Gallienia alaokola

C, Lees David, 2016, Heteropsis (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Satyrini: Mycalesina): 19 new species from Madagascar and interim revision, Zootaxa 4118 (1), pp. 1-97 : 15

Gallienia alaokola problem

The left image (#3043) in Fig. 3 A represents the specimen (BMNH(E) 672621) that P. Viette intended to represent the LT of Gallienia alaokola Oberthür, 1916 , according to a label under the specimen (but it is certain that Viette never published this). That on the right (#3044) represents the specimen that d’Abrera (1980, 1997) illustrated as [a ♀ of] ‘ M.? alaokola ’. I contend, considering dorsal colouration, ocellus expression in space-M3 and relatively more pointed HW tails, that both specimens in fact represent Ht. mabillei (both surfaces of the HT ♂ of Strabena mabillei Butler, 1879 , BMNH(E) 672624, are figured in Fig. 3 C). Moreover, although d’Abrera (1980: 190) had placed a red label next to photograph of “ M. alaokola ”, the accompanying text says “♀ (? type)”, and by his next edition, d’Abrera (1997) had removed the red label. Without DNA data, choice of a ♀ lectotype would be extremely unsatisfactory in this difficult-to-distinguish species group, and thus unlikely to promote stability. It appears that d’Abrera’s (1980) action does not, however, represent a valid lectotypification, since it is not an unambiguous selection of the name-bearing type, considering in particular his qualification of use of the word 'type' by a question mark (Art. 74.5). A proportion of Oberthür’s syntype specimens of Gallienia alaokola from Fianarantsoa and some also from Antsianaka (the current region around RNI Zahamena) have apparently generally shorter HW tails than in the HT of Strabena mabillei Butler ( Fig. 3 C) and a much darker upperside. They lack the ocellus expression in both space-M3 and CuA1 of the ♂ HW upperside, with sometimes neither ocellus expressed (this variation in his mixed series is alluded to in Oberthür’s 1916: 205–206 description). Among Oberthür’s 75 syntypes, a LT ♂ specimen of Gallienia alaokola is here therefore chosen to resolve the problem. This LT ♂ is here designated as the specimen ( Fig. 3 B) bearing data labels “ Madagascar, Fianarantsoa, Perrot Frères, 2e Semestre 1892|Ex Oberthür Coll. Brit. Mus. 1927-3|Photographed by B. d'Abrera 77/78|BMNH(E) 1717102 [ QTR label]”. This is also the “ Masoura ? sp.” illustrated by d’Abrera (1997: 229) in DV/VV, following preference for a previously illustrated specimen (Recommendation 74B of the code), although in this case, not the one that the original author intended. This action is also in the spirit of the Code as it promotes stability and obviates the need to describe a new species within Oberthür’s syntypic series. The majority of the series of Oberthür (1916) ’s G. alaokola STs from “Fianarantsoa” belong to Ht. mabillei , and are then automatically among the PLTs of Oberthür’s nominal species. Although not illustrated by Oberthür (1916), the chosen LT represents the more widespread/ common and generally darker-upperside species (formerly known as sp. 56; Lees 1997: 65), which tends strongly either to lack space-M3 ocellus expression, or to lack expression in both space-M3 and CuA1 on HWD. This species also lacks a ventral abdominal black androconial patch (usually bilateral of midline, sometimes obscured by overlying ochreous scales) that is characteristic of Ht. mabillei (see Lees, 1997: 99) and also, more markedly, Ht. masoura . It (“sp. 56”; Lees, 1997: 105) also has multiply toothed long valves, which do not have such a projected sharply inbent tip, as does the genitalia of Oberthür’s ♂ ‘iconotype’ of G. alaokola (= Ht. mabillei ) ( Fig. 3 D). This feature is not in fact evident in the HT specimen of Strabena mabillei Butler , although the abdomen is worn and may even not be the original., The strong expression of the space-M3 ocellus in ♂♂ (in contrast to its strong reduction or absence) confirms the identity of specimens currently referred to Ht. mabillei (in fresh specimens, Ht. alaokola , as here fixed, also has a darker dorsal colouration). Note the androconial scales on abdominal sternum third segment and the inwards recurved valve tips characteristic of Ht. mabillei ( Fig. 3 D) and also ( Fig. 3 A,C) that Ht. mabillei has relatively long tails especially at M3, a lighter brown dorsal colouration, and three or four white stripes on the FWV tending to be more strongly represented as marks on the FWD costa, than the species/specimen here selected to represent Ht. alaokola ( Fig. 3 B). It may be noted that samples respectively representing Ht. mabillei and Ht. alaokola (KAP524 [KA-P524] = DL-4-233, Anjozorobe; KAP537 [KA-P537] = DL-02-20, Makira, in the study of Aduse-Poku et al., 2015) are shallowly diverged considering the morphological (mainly androconial and genitalic) differences between these species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Adults in DV (left), VV (right) unless otherwise stated. A: depictions (‘ iconotypes’) of Gallienia alaokola Oberthür (1916) ♂, left (VV) and ♀, right (DV), representing Oberthür’s preference for the type specimens of this nominal species, both referred here to Ht. mabillei (Butler, 1879). B: designated LT ♂ of G. alaokola Oberthür, 1916 (‘ Fianarantsoa’; BMNH (E) 1717102). C: HT ♂ of Strabena mabillei Butler, 1879 (BMNH (E) 672624). Scale bar: 30 mm. D: ♂ abdomen of Oberthür collection specimen of Ht. mabillei (left, VV). E: PLT ♂ abdomen of G. alaokola (Fianarantsoa; BMNH (E) 672621) (right, VV).