Iolaus aequatorialis, Stempffer & Bennett, 1958
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5214.2.2 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9B1E49B6-1057-4994-8BC4-8C11ED69C4E1 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7384824 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/33367D24-FF83-FFD5-39AF-FB31A26F44DD |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Iolaus aequatorialis |
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The Iolaus aequatorialis View in CoL species group
Four species are currently recognised in this newly proposed species group, two of which are described below. They are characterised by the rather light iridescent blue colour, sometimes with a turquoise or greenish tinge, the presence of a marginal black dot in space 2 on the hindwing upperside and the beige androconial hairtuft on the forewing underside, in the males. In females the light whitish (watery) blue upperside with a turquoise tinge and the submarginal dashed-line or row of spots on the hindwing upperside are characteristic.
The prominently drawn-out outer margin of the blue area in space 1a on the forewing upperside, the orange (not crimson or brick-red) submarginal lines on both wings and the orange, black-centred submarginal round spot on the hindwing margin in space 2 on the underside are characteristic for both sexes. The drawn-out outer edge of the blue area in space 1a on the forewing upperside and the lack of any blue in the costal area beyond the discal cell gives the impression that the blue patch of the forewing is rather flattened in both sexes.
The I. aequatorialis species group is one of the few groups in the subgenus Philiolaus where the genitalia are slightly, but consistently, asymmetric. The inward curving tip of the left valva is bolder and blunter in all recognised taxa. The shape of the valvae is also unique, as the basal half of the dorsal edge is slightly convex with an inflexion, from where the edge turns slightly concave toward the inwardly bent rather pointy tip ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 ; 3–5 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE5 ).
The aedeagi of all species are terminally thickened (club-shaped) with one strong spine on the tip, a prominent cornutus on the membrane of the vesica, with a smaller and inconspicuous one on the tip of the vesica ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 ; 3D, E, F, I, J View FIGURE 3 ). The anterior half is slim with a bulbous membrane. The fultura inferior is also characteristic for the species group; it forms a ring with posteriorly flagged edge, but the tip of the triangular “flags” is not acutely pointed as in some, yet undescribed species groups but rather blunt, best seen in lateral view ( Figs. 3A, B, C, G, H View FIGURE 3 ; 5A–E View FIGURE5 ). The posterior edge of the stems of the tegumen lack small spine, triangular or spatulate excrescence. The bilobed uncus and the posteriorly protruding and rather straight subunci are very similar to multiple other species in the subgenus Philiolaus ( Figs. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ; 3A, B, C, G, H View FIGURE 3 ; 4A–E View FIGURE 4 ; 5A–E View FIGURE5 ).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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