Eryphanis opimus (Staudinger, 1887)

Penz, Carla M., 2008, Phylogenetic Revision of Eryphanis Boisduval, with a Description of a New Species from Ecuador (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), Insecta Mundi 2008 (35), pp. 1-25 : 14-15

Eryphanis opimus (Staudinger, 1887) , status revised

( Fig. 1I , 4I , 5I )

Type locality. Colombia .

Diagnosis. Males and females reddish-brown with conspicuous FW orange submarginal line. Examined males are distinguished from E. zolzivora and E. greeneyi by the thinner dorsal FW orange submarginal line, and the postmedial branch of this line that does not extend to the wing margin. The HW projection at Cu1 is intermediate in size: longer than E. zolzivora , but smaller than E. greeneyi . Thin lines always present ventrally in HW discal cell.

Annotated redescription. Male. FW length 62 mm (n=1). Dorsal FW and HW with reddish-brown background and a faint pinkish iridescent sheen from submedial to postmedial areas of the FW, starting approximately at midlength of discal cell, and barely visible on HW. Dorsal FW with a well-defined, thin orange submarginal line, interrupted by small gaps below M3, and forming a V-shaped mark with the arms directed distally in cell M3. Submarginal branch of FW submarginal line starts in cell M2. Postmedial branch of submarginal line starts at cell M1. Dorsal FW and HW marginal outline well developed. HW projection at Cu1 present, extending beyond anal margin, but not as long or well defined as in E. greeneyi . Ventral FW and HW main color light brown. Ventral HW white postmedial transverse band well developed, continuous. Ventral HW with brown wavy lines across discal cell. Ventral HW eyespot in cell Sc+Rs outlined by a pale halo. Ventral HW eyespot in cell Cu1 large (smaller than E. zolzivora but larger than E. greeneyi ) expanding to cell Cu2. Uncus humped, valva narrow, phallus prong displaced anteriorly from the distal opening.

Female. Not available for examination.

Distribution. Colombia (see comments on E. zolzivora in Frühstorfer 1912, Appendix 1), occurring in Cali at an elevation of ca. 1,000 m.

Species status. Morphological differences between the Colombian E. opimus and the Bolivian E. zolzivora warrant species status. Male E. opimus differ from E. zolzivora in wing color and shape (compare Fig. 1G and I , see diagnoses). Furthermore, there are significant differences in male genitalia. The male valva is narrow in E. opimus , but in E. zolzivora it bears a large and distinctive subterminal swelling (compare Fig. 4G and I ). This evidence supports the revised status for E. opimus as a separate species from E. zolzivora .

Figures

Figure 1. Eryphanis adult males, dorsal side on the left, ventral side on the right. Scale bar next to A = 1cm. A) E. automedon, Colombia, Cali. B) E. lycomedon, Colombia, Cali. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo. E) E. aesacus, [Mexico], Catemaco. F) E. gerhardi, Bolivia. G) E. zolzivora, Bolivia. H) E. greeneyi, Ecuador, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, HOLOTYPE. I) E. opimus, Colombia, Cali.

Figure 4. Eryphanis male genitalia in lateral view, with separate drawings of the phallus. Scale bar next to A = 1mm. Note that the phallus was not removed from the genitalic capsule, and the drawing angles are thus not homogeneous across species. A) E. automedon, Colombia, Cali. B) E. lycomedon, Colombia, Cali. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo. E) E. aesacus, Mexico, San Luis Potosi. F) E. gerhardi, Bolivia, Cochabamba. G) E. zolzivora, Bolivia, Cochabamba. H) E. greeneyi, Ecuador, near Baños, PARATYPE. I) E. opimus, Colombia, Cali.

Figure 5. Eryphanis male genitalia in ventral view, with separate drawings of the juxta and dorsal view of tegumen+uncus. Scale bar next to A = 1mm. A) E. automedon, Colombia, Cali. B) E. lycomedon, Colombia, Cali. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo. E) E. aesacus, Mexico, San Luis Potosi. F) E. gerhardi, Bolivia, Cochabamba. G) E. zolzivora, Bolivia, Cochabamba. H) E. greeneyi, Ecuador, near Baños, PARATYPE. I) E. opimus, Colombia, Cali.