Yagra fonscolombe (Godart, [1824])

Moraes, Simeão S., Duarte, Marcelo & Miller, Jacqueline Y., 2011, Revision of the Neotropical genus Yagra Oiticica (Lepidoptera: Castniidae), Journal of Natural History 45 (25 - 26), pp. 1511-1531 : 1521-1529

Yagra fonscolombe (Godart, [1824])

( Figures 1E–H , 2C, D , 5 , 6 , 7B )

Castnia fonscolombe Godart, [1824] : 799, lectotype ♀, BRAZIL, “ancienne collection” (MNHN), designated by Viette (1977), [photograph examined]; Gray, 1838: 144 (checklist); Kirby, 1892: 6 (checklist); Strand, 1913: 13 (taxonomy); Hoffmann, 1937: 164 (checklist); Breyer, 1943: 123 (checklist); Viette, 1977: 131 (taxonomy).

Athis japyx Hübner, [1825] : 353, figs 1, 2 (taxonomy), syntype ♂, [not examined, possibly lost]; Gray, 1838: 144 (synonymy); Walker, 1854: 20 (checklist); Westwood, 1877: 178 (citation); Kirby, 1892: 6 (citation); Strand, 1913: 13 (citation); Dalla Torre, 1913: 15 (citation); Houlbert, 1918: 292 (taxonomy); Lamas, 1995: 77 (citation).

Castnia kirstenii Thon, 1829: 7 , figs 6–10 (taxonomy), syntype ♂, BRAZIL [not examined, possibly lost]; Walker, 1854: 33 (checklist); Westwood, 1877: 178 (synonym of A. japyx ); Dalla Torre, 1913: 15 (citation); Miller, 1995: 134 (citation); Lamas, 1995: 77 (citation).

Castnia fonscolombei [sic]; Gray, 1838: 144 (checklist); Walker, 1854: 20 (checklist); Ménétriés, 1857: 127 (taxonomy); Westwood, 1877: 178 (citation); Buchecker, 1880: pl. 3 (taxonomy); Preiss, 1888: 7, pl. 9, fig. 3 (taxonomy); Dalla Torre, 1913: 15 (checklist);

Houlbert, 1918: 292 (citation); Rothschild, 1919: 11 (taxonomy); Breyer, 1931: fig 12, (checklist); Breyer, 1935: 207 (checklist).

Castnia japyx ; Boisduval, 1875: 497 (taxonomy); Westwood, 1877: 178 (taxonomy); Kirby 1892: 6 (citation).

Castnia fabricii ; Buchecker, 1880 (nec Swainson 1823): fig. 7 (taxonomy).

Castnia walkeri [nom. nud.] Strand, 1913: 13 (citation); Dalla Torre, 1913: 15 (citation); Lamas, 1995: 77 (citation).

Castnia kirsteni [sic]; Strand, 1913: 13 (taxonomy); Lamas, 1995: 77 (citation).

Athis fons-colombei [sic]; Lathy, 1922: 76 (checklist).

Yagra fonscolombe ; Miller, 1995: 134 (checklist); Lamas, 1995: 77 (checklist); González et al., 2010: 392 (taxonomy).

History

Godart (1824) described Castnia fonscolombe , with the type locality as Brazil. According to the original description, the type series was in the collection of “M. Latreille”.

Hübner ([1825]) described Athis japyx . The illustrated specimen lacks white dorsal spots on the fore wing, which is typical of the male phenotype.

Thon (1829) described Castnia kirstenii and included illustrations of the specimen, venation of fore and hind wings, head and metathoracic legs.

Westwood (1877) considered C. kirstenii as a synonym of A. japyx .

Strand (1913) treated Castnia walkeri as a synonym of Castnia fonscolombe and attributed the authorship of the former to Buchecker ([1880]); however the only illustration in Buchecker’s work that is similar to the description of C. fonscolombe is subtitled as “ Castnia fonscolombe Latr. ” and not C. walkeri . Therefore, C. walkeri Strand, 1913 is considered a nomen nudum ( Lamas 1995).

Rothschild (1919) established the priority of the names C. fonscolombe and A. japyx .

Miller (1995) placed Castnia fonscolombe in Yagra based on characters of male genitalia and wing venation.

Diagnosis

Fore wing with a brown, oblique postmedian band, paler or slightly darker than ground colour and with a pale, diffuse, circular spot across end cell. Hind wing pale orange. Upper margin of valva strongly convex beyond the region of the costa.

Redescription (male and female)

Head dark brown, vertex with ferruginous iridescent scales; antenna ferruginous brown, paler below; labial palpi brown.

Thoracic segments, including legs, ferruginous. Fore wing subtriangular, outer margin rectilinear. Average wing length 47 mm in males and 58 mm in females. Dorsal surface ferruginous, duller in female; postmedian band brown with both margins uneven and diffuse, slightly darker than ground colour, extending from costal margin to inner margin; two oval spots on the band, between R 3 and R 5, absent in males; a distinguishable paler spot across end cell between M 1 and M 2, more enlarged and evident in females. Ventral surface with central triangular, brighter orange (reddish fulvous) area with paler buff to beige along the costa, at apex and along the lateral margin; three oval spots submarginally aligned between M 3 and CuA 1, CuA 2 and CuP, and CuP and 2A, the two former also visible on dorsal surface in females. Dorsal hind wing orange on costal and outer margins, discal cell area yellowish (paler); piliform iridescent grey scales on hind wing base, sometimes greyish brown in females; submarginal band comprising two rows of spots; the inner spot-band with separate ferruginous to black spots, sometimes with black central eye-spot in males between Rs and M 3, in females between Rs and 2A; the outer band formed by brown-ferruginous spots between Sc + R 1 and 3A; in females this band may form crescents along the margin. Ventral surface with a similar pattern as dorsal surface but submarginal spot-bands paler.

Wing venation ( Figures 2C, D ): typical of the genus.

Abdominal segments yellowish with tergites A1–A3 brown; ventral surface of all segments yellowish with reddish fulvous scales in tuft at the end of the abdomen.

Male genitalia ( Figure 5 ): tegumen rectangular. Uncus with three lobes, lateral lobes rounded, wider than medial one. Gnathos excavate posteriorly, dorsal and ventral arms sclerotized and fused anteriorly. Valva aquiline; inner surface with tooth-like projection serrated, wider than long; upper margin strongly convex beyond the costa; inferior margin excavate. Vinculum rectangular. Subscaphium moderately sclerotized. Sacculus weakly developed, consisting of a fold on the inner surface of the valva, oriented towards posterior–anterior axis. Saccus developed, with anterior projections rounded apically and curved. Juxta apparently absent. Penis hooked and contorted; spines located in a sclerotized plate at the distal region; vesica lacking cornuti. Coecum developed, longer than the maximum diameter of the ejaculatory bulb foramen, usually entirely ornamented with ridges.

Female genitalia ( Figure 6 ): eighth tergum with anterior margin concave; central band weakly sclerotized, extending beyond the middle portion, but never reaching the posterior margin, posterior half subtriangular, slightly rounded, with lateral margins sinuous. Lamella antevaginalis weakly sclerotized. Lamella postvaginalis absent. Anterior and posterior apophyses well-developed, the former two-fifths the length of the latter. Papillae anales sclerotized and setose. Antrum sclerotized, longer than wide. Ductus bursae with a distinct region spirally twisted near corpus bursae. Corpus bursae with symmetrical, circular signa indented on one side. Bulla seminalis setose internally, longer than wide.

Etology / ecology

Barely known. Miller (1986) observed Y. fonscolombe with flight behaviour similar to that of Caligo Hübner (Nymphalidae) and recorded this species flying 7 to 12 m above the ground, along cuts through tropical primary forest in Joinville, in the state of Santa Catarina. In comparison with the flight of Eupalamides Hübner , Telchin Hübner and other Castniidae , the flight (wingbeat) of Y. fonscolombe is considerably weaker. The flight period for this species is midday, generally with overcast skies.

Distribution ( Figure 7B )

Southern and south-eastern Brazil and Argentina, with records for the states of Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Santa Catarina and the department of Missiones. There is one doubtful record for the north-east of Brazil, in the state of Alagoas.

Etymology

The specific epithet is described for the French entomologist, Etienne Laurent Joseph Hippolyte Boyer de Fonscolombe, who was noted for his studies with Coleoptera and Hymenoptera.

Comments

Yagra fonscolombe is one of the few species of Castniidae available in long series in collections. The lack of records of this species from the state of São Paulo suggests an allopatric pattern of distribution, with two well-defined populations: one in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the other in southern Brazil in addition to a few records in Argentina. Since castniids require very specialized habitats and there are several localities in the state of São Paulo where the lepidopterous fauna has yet to be sampled, there is still a possibility of finding this species in São Paulo.

Material examined

BRAZIL. Alagoas: [no date], one male ( MNRJ) [dubious record] . Rio de Janeiro: Cachoeiras de Macacu, Boca do Mato, Serra dos Órgãos, [illegible date], one female ( MNRJ); Casimiro de Abreu , distrito de Barra de São João , 22 November 1986, one male ( ZUEC); idem, 12 December 1986, one male ( ZUEC); Itatiaia, February 1925, 700 m, two males ( MNRJ); idem, February 1935, one male ( MNRJ); idem, February 1929, one female ( MNRJ); Petrópolis, December 1940, one female, one male ( MNRJ); idem, 20 January 1936, one male ( MNRJ); idem, [no date], one male ( MGCL); Guapimirim, February 1940, one male ( MNRJ), idem, December 1940, 10 males ( MNRJ); idem, November 1941, two males ( MNRJ); idem, 25 December, one male ( MNRJ); idem, [no date], two males ( MNRJ); idem, February 1940, two males, one female ( MNRJ); idem, 30 November 1940, two males ( MNRJ); idem, December 1940, seven males ( MNRJ); idem, January 1941, six males ( MNRJ); idem, December 1940, two males ( MNRJ); Nova Iguaçu, Tinguá, 14 January 1948, one male ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, 3 April 1962, one male ( DZUP); idem, 2 February 1937, one male ( MNRJ); idem, February 1907, two females ( MNRJ); idem, [no date], one male ( MNRJ); idem, 17 February 1935, one male ( FIOC); idem, [no date], one male ( MNRJ); idem, [no date], two males, two females ( MZSP), one female ( DZUP); idem, [no date], one male ( MGCL) ; Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca, estrada Paineiras , January 1919, two males ( MNRJ); idem, 22 January 1922, one male ( DZUP); idem, January 1931, one male ( MNRJ); idem, 7 February 1931, one female ( MNRJ); idem, January 1929, one female ( MNRJ); idem, January 1926, three males ( MNRJ); idem, October 1926, one male ( MNRJ); idem, December 1926, one male ( MNRJ); idem, January 1927, three males ( MNRJ); idem, January 1937, one male ( MNRJ); idem, 15 January 1937, one male ( DZUP); idem, January 1938, one male, one female ( FIOC); idem, January 1938, four males, one female ( MNRJ); idem, 26 January 1941, one male

B

( MNRJ); idem, January 1942, three males ( MNRJ) ; idem, 5 February 1948, one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, 6 February 1948, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, 500 m, 20 January 1949, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, 500 m, 20 January 1956, one female ( DZUP) ; idem, 6 February 1968, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, 23 January 1976, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, [no date], four males, one female ( MNRJ) ; idem, [no date], one female ( MNRJ) ; idem, [no date], three males, one female ( MZSP) , three males ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Jacarepaguá, represa dos Ciganos, 7 January 1948, two males ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Jacarepaguá, estrada Três Rios, 2 February 1957, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, 4 January 1963, three males ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, São Clemente, 20 February 1969, one male ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Serra do Tinguá , 500 m, 2 February 1958, one male ( DZUP) ; Rio de Janeiro, Castorina, January 1937, two males ( FIOC) ; Angra dos Reis, Jussaral, January 1933, one male ( FIOC) ; idem, February 1935, one male ( MNRJ) ; [without specific locality], 12 April 1930, one male ( USNM) ; idem, 1878, two males ( USNM) ; idem, [no date], five males, one female ( USNM) ; idem, [no date], two males ( MGCL) . Paraná: Prainha, 23 January 1949, two males ( DZUP) . Santa Catarina: Joinville, 11 January 1941, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, 27 October 1942, one male ( DZUP) ; idem 200 m, February 1956, one female ( DZUP) ; idem, February 1972, three males, one female ( DZUP) , idem, January 1975, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, February 1976, one male ( DZUP) , idem, January 1982, one female ( DZUP) ; idem, [no date], one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, [no date], one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, 20 December 1980, one male ( MGCL) ; idem, October 1980, one male ( MGCL) ; idem January 1982, one male ( MGCL) ; idem, February 1982, one male ( MGCL) ; idem, 14 January 1985, two males ( MGCL) ; idem, 4 January 1985, three males ( MGCL) ; idem 28 December 1980, one male ( MGCL) ; idem, 10 January 1985, three males ( MGCL) ; idem, 7 January 1985, three males ( MGCL) ; idem, 6 January 1985, one male ( MGCL) ; idem, 8 January 1985, three males ( MGCL) ; Timbó, February 1950, four males ( MZSP) ; idem, December 1950, five males ( MZSP) ; idem, December 1951, one male ( MZSP) ; idem, [no date], one male ( MZSP) ; [no locality], 14 November 1906, one male ( FIOC) ; 30 January 1925, two males, one female ( FIOC) ; idem, 20 January 1926, one male ( FIOC) ; idem, 30 January 1933, one female ( FIOC) ; idem, January 1942, one female ( FIOC) ; idem, [no date], two males, one female ( FIOC) , three males ( ZUEC) , eight males, two females ( MNRJ) ; idem, [no date], two males ( USNM) . Unknown state: “ Rio Iguazu ” [uncertain locality: possibly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul], 1920, one male ( MGCL) ; idem “Pameira”, [no date], one female ( MGCL) ; [unknown locality, no date], two males ( MGCL) ; idem, 1913, one female ( MGCL) .

Conclusions

Currently, the Castniidae comprise several small, monotypic genera that were originally proposed on the basis of wing colour patterns. However, the morphological evidence shows that, despite the unusual colour patterns, some genera are quite similar to each other (e.g. male genitalia of Spilopastes Houlbert, 1918 and Geyeria Buchecker, [1880] , female genitalia of Feschaeria Oiticica, 1955 and Synpalamides Hübner, [1823] ). Some of these smaller genera might possibly be lumped based on geographical distribution and morphological traits. Moreover, a phylogenetic analysis is crucial in order to further define the generic relationships and to determine the homology of those phylogenetically informative characters for grouping species.

Even though Yagra currently comprises only Y. dalmannii and Y. fonscolombe , some morphological features are not shared with other Castniini and support this monophyletic genus. The male and female genitalia of the genus have very distinct, diagnostic traits. The distal portion of the penis possesses a sclerotized plate with spines, and the pointed valva has a tooth-like projection on its inner surface. The more enlarged subscaphium and the foreshortened and downturned saccus, are also characteristic of this genus. The structure of female genitalia, including the characteristic shape of the eighth tergum, also shows evidence for a close relationship between the two species, but this feature is tenuous when compared with females of other species of Castniini and the unique characters of male genitalia.

The overall structures of the male and female genitalia are quite intrinsic for the genus and provide excellent diagnostic characters to be studied in future phylogenetic analyses of the Castniidae .

Figures

Figure 1. Adults of Yagra Oiticica. (A), (B) Male of Yagra dalmannii (Gray), without locality (USNM), dorsal and ventral views, respectively; (C), (D) female of Yagra dalmannii (Gray), Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ), dorsal and ventral views, respectively; (E), (F) male of Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), Rio de Janeiro (USNM), dorsal and ventral views, respectively; (G), (H) female of Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), Rio de Janeiro (MZSP), dorsal and ventral views, respectively. Scales 1 cm.

Figure 2. Wing venation. (A), (B) Yagra dalmannii (Gray), without locality (MZSP), fore wing and hind wing respectively; (C), (D) Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), without locality (MZSP), fore wing and hind wing respectively. Scales 1 cm.

Figure 5. Male genitalia of Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), Timbó, Santa Catarina (MZSP). (A) Penis, lateral view; (B) genital capsule, lateral view; (C) genital capsule without valva, lateral view; (D) tegumen and uncus, dorsal view; (E) valva, internal view; (F) genital capsule, posterior view; (G) saccus, ventral view. Scales 1 mm.

Figure 6. Female genitalia of Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). (A) Dorsal view; (B) ventral view; (C) lateral view. Scales 1 mm.

Figure 7. Distribution of the species included in Yagra Oiticica. (A) Yagra dalmannii (Gray); (B) Yagra fonscolombe (Godart).