Bungalotis lactos Evans, 1952

Austin, George T., 2008, Hesperiidae of Rondônia, Brazil: Taxonomic comments on “ night ” skippers, with descriptions of new genera and species (Lepidoptera: Eudaminae), Insecta Mundi 2008 (29), pp. 1-36 : 9

Bungalotis lactos Evans, 1952 , new status

( Fig. 20-21 , 91 , 126 )

Bungalotis borax lactos Evans, 1952

Evans (1952) described this taxon, based upon a single specimen from Peru, as a subspecies of B. borax , where it has subsequently languished (Mielke 2004, 2005). Obvious differences between the two taxa in the genitalia illustrated by Evans (1952) and shown herein ( Fig. 91-92 ) indicate that they are separate species and B. b. lactos is here raised to species-level status. This had been suggested (de Jong 1983), but no action was taken. This status for B. lactos was unequivocally verified by finding B. borax sympatric with B. lactos in central Rondônia. Differences between the genitalia of the specimen in Evans’ (1952) figure and the genitalia illustrated herein from Rondônia ( Fig. 91 ) may be due to individual variation, these most prevalent in the configuration of the caudal end of the harpe. Male B. lactos from Rondônia (mean FW length = 29.1 mm [28.1-30.1, n = 4]) vary from pale to dark tawny-brown; the contrast of the paler areas adjacent to the discal macules on both wings depends upon the darkness of the ground color. The costa of the hindwing is more broadly black than on B. borax and the macules on both wings are broader. That in the discal cell of the forewing has its distal edge in line with the proximal edge of the macule in CuA 1 -CuA 2. The discal series of macules on the forewing is more or less aligned (distal edges) with the macule in CuA 1 -CuA 2 noticeably broader than the others. The venter is similar to the dorsum and the macules on the ventral hindwing vary from vague with pale centers to distinct and enclosed within a narrow, but prominent, brown band.

Bungalotis lactos is rare at Cacaulândia, with two records in June and one each in August and October. These records extend the known distribution of the species eastward; the species had been recorded only in Peru ( Evans 1952, Lamas 1994).

Figures

Figure 14-25. Bungalotis (from BRAZIL:Rondônia, unless noted otherwise; dorsum and venter of same specimens). 14-15) B. astylos male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 6 Oct 1993. 16-17) B. astylos female, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 29 Nov 1991. 18-19) B. quadratum female, TRINIDAD, no date. 20-21) B. lactos male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 14 Jun 1993. 22-23) B. borax male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 17 Apr 1997. 24-25) B. gagarini male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 5 May 1995.

Figure 89-92. Male genitalia of Bungalotis (from BRAZIL: Rondônia, unless noted otherwise). Structures shown are lateral, dorsal, and ventral views of tegumen, uncus, gnathos, and associated structures; lateral internal view of right valva; lateral view of aedeagus and associated structures; and ventral view of transtilla and juxta. 89) B. gagarini (GTA #1617). 90) B. astylos (GTA #3166); variation of valvae, a. (GTA #3189, flattened), b. (GTA # 3166, flattened). 91) B. lactos (GTA #3062); variation of valvae, a. (GTA #7196), b. (GTA #4133), c. (GTA #7914), all including flattened view of caudal end of valva. 92) B. borax (GTA #7866), including flattened view of caudal end of valva.

Figure 125-130. Phenology of some night skippers from central Rondônia, Brazil. 125-126) Bungalotis species. 127) Dyscophellus species. 128) Salatis salatisand Sarmientoia similis. 129) Nicephellus nicephorus and Euriphellus euribates. 130) Pseudonascus paulliniae and Nascus species.