Colombia. One male syntype was found at ZMHU with the same characteristics published in the original description, and illustrated on Butterflies of America ( Warren et al. 2018) with the following labels: / Typus/ Columb. Sth. 77./ meris Plötz i.l./ Coll. Möschl./ Coll. Staudinger/ GEN.PREP., MIELKE 1996/. In order to stabilize the identity of this species, this male specimen is hereby designated lectotype of Arteurotia meris Plötz, 1886 and the following labels will be attached: / Lectotypus / Lectotypus Arteurotia meris Plötz, 1886 Siewert, Mielke & Casagrande det. 2019/. These labels will be sent to the curator for the collection.

Diagnosis. FW length: males 16–19 mm (n=35) and females 20 mm (n=1). Telemiades meris resembles T. squanda and T. trenda but is distinguished by the morphological pattern of genitalia. Males has symmetrical valvae, with distal portion pointed and slightly curved inwards, and smooth aedeagus. The general morphological pattern of male genitalia is similar to T. brazus , but is distinguished by the smaller size of distal portion of valva, and by the shape of the elevation of the inner portion of valva (vertical in T. meris and horizontal in T. brazus ).

Variation. Some specimens collected at State Park of Morro do Diabo, Teodoro Sampaio, São Paulo, Brazil, has the ground color light brown and the spots darker. Also, the distal portion of valva could be more developed and rounded in some males.

Natural history. Moss (1949) erroneously associated the immatures of T. meris with T. nicomedes . Immatures have been reported on Inga pilosula and Zygia cauliflora (Fabaceae) . The specimens studied by Arthur Miles Moss are deposited at the NHMUK and the study of the adults identified by him as T. nicomedes , confirm its real identity as T. meris .

Distribution. Telemiades meris occurs in Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil.

Taxonomic discussion. Arteurotia meris Plötz 1886 was transferred to Pellicia Herrich–Schäffer, 1870 by Draudt (1922) and there it remained until Evans (1953) transferred it to Telemiades as a synonym of T. nicomedes . Several authors mistakenly associated T. meris with T. nicomedes . However, the morphology of both species is clearly distinct, a fact that led Mielke & Casagrande (1998) to re–establish the specific status of T. meris .

Examined material. No data: 1 male, NHMUK 010242110* (NHMUK).

GUATEMALA: no specific locality, 26–XII–1912, 1 male, A. Hall leg., NHMUK 010242102 * ( NHMUK) .

PANAMA: Panamá— Gamboa , 7–II–1979, 1 male, Robbins leg., OM 29.663 * ( DZUP–OM) .

COLOMBIA: Meta— Villavicencio , Vereda Concepción ( La Cuncia ), Estadero El Embujo Llanero Sendero Ecológico—La Caseada, 31–VII–2012, 1 male, Guerra leg., OM 65.491 ( DZUP–OM) . Valle del Cauca— Rio Anchicaya, 1000 m, 13–II–1981, 2 males, Callaghan leg., OM 29.819 , OM 29.843 * ( DZUP–OM); Rio San Juan, 1 male, OM 40.903 * ( DZUP–OM) .

PERU: Madre de Díos— Alto Río Madre de Díos, Albergue Amazonia , 12º 5’ 25’’ S, 71º 23’ W, 500 m, 30–IX– 2011, 1 male, L. Gibson leg. ( MHNL) ; 29–IV–1–V–2015, 1 male, Mielke leg., OM 77.359 ( DZUP–OM) ; Parque Nacional del Manu, Pakitza , 11° 55’ 48’’ S, 71° 15’ 18’’ W, 340 m, 13–X–1991, 1 male, R. Robbins leg. ( MHNL) ; Rio Alto Madre de Díos, Erika , 550–650 m, 4–5–IX–1989, 1 male, G. Lamas leg. ( MHNL) ; Shintuya, 3.3 Km NE, Albergue Pantiacolla , 12°39’21’’S, 71°13’53’’W, 400 m, 4–8–XI–2017, 2 males, Mielke leg., OM 86.038 , OM 85.916 ( DZUP–OM) . Loreto— Pebas, 1 female, NHMUK 010242105 ( NHMUK) . Puno— Zona Reservada Tam-bopata–Candamo, Rio Távara , 13º 25’ 27’’ S, 69º 38’ W, 650 m, 3–VIII–1995, 1 female *, R. Baynes leg. ( MHNL) ; 1050 m, 10–VIII–1995, 3 males, J. Grados leg. ( MHNL) ; 12–VIII–1995, 1 male, J. Grados leg. ( MHNL) .

BOLIVIA: Cochabamba— Villa Tunari , 392 m, 16°57’54’’S, 65°24’48’’W, 11–IV–2008, 1 male, Abrahamczyk leg., DZ 26.219* ( DZUP); Santa Cruz— Buenavista, 5 KM NO, 500 m, 30–IX–4–X–2001, 1 male, Mielke & Casagrande leg., OM 54.913 ( DZUP–OM) .

SURINAME: Para— Onoribo , 1 male, C.W. Elacombe leg., NHMUK 010242104 * ( NHMUK) .

FRENCH GUIANA: Caiena— Caiena , 1 male e 1 female, NHMUK 010242174 *, NHMUK 010242103 ( NHMUK) .

BRAZIL: Amazonas— Barcelos, Rio Aracá, Foz do Rio Curuduri, 0°05’50’’S, 63°17’22’’W, 15–19–VI–2010, 1 male, Mielke & Csagrande leg., DZ 20.787* ( DZUP) ; Careiro Castanho, BR 319 Km 181, 16-31-XII-2016, 1 male, Rafael & Xavier leg., DZ 47.121 ( DZUP) ; Fonte Boa, 80 m, 2°33’22’’S, 66°03’56’’O, 11–23–VIII–2011, 1 male, Emery leg., ex–coll. Emery, DZ 34.041 ( DZUP) . Acre— Mâncio Lima, Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor , 7° 26’ 50’’ S, 73° 39’ 52’’ W, 10–21–IX–2011, 3 males, Dolibaina & Moura leg., DZ 36.169, DZ 36.173, DZ 32.686* ( DZUP) ; 20–27–VI–2013, 3 males, Mielke , Casagrande , Carneiro , Dias & Dolibaina leg., DZ 36.162, DZ 36.168, DZ 36.170 ( DZUP) ; 23–30–VIII–2014, 12 males, Mielke , Casagrande , Carneiro , Dias , Dolibaina , Siewert & Salik leg., DZ 33.921, DZ 33.923, DZ 36.138*, DZ 36.140*, DZ 36.360, DZ 36.361, DZ 36.164, DZ 36.165, DZ 36.166, DZ 36.167, DZ 36.171, DZ 36.172 ( DZUP) ; Marechal Thaumaturgo, Rio Juruá , Vila do Breu , 3–IX– 1997, 1 male, Brown leg., OM 45.344 * ( DZUP–OM) ; Caminho E Boca Caipora, 1–IX–1997, 1 male, Brown leg., OM 45.336 * ( DZUP–OM) ; Porto Acre, Reserva Humaitá, 200 m, 8–10–IX–2004, 4 males, Mielke & Casagrande leg., DZ 26.265, DZ 26.267*, DZ 26.276, DZ 26.277, DZ 26.278 ( DZUP) ; Senador Guiomard, Reserva Catuaba, 27-VIII-5-IX-2011, 1 male, Dolibaina & Moura leg., DZ 33.941 ( DZUP). Goiás— Cristalina, 50 Km E, 10–16– XII–1993, 1 male, C. Mielke leg., OM 51.267 ( DZUP–OM). Rondônia— Candeias do Jamari, Banho do Rio Preto , Fazenda Urupa, 23–25–VII–1991, 1 male, C. Mielke & Miers leg., OM 27.119 * ( DZUP–OM) ; Cacaulândia, 8– 19–XI–1994, 1 male, Mielke leg., OM 38.845 * ( DZUP–OM). Pará— no specific locality, 1 male e 1 female, H. W. Bates leg., NHMUK 010242106 , NHMUK 010242108 ( NHMUK) ; 1 female, Saunders leg., NHMUK 010242107 ( NHMUK) ; 2 females, A.M. Moss leg., NHMUK 010242109 , NHMUK 010242175 ( NHMUK) ; Santarém, 1 male, 61/041 ( MNRJ) ; 1 male, H. W. Bates leg., NHMUK 010242111 ( NHMUK) ; Santo Antônio do Tauá, Reserva Sonho Azul, 3–XII–2004, 1 male, P. Jauffret leg., DZ 26.281 ( DZUP) ; 8–II–2005, 1 male, P. Jauffret leg., DZ 20.759 ( DZUP) ; 22–XI–2005, 1 male, P. Jauffret leg., DZ 26.280* ( DZUP). Minas Gerais— Paracatu, 15–XII–1966, 1 male, Ebert leg., ex–coll. Ebert, DZ 4.662* ( DZUP). Distrito Federal— Planaltina, Córrego Grotão , 31-X-2010, 1 male, Emery leg., ex-coll. Emery, DZ 47.123 ( DZUP). São Paulo— Teodoro Sampaio, Morro do Diabo , 300–600 m, 22–25–X–1987, 8 males, Mielke & Casagrande leg., OM 17.970 *, OM 17.971 , OM 17.972 , OM 17.973 *, OM 17.974 , OM 17.975 , OM 17.976 , OM 17.977 ( DZUP–OM) ; 250–500 m, 15–18–III–1991, 5 males, Mielke & Casagrande leg., DZ 26.220, DZ 26.221, DZ 26.222, DZ 26.225, DZ 26.226 ( DZUP). Paraná— Diamante do Norte, Estação Ecológica do Caiuá , 300 m, 23-IV-2011, 1 male, Dolibaina & Salik leg., DZ 26.271 ( DZUP) ; 27–XI–2011, 1 male, Carneiro, Dolibaina & Salik leg., DZ 26.234 ( DZUP) ; São Pedro do Ivaí, RPPN Barbacena, 380 m, 23° 48’ 35’’S, 51° 55’ 45’’W, 8–II–2016, 1 male, Dolibaina & Warren leg., DD 491 ( DD)

.

ARGENTINA: Misiones— Almirante Brown , General Belgrano, Reserva Yacutinga, 2–5–III–2007, 11 males, Mielke & Casagrande leg., DZ 10.046*, DZ 10.060*, DZ 26.223, DZ 26.224, DZ 26.227, DZ 26.228, DZ 26.229, DZ 26.230, DZ 26.231, DZ 26.232, DZ 26.233 ( DZUP) .

Figures

FIGURE 218. Geographical distribution of Telemiades from the “meris group”.

FIGURES 132–139. Species of Telemiades from the ‘meris group’, dorsal (left) and ventral (right) views. 132–135. Telemiades meris (Plötz, 1886). 132–133. Male from Reserva Yacutinga, Almirante Brown, General Belgrano, Misiones, Argentina (DZ 26.228—DZUP). 134–135. Female from Tambopata, Peru (MHNL). 136–139. Telemiades brazus Bell, 1949. 136–137. Male from Joinvile, Santa Catarina, Brazil (OM 29.403—OM). 138–139. Female from Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (DZ 7.354—DZUP).

FIGURES 177–178. Male genitalia of Telemiades from the “meris group”. 177. Telemiades meris (Plötz, 1886) (OM 38.845— OM). 178. Telemiades brazus Bell, 1949 (OM 39.453—OM).

FIGURES 204–205. Female genitalia of Telemiades from the “meris group”. 204. Telemiades meris (Plötz, 1886) (MHNL). 205. Telemiades brazus Bell, 1949 (OM 51.530—OM).