Apexacuta orsedice mariadelmarae Pyrcz & Clavijo

Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Clavijo, Alejandra, Uribe, Sandra, Marin, Mario A., Alvarez, Carlos F. & Zubek, Anna, 2016, Páramo de Belmira as an important centre of endemism in the northern Colombian Andes: new evidence from Pronophilina butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Satyrini), Zootaxa 4179 (1), pp. 77-102 : 95-96

Apexacuta orsedice mariadelmarae Pyrcz & Clavijo , n. ssp.

( Fig. 14 )

Type locality. Colombia, Antioquia, Belmira, Vereda Río Arriba , El Morro.

Material examined. MEFLG –UN: HOLOTYPE Ƌ: municipality Belmira : vereda Río Arriba, Páramo El Morro, N 6o38.722’ W75o40.618’ 3100 m, 6.I.2013, 18.55h, BMC23453, net, baited trap ; Paratypes (13 ƋƋ): same locality as the holotype: 2 ƋƋ: 3200 m, 6–9.I.2013, 11.15h, BMC19648 and BMC 24597 in baited trap; vereda Río Arriba , sector Montañitas, N6°37.356’ W75°39.433’: 6 ƋƋ : 2856–3130 m, 11.I.2012, 18.VI.2012, 2–4.X.2012 and 8–10.XI.2013, 11.40h to 15.00h, BMC15499, BMC 11368 in paramo, BMC17263, BMC17221, BMC18218 and BMC22151, baited trap; pathway toward Alto de Malvazá from La Truchera, N6°38’48.21’’ W75°42’47.88’’: 4 ƋƋ: 3020–3251 m, 7. II.2013, 21.XII.2013 and 26.I.2014, 13.00h to 14.00h, BMC22497, BMC18852 and BMC 19419 in baited trap, BMC 18490 in net, A. Marín leg.; pathway toward Alto del Río, N6°40’34.04” W75°41’47.63’’; 1 Ƌ: 2996 m, 20.X.2013, 12.26h, BMC23518, baited trap.

Diagnosis. The new subspecies is recognized from other geographical races of Apexacuta orsedice (Hewitson, 1878) , in particular from colombiana Krüger, 1924 , by the light, predominantly orange HWD, with the black pattern restricted to venal stripes and the apical area.

Description. MALE ( Fig. 14 ): Head, thorax and abdomen not differing from other subspecies. FW (length 3 cm) apex produced into a sharp tip, outer margin straight, tornus gently curved. FWD mostly black except for the brick red intravenous stripes, most prominent of which across discal cell, in submarginal area interrupted by rounded black spots. HWD predominantly orange except for black ventral stripes, black marginal area from apex to vein M3 and a row of five submarginal rounded spots, some of which with minute white pupils, in cells Rs–M1 to Cu1–Cu2; basal area covered with brownish hair. FWV ventral pattern reflected from the upperside, but considerably duller, and with more prominent submarginal black ocelli with light blue pupils; HWV dull orange with a faint pattern, except for a darker marginal area and a row of 6 submarginal ocelli.

MALE GENITALIA: not examined.

FEMALE: Unknown.

Etymology: The epithet of this subspecies is dedicated to Maria del mar Egurrola Uribe, first daughter of Sandra Uribe, leader of the GSM research group, who has encouraged GSM members to the study of the butterflies of Antioquia.

Comments. The genus Apexacuta Pyrcz, 2004 comprises five recognized species, including four described, ranging from central Bolivia (Yungas de Cochabamba) and Colombia, and one undescribed from south – central Peru (Pyrcz & Boyer in prep.). Apexacuta orsedice is distributed in the northern Andes from extreme northern Peru (Cajamarca) to Colombia . In Colombia Apexacuta orsedice is found throughout Central Cordillera , and was also recently detected in the north of Western Cordillera in the Páramo de Frontino. It is not known so far from the Eastern Cordillera . In the Central Cordillera , despite its wide range, its distribution is apparently disjunct. Individuals were found in the Páramo de Purace area , Tolima department and the Páramo de Belmira only. It is a species occurring locally at low abundance levels, restricted to the uppermost, extremely moist forests. It is very seldom collected in Colombia . Apexacuta orsedice colombiana was described based on a single male specimen collected in La Lora, on the eastern slopes of Central Cordillera in Tolima (Pyrcz 1999) .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Apexacuta orsedice mariadelmarae n. ssp., male (Holotype), top: upperside, bottom: underside.