Synargis undetermined

Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Dias, Fernando Maia Silva, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Casagrande, Mirna Martins, 2013, Taxonomy of the ‘ Synargis axenus complex’ belonging to the ‘ Synargis regulus’ species group, with a phylogenetic reassessment of the genus Synargis Hübner, 1819 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae: Nymphidiini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 168 (3), pp. 427-451 : 438-439

SYNARGIS GORPA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 31, 32 , 55–57 , 82 , 83 )

Synargis axenus ; Iserhard, Quadros, Romanowski & Mendonça, 2010. Biota Neotropica 10, p. 317; misidentification.

Synargis sp. ; Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande, 2011. Biota Neotropica 11, p. 348.

Diagnosis

Synargis gorpa sp. nov. is easily distinguished from other species of the ‘ S. regulus ’ group (sensu Hall & Harvey, 2002) and the ‘ S. axenus complex’ by the pattern and colour of the wings, with postmedial and medial bands bright orange on a deep black background, without the marginal band ( Figs 31, 32 ). The wing pattern of S. gorpa sp. nov. is intermediary between basal species of the group [ S. sylvarum (H. W. Bates, 1867) and S. regulus (Fabricius, 1793) ( Figs 33–36 )], inhabitants of a variety of forest areas, and apical species [ S. bifasciata ( Mengel, 1902) , S. axenus ( Hewitson, 1876) , S. ochrophlegma stat. nov., S. rasqueada sp. nov., and S. fandanga sp. nov.] only found in open environments ( Hall & Harvey, 2002). Furthermore, it is the only species in which the eighth sternite has short lateral projections, with a small lateral lip between the beginning of the lateral projections and the narrower main portion of the sternite ( Fig. 57 ).

Description

Male: Head: mostly black, including the base of the antennae, with a thin band of yellow scales posterior to the ocular margin. Labial palpus ( Fig. 82 ) with the first segment short and globular; second segment long, about eight times larger than the first; third segment slender, about the same size as the first. Labial palpus dorsally black; laterally and ventrally light yellow to halfway along the second segment. Antenna reaching the outer limits of the median spot; antenna segments black with some white scaling at the base of each segment; tips orange.

Thorax: uniformly black.

Forewings, upperside ( Fig. 31 ): average length of 11.0 mm (10.0– 11.6 mm) (N = 4); background colour black with orange spots, without marginal spots; postmedial band slender, from R 4+5 to M 3; medial band from the radius to the inner margin of the wing, partially interrupted near the end of the discal cell, from the radius to close to the intersection with M 3 –CuA 1.

Forewings, underside ( Fig. 32 ): similar to the upperside, but paler. Additionally, there is a small postmedial spot on CuA 2 and some orange scaling between 2A and the inner margin; basal band between the costal and inner margins of the forewing extending distally to the beginning of the discal cell.

Hindwing, upperside ( Fig. 31 ): background colour black with a continuous postmedial band, beginning in the space between the costal margin and Rs and ending in the space between 2A and the inner margin; medial band continuous with the medial band of the forewing, between the costal margin and the space between 2A and the inner margin.

Hindwing, underside ( Fig. 32 ): similar to the upperside, but paler. Basal band present, between the costal margin and the origin of the cubitus, including the space from the wing base to the humeral vein, but not extending to the discal cell.

Abdomen: mostly black dorsally, with light orange scales at the posterior margin of each tergite ( Fig. 31 ); laterally and ventrally light orange ( Fig. 32 ).

Genitalia ( Figs 55–57 ): tegumen rectangular with rounded margins dorsally; triangular in lateral view; membranous area between the tegumen and the uncus triangular, close to each other dorsally. Tegumen ventrally fused to the saccus, which is thicker ventrally; anterior projection of the saccus short and rounded. Uncus quadrifid, with two dorsal and two lateral rounded projections of similar size; space between the dorsal and lateral projections slightly concave. Gnathos ‘C’-shaped, proximally thicker, distally pointed, and deeply angled, extending posteriorly as far as the uncus. Valva long, slightly concave in the proximal ventral third; distally bifid, ventral projection short, dorsal projection long and parallel to the costa. Aedeagus one and a half times longer than the valva, anteriorly curved and distally thin; one cornutus, small, scale-shaped. Eighth sternite about the same size as the valva; the anterior two thirds of the sternite as a single plate; posteriorly with a pair of lateral projections, slender and rounded at the tips; with two small lateral lips, caused by the differential width of the eighth sternite before and after the lateral projections.

Female: Unknown.

Distribution

Synargis gorpa sp. nov. is known only from three localities; all of them grasslands over 900 m elevation in the Serra Geral do Paraná (Guarapuava), Santa Catarina ( Curitibanos ), and Rio Grande do Sul ( São Francisco de Paula ) ( Fig. 83 ) .

Taxonomic comments

Unmistakable. Synargis gorpa sp. nov. was collected in a study conducted by Iserhard et al. (2010), although it was listed as S. axenus . This species was mentioned by Dolibaina et al. (2011) as Synargis sp. Etymology

The species is named after the nickname of the city of Guarapuava , Paraná (‘Gorpa’), location of three of the paratypes .

Type material

Holotype male with the following labels: / HOLOTYPUS /Curitibanos (S[anta].C[atarina, Brazil].) 950 m 20-III-66 (Ebert [leg.])/ Coleção Ebert/ DZUP 19.961/ HOLOTYPUS Synargis gorpa Dolibaina, Dias, Mielke & Casagrande det. 2013/ ( DZUP) . PARATYPES: BRAZIL – Rio Grande do Sul: São Francisco de Paula , FLONA, 8-III-2008, 1 ♂, M. T. Quadros leg. ( DZRS) ; Paraná: Guarapuava , XI-1956, 1 ♂ (DZUP 21.368); XII-1956, 1 ♂ (DZUP 21.391); no data, 1 ♂ (DZUP 21.361), all H. Schneider leg.

KEY TO SPECIES BELONGING TO THE ‘ SYNARGIS REGULUS ’ SPECIES GROUP

1. Medial band of the forewing not divided at the end of the discal cell ( Figs 33–36 ) ........................................2

- Medial band (postdiscal band sensu Hall & Harvey, 2002) of the forewing partially or totally divided at the end of the discal cell by the discal spot ( Figs 1–32 ) ................................................................ ‘ S. axenus complex’ 3

2. Postmedial band (inner element of the submarginal band sensu Hall & Harvey, 2002) of the forewing underside as one continuous band ............................................................................................................ S. sylvarum

-. Postmedial band of the forewing underside disjunct at M 3 ............................................................ S. regulus

Note: Similarly to S. axenus in the ‘ S. axenus complex’, S. regulus is probably also a complex of several similar-looking species lumped under a single name. Preliminary morphological study confirms the existence of several distinct taxa, but further studies are hindered by the sheer scarcity of specimens in collections.

3. Marginal band (outer element of the submarginal band sensu Hall & Harvey, 2002) absent in both wings ( Fig. 31 ).................................................................................................................... S. gorpa sp. nov.

-. Marginal band present in both wings ( Figs 1–30 )....................................................................................4

4. Second segment of the labial palpus short in both sexes; labial palpus hardly visible in dorsal view ( Figs 80, 81 )....................................................................................................................... S. perrupta stat. rev.

- Second segment of the labial palpus long in both sexes; labial palpus conspicuous in dorsal view ( Figs 70–79 ) .. 5

5. Medial band of the hindwing irregular and disjunct ( Figs 9–16 )...................................................... S. axenus

-. Medial band of the hindwing uniform and somewhat straight ( Figs 1–8 , 17–24 ) ...........................................6

6. Dorsal coloration of the bands on both wings whitish or pale yellow ( Figs 17–24 ).........................................7

- Dorsal coloration of the bands in both wings orange or bright yellow ( Figs 1–8 ) ...........................................8

7. Dorsal bands in both wings thin; some spots of the marginal band reduced ( Figs 21, 23 ) ................ S. bifasciata

-. Dorsal bands in both wings strongly developed; all spots of the marginal band developed ( Figs 17, 19 ).............. ................................................................................................................... S. ochrophlegma stat. nov.

8. Postmedial and medial bands of the underside of the hindwing completely separated; all bands moderately developed, occupying about the same area as the black background; male abdomen tip black ( Figs 1–4 ) ............ ......................................................................................................................... S. fandanga sp. nov.

- Postmedial and medial bands of the underside of the hindwing connected along the inner margin; all bands strongly developed, larger in area than the black background; male abdomen tip yellow ( Figs 5–8 ) ............................... ........................................................................................................................ S. rasqueada sp. nov.

Figures

Figure 83. Distribution map of Synargis species belonging to the ‘Synargis axenus complex’, plotted over the major biomes. Asterisk indicates probable location.

Figures 17–36. Species belonging to the ‘Synargis axenus complex’ and Synargis regulus, dorsal and ventral views. 17–20, Synargis ochrophlegma stat. nov. 21–24, Synargis bifasciata. 25–28, Synargis perrupta stat. rev., typical phenotype. 29, 30, Synargis perrupta stat. rev., melanic phenotype. 31, 32, Synargis gorpa sp. nov., holotype. 33–36, Synargis regulus. Scale bar = 1 cm. Sex indicated in the figure.

Figures 46–57. Male genitalia of Synargis species belonging to the ‘Synargis axenus complex’. Lateral view; tegumen and uncus in dorsal view, and eighth sternite. 46–48, Synargis ochrophlegma stat. nov. 49–51, Synargis bifasciata. 52–54, Synargis perrupta stat. rev. 55–57, Synargis gorpa sp. nov., paratype. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

Figures 70–82. Heads of the ‘Synargis axenus complex’ in lateral view showing labial palpi. 70, 71, Synargis fandanga sp. nov., paratypes. 72, 73, Synargis rasqueada sp. nov., paratype and allotype. 74, 75, Synargis axenus. 76, 77, Synargis ochrophlegma stat. nov. 78, 79, Synargis bifasciata. 80, 81, Synargis perrupta stat. rev. 82, Synargis gorpa sp. nov., paratype. Sex indicated in the figure.

Figures 1–16. Species belonging to the ‘Synargis axenus complex’, dorsal and ventral views. 1–4, Synargis fandanga sp. nov., holotype and allotype. 5–8, Synargis rasqueada sp. nov., holotype and allotype. 9–16, variation of Synargis axenus: 9–12, male from Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil, and female from Vilhena, Rôndonia, Brazil, 13–16, male from Goiás Velho, Goiás, Brazil, and female from Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil. Scale bar = 1 cm. Sex indicated in the figure.