Nascus phocus (Cramer, 1777)

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 : 27-28

Nascus phocus (Cramer, 1777)

( Fig. 76, 79, 82-85 , 118 , 123 , 130 )

Males of N. phocus from Rondônia (mean FW length = 28.5 mm [26.9-31.0, n = 10]) vary in the color of the dorsal hindwing from olive to olive-tan and in the widths of the dark bands and brown margin on the ventral hindwing. Individuals from the dry season (July-August; Fig. 76, 79 ) tend to be paler (more tan) than those from the wet season (November-December; Fig. 82, 85 ). Genitalia of males ( Fig. 118 ) are constant and do not seem to differ from those previously illustrated ( Godman and Salvin 1879 -1901; Hayward 1933, 1948; Evans 1952) nor from a tan phenotype seen from Central America and Mexico. Female genitalia (based on a single specimen from Costa Rica, Fig. 123 ) have a flaring lamella postvaginalis with a shallow V-shaped central notch on its caudal edge. The lamella antevaginalis has a prominent central portion overlaying the ostium bursae which has a pair of long and slender finger-like projections nearly reaching the caudal edge of the lamella postvaginalis.

Nascus phocus is the most common Nascus in central Rondônia, with records for April and June through December; these are mostly in August and November ( Fig. 130 ). The species is wide ranging from central Mexico to San Luis Potosi (also known from Tamaulipas; fide A. D. Warren, pers. comm. 2006) to Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Brazil ( Hoffmann 1941, Evans 1952, Mielke 1968, Biezanko and Mielke 1973, de la Maza and de la Maza 1985, Cock and Alston-Smith 1990, de la Maza and White 1990, Brown 1992, de la Maza and Gutiérrez 1992, Mielke and Casagrande 1997, Warren 2000, Pozo et al. 2003, Luis et al. 2004, Darrault and Schlindwein 2005, Nuñez Bustos 2006, Anderson 2007).

Figures

Figure 74-85. Nascus (from BRAZIL: Rondônia, unless noted otherwise; dorsum and venter of same specimens). 74-75) N. salon salon female, 5 km S of Cacaulândia, 10 Jul 1993. 76, 79) N. phocus male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 14 Aug 1993. 77-78) N. broteas male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 16 Aug 1993. 80-81) N. broteas female, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 16 Jun 1991. 82, 85) N. phocus male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 16 Nov 1992. 83, 84) N. phocus female, COSTA RICA: Heredia Prov.; Chilamate, 30 Mar 1989.

Figure 117-120. Male genitalia of Pseudonascus and Nascus (from BRAZIL: Rondônia). 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. 117) P. paulliniae (GTA #2460). 118) N. phocus (GTA #3534). 119) N. broteas (GTA #7211). 120) N. salon salon (GTA #1725).

Figure 121-124. Female genitalia (ventral view) of Pseudonascus and Nascus (from BRAZIL: Rondônia, unless otherwise noted). 121) N. salon salon (GTA #7229). 122) N. broteas (GTA #7228). 123) N. phocus, COSTA RICA (GTA #7230). 124) P. paulliniae (GTA #7233).

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.