Daedalma inconspicua variegata Pyrcz, 2011

Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Greeney, Harold F., Willmott, Keith R. & Wojtusiak, Janusz, 2011, 2898, Zootaxa 2898, pp. 1-68 : 33-34

Daedalma inconspicua variegata Pyrcz , n. ssp.

( Figs. 5E, 5F, 11F, 16C)

Material examined: ECUADOR: HOLOTYPE female: Imbabura, Parque Nacional Cotacachi-Cayapas, vía Cuicocha-Chacras , 3150–3200 m, 30.VIII.2004, T. Pyrcz leg., red, rectangular label saying : Holotype, MZUJ ; PARA- TYPES (1 male and 1 female): 1 male: Pichincha, Pela Gallo vía Nanegalito , 3200 m, 29.I.2002, T. Pyrcz leg., MZUJ, (prep. genit. 03/ 29.05.2008) ; 1 female: same data as the holotype, TWP (to be deposited in MECN) .

Description: MALE ( Fig. 5E): Head, thorax and abdomen: not differing from nominate subspecies. FW length: 26.5 mm. HWV without any reddish suffusion typical of nominate subspecies and orientalis, dirty yellowish olive green patches slightly larger than in nominate. HWV ground colour lighter than in the nominate; light patches pale yellow, not cream-white of nominate, and more extensive than in the nominate. Genitalia ( Fig. 11F): Uncus stout, slightly arched, about same length as shoulder of tegumen; gnathos over 2/3 length of uncus; slightly longer than in nominate; saccus, valvae and aedeagus not differing from nominate subspecies.

FEMALE ( Fig. 5F): Head, thorax and abdomen: not differing from nominate subspecies. Wings: FW length: 30–32 mm, mean: 31 mm, n=2; differs from other subspecies by extensive, light orange markings on FWD and HWD, covering most of distal half of wings, whereas nominate subspecies only shows some reddish scaling. Genitalia ( Fig. 16C): Ductus bursae bent ventrally, so that the long axis of corpus bursae points ventro-anteriorly, ventrally with a few pronounced transverse wrinkles. Antrum very short, colliculum well pronounced. In lateral view, the entire eighth segment elongated, its large lateral parts widely separating heavily sclerotized plates of tergite and sternite. Papillae anales with lobe-like extensions bearing setae on their edges that point toward each other. Outer walls of papillae anales opposite to base of rudimentary apophyses posteriores set off as bumps. Ventral surface of ninth segment with parallel anterio-posterior wrinkles. V-shaped batten on lamella postvaginalis well sclerotized, roundly bent in middle and pointing posteriorly. Lateral parts of antrum with few pronounced sclerotized wrinkles.

Etymology: The epithet of this subspecies, variegata is Latin for 'colourful', and refers to the brightly coloured dorsal surface of the female.

Remarks: This subspecies is so far known only from the Volcán Cotacachi and Pululahua massifs, situated north-west of Quito on the western slopes of the Cordillera. The single male is associated with this subspecies based on known distribution patterns of high elevation Pronophilina satyrines in this part of the Ecuadorian Andes. In several polytypic species, the populations occurring in Pululahua and Cotacachi areas belong to the same subspecies (e.g. Lymanopoda nivea ). Daedalma inconspicua is not known to occur in the well-sampled area of western Ecuador north of the Río Mira valley (Pyrcz et al., 2009).