Porphyrogenes passalus ( Herrich-Schäffer, 1869 )

Austin, George T. & Mielke, Olaf H. H., 2008, Hesperiidae of Rondônia, Brazil: Porphyrogenes Watson (Lepidoptera: Pyrginae: Eudamini), with descriptions of new species from Central and South America, Insecta Mundi 2008 (44), pp. 1-56 : 30

Porphyrogenes passalus ( Herrich-Schäffer, 1869)

( Fig. 43, 44 )

Eudamus passalus Herrich-Schäffer, 1869 . Type locality: unknown; female type (herein designated the lectotype, Fig. 43, 44 ) in MNHU.

Description. Female (described from photographs of the type and one from Rio Songo, Bolivia, Fig. 43, 44 ) - forewing length = 29.0 mm (from Bolivia), forewing apex rounded, not produced, termen convex, anal margin straight; hindwing termen convex, slightly concave just anterior to very short tornal lobe, vein Rs arising nearer to end of discal cell than to its base and distad of CuA 2; dorsum blackish brown; forewing overscaled with dull blue-green basad, white band (prominently divided by blackish veins) from costa (where a single quadrate macule) through discal cell (this macule offset somewhat proximad from remainder of band), base of M 3 -CuA 1, mid-CuA 1 -CuA 2, and terminating in a tapering macule almost at termen in CuA 2 -2A; hindwing overscaled with dull blue-green, no indication of discal macules; erect brownish tuft on dorsum of vein 2A; fringes on both wings brown.

Venter similar to dorsum but duller, overscaling less extensive, forewing vein 2A prominently sinuate, modified tan scales in proximal 1/4 of CuA 2 -2A and in entire anal cell; hindwing with no discal macules; cell 2A-3A with groove just caudad of vein 2A.

Dorsal head and thorax dull blue-green, eyes apparently dark, palpi gray-brown, antennae missing, ventral thorax and pectus brownish with dull blue-green scales, legs and abdomen not examined (missing on type).

Genitalia - not examined.

Distribution and phenology. The distribution of P. passalus cannot be fully elaborated until all known specimens are re-examined, as some reported records are actually P. omphale . Females identified as P. passalus are known from Colombia, Bolivia (Rio Songo), and Brazil (Amazonas).

Diagnosis and discussion. Porphyrogenes passalus was described from a female from an unknown locale ( Herrich-Schäffer 1869). The very worn specimen at MNHU here designated as the lectotype ( Fig. 43, 44 ), lacks an abdomen. It bears five labels as follows: / Origin. /, / Coll. H.-Sch. /, / passalus HS /, / Thym. Passalus HS . /, and / Passalus H.S. /. The existence of three similar taxa, yet to be associated with a conspecific male, justifies the need for the undoubted identity of Eudamus passalus through a designated lectotype.

The association of P. passalus with the phenotype of P. omphale (as its female) by Evans (1952) and the continued use of this synonymy ( Mielke 2005) were not justified and have proven incorrect with the identification of the actual female of P. omphale (see above). Material assigned to P. passalus is distinguished from similar phenotypes by the irregular appearance of the white band on the forewing where the macule in the discal cell is offset somewhat basad from the other macules of the series and it is prominently divided by dark veins. In addition, the costal macule is not divided and the wings are prominently convex with a short tornal lobe on the hindwing.

Figures

Figure 37-50. Types and associated specimens of Porphyrogenes (ds = dorsal surface, vs = ventral surface). 37) Porphyrogenes sparta, female associated with [holo]type male, ds. 38) same, vs. 39) Porphyrogenes spoda Evans, 1952, [holo]type male, ds. 40) same, vs. 41) Porphyrogenes stupa Evans, 1952, [holo]type male, ds. 42) same, vs. 43) Eudamus passalus Herrich-Schäffer, 1869, lectotype female, ds. 44) same, vs. 45) Thymele virgatus Mabille, 1888, lectotype female, ds. 46) same, vs. 47) Thymele eudemus Mabille, 1888, lectotype female, ds. 48) same, vs. 49) Porphyrogenes sp., female considered to be female of Telegonus probus in its original description (see text), ds. 50) same, vs.