Eumorpha megaeacus (Hübner, [1819])

Lima, Tauanny Maria Almeida, Sena, Jasmine Déa Nogueira, Câmara, Joseleide Teixeira & Teston, José Augusto, 2023, Complexes of species of Eumorpha Hübner [1807] (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) from the Maranhão State, Brazil, Zootaxa 5249 (4), pp. 425-445 : 438-439

Eumorpha megaeacus (Hübner, [1819])

Daphnis megaeacus Ḩbner, [1819]

Sphinx eacus Cramer, [1779]

Type locality: Suriname

( Figs 8i–j , 9q–t )

Characterization. Wings ranges from 9.79 to 11.52 cm, the length, forewing ranges from 4.67 to 5.19 cm, forewing ranges from 2.62 to 3.13 cm.

Head: brownish, with medium dark brown band, brown palpi with the white distal region.

Thorax: brownish, triangular tegulae of dark brown color and yellow contour.

Forewing: dorsal view: very striated, discal bar protruding from the base of the wing and extending to approximately half of the wing, with lighter coloring in the basal part and the darker distal part, the discal band with wavy edges, leaving the outer margin near the discal spot, "Y" spot leaving the costal margin diagonally to the outer margin separating the post-discal from the submarginal area; subapical patch with inverted triangle shape, triangular spot exceeding the CuA 1 vein; submarginal stripe with three uniform undulations and light brown color, brown contour, ventral view: predominantly dark brown, light brown non-uniform spot, running from the apex through the outer margin ending in the encounter with the inner margin, having a triangular projection towards the submarginal area in the middle of the outer margin, followed by smaller undulations, two striations that go from the inner margin to the costal margin dividing the post-discal area from the submarginal area.

Hindwing: dorsal view: a discal spot of dark brown color surrounded by a greenish spot, two bands coming from the inner margin to the apex, the closest to the outer margin has a darker tone, ventral view: predominantly dark brown, with a light spot that goes from the base to approximately the post-discal striation, two striations from the inner margin to the costal margin, one separating the discal from the post-discal area and the other separating the post-discal area from the submarginal area.

Abdomen: in the dorsal view, covered predominantly with brown scales, the first segment with a dark spot, and other segments with a pair of darker spots in the shape of an inverted triangle; in the ventral view, it is covered predominantly with light brown scales.

Male Genitalia: Uncus single sickle-shaped. Valva enlarged in the distal half with a apex rounded. Sacculus larger than half the size of the valva, larger at the base, and narrowing at the apical region. The saccular process presents a kind of "collar" from where a spine comes out. Sac projected and rounded shape. The aedeagus, cylindrical and uniform shape, with an elongated projection at the apex.

Diagnosis.

Habitus. similar to E. analis . It differs by the many striations on the forewing and the hindwing has two bands that appear at the base of the wing extending to the apex ( Fig 8i ). Genitalia: saccular process ends in the form of a “collar” from where the spine emerges ( Fig 9s ).

Material examined: Brazil — Maranhão, 1m #, Cândido Mendes , 01°26’34” S, 45°43’19” W, 03-06.x.2008, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira ; 1m #, Mirador , 06°37’25” S, 45°52’08” W, 22.ii-01.iii.2009, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira .

General geographical distribution: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Paraguay.

Distribution records in Brazil: Amazonas, Maranh„o, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, and S„o Paulo.

“ Eumorpha obliquus ” species complex

Diagnosis

Habitus. F orewing with dark discal bar, well defined at the edges, extending from the base to half the length of the wing; hindwing predominantly beige or with greenish tones.

Genitalia. length of the sacculus less than the length of the half of the valva, saccular process with a dorsally curved spine apex, gradually tapering. This complex has five species: Eumorpha annalea ( Rothschild & Jordan, 1903), E. obliquus ( Rothschild & Jordan, 1903), Eumorpha orientis ( Daniel, 1949) , Eumorpha zaplatus, Haxaire, 2015 and Eumorpha guadalupenses . ( Chalumeau & Delplanque, 1974) In this study, E. obliquus and E. orientis were analyzed.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Morphology of the habitus of Eumorpha analis species complex. (a, b) Eumorpha analis (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903). (a) dorsal view of the habitus; (b) ventral view of the habitus; (c, d) Eumorpha aff. analis (a) (c) dorsal view of the habitus; (d) ventral view of the habitus, (e, h) Eumorpha aff. analis (b) (e, g) dorsal view of the habitus; (f, h) ventral view of the habitus, (i, j), Eumorpha megaeacus (Ḩbner, [1819]). (i) dorsal view of the habitus; (j) ventral view of the habitus. scale 10mm.

FIGURE 9. Morphology of the genitalia of Eumorpha analis species complex. (a-d) Eumorpha analis (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903). (a) sac, (b) valva, (c) saccular process, (d) aedeagus, (e-h) Eumorpha aff. analis (a) (e) sac, (f) valva, (g) saccular process, (h) aedeagus, (i–p) Eumorpha aff. analis (b) (i) sac, (j) valva, (k) saccular process, (l) aedeagus (m–p) variation of morphology, (q–t) Eumorpha megaeacus (Ḩbner, [1819]) (q) sac, (r) valva, (s) saccular process, (t) aedeagus.