Cheimas opalinus dominici Pyrcz & Boyer, 2018

Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Lorenc-Brudecka, Jadwiga, Boyer, Pierre & Zubek, Anna, 2018, Subspecies-level systematics and affinities of Cheimas Thieme - an endemic genus of the subparamo of the Venezuelan Cordillera de Mérida (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), Zootaxa 4422 (2), pp. 219-243 : 229-232

Cheimas opalinus dominici Pyrcz & Boyer , n. ssp.

( Figs. 5C–F , 6C–F , 9E–F , 11C )

Type locality: El Baho, Valle de Santo Domingo , Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuela

Material examined: HOLOTYPE ♂: VENEZUELA, Cordillera de Mérida, Mérida State, El Baho (transect)

via El Páramo, 2900 m , 24.XI.2005, T . Pyrcz leg., CEP-MZUJ (to be deposited in MIZA); PARATYPES: VENEZUELA, Cordillera de Mérida , Mérida State: 14 ♂: Pueblo Llano, Cańotal, 2750–2800 m, 29.XII.2004, M . Costa leg., 1 prep. genit. 402/ 21.06.2016 J. Lorenc , 2 prep. genit. 406/ 21.06.2016 J . Lorenc ; 6 ♂: Pueblo Llano—Tuñame, Qda. Ranchería, 2900–2950 m, 27.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2900 m , 22.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 4 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2900 –2950 m, 26.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2700 m , 26.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 3 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2900 –2950 m, 21.XI.2005, T . Pyrcz leg., 1 prep. genit. 389/ 21.06.2016 J. Lorenc; 2 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2900 m , 21.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 2 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2850 m , 21.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo , 3100 m, 24.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2900 –2950 m, 14.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♂: El Baho (transect) via El Páramo, 2800 m , 22.XI.2005, T . Pyrcz leg., prep. genit. 401/ 21.06.2016 J. Lorenc; 1 ♂: El Baho—El Hatico , La Ciénaga , 2900–2950 m, 21.X.2005, T . Pyrcz leg., prep. genit. 399/ 21.06.2016 J. Lorenc ; 1 ♂: no data ; 10 ♂: Mucubají—Santo Domingo, Los Frailes, 3000–3050 m, 08.VII.2006, T. Pyrcz leg., 1 prep. genit. 400/ 21.06.2016 J. Lorenc; Barinas State: 5 ♂: P. N. Sierra Nevada, Los Morritos , 3000–3050 m, 06.I.2006, M . Costa leg.; 1 ♂: P. N. Sierra Nevada, Los Morritos , 3100–3250 m, 11.II.2010, T . Pyrcz leg., prep. genit. 385/ 30.05.2016 J. Lorenc; 9 ♂: Trujillo State, vía Páramo Ortíz, Qda. Ortíz, 2900 –2950 m, 05.II.2008, T . Pyrcz leg., 1 prep. genit. 398/ 21.06.2016 J. Lorenc; 1 ♀: El Baho, El Hatico , 3300–3350 m, 24.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg. ; 1 ♀: El Baho, El Hatico , 2900–2950 m, 14.II.2007, T . Pyrcz leg., prep. genit. 485/ 17.11.2016 J. Lorenc; 1 ♀: El Baho, P. N. Sierra Nevada , 3000–3050 m, 28.I.2008, T. Pyrcz leg., CEP- MZUJ ; 2 ♂: El Baho, La Ciénaga , 2900 m, 21.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg., 2016-221, kölcsön anyag 2007 . IX.26; 1 ♂: El Baho, La Ciénaga , 2900 m, 26.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg., 2016-221, kölcsön anyag 2007 . IX.26, 1 ♂: El Baho, vęa El Páramo, 2800 –2850 m, 22.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg., 2016-221, kölcsön anyag 2007 . IX.26; 1 ♂: Mucubají-Santo Domingo, Los Frailes, 3000–3050 m, 08.VI.2006, T. Pyrcz leg., kölcsön anyag 2007. IX.26, 1 ♂: El Baho, Sto Domingo-Apartaderos , 2850–3100 m, 21.XI.2005, Zs. Bálint & B. Benedek leg., No,. 2 Biophot expedition, HMNH ; 3 ♂: El Baho, Sto Domingo vers Apartaderos km 4, 3050 m, 21.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg. ; 1 ♂: El Baho, Sto Domingo vers Apartaderos km 4, 2950 m, 22.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg. ; 1 ♂ and 3 ♀: El Baho, Sto Domingo vers Apartaderos km4, 2850/ 3100 m, 21.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg. ; 2 ♂: El Baho, Sto Domingo vers Apartaderos km4, 2800/ 3000 m, 28.I.2008, P. Boyer leg. ; 4 ♂ and 1 ♀: Pueblo Llano vers Niquitao, Ranchería, 2700 m, 27.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg. ; 1 ♂: Pueblo Llano vers Niquitao, 2.5km après Ranchería , 2850 m, 25.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg. ; 1 ♂ and 1 ♀: Pueblo Llano vers Niquitao, 2.5km après Ranchería , 2850 m, 27.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg.; PBF ; 1 ♂: Mérida, Los Frailes , 25.II.2010, H. Warren-Gash leg., HWG.

Diagnosis. In both sexes the HWD patch does not enter discal cell in most examined individuals or enters it only marginally, but it extends further towards the HW base than in the nominotypical or C. opalinus iosephi n. ssp., which makes it look triangular rather than rounded or oval. Female’s ductus bursae ( Fig. 11C ) is longer and slightly wider than in C. opalinus rosalinus n. ssp. but narrower than in the nominate subspecies, similar to C. opalinus iosephi n. ssp ( Fig. 11B ).

FWL: 27.5– 32 mm, mean: 29.7 mm (n=54).

D colour: coffee brown

HWP colour: metallic greenish blue

HWP shape: oval and always elongated along anal margin, not entering or entering marginally the discal cell, usually as a few scales, entering basal part of cell M3–CuA1 but never M2–M3

Individual variation. Considerable, evident mostly in the varying size of the HWP, which is however not related to any particular population.

Etymology. This subspecies epithet is derived from its type locality the valley of Santo Domingo, in Latin— Sanctus Dominicus.

Geographic range. Both, northern and southern slopes of the valley of Santo Domingo, and the valley of Pueblo Llano.

Altitudinal range. 2750–3350 m a.s.l.

A. Cheimas opalinus iosephi male, PARATYPE, Páramo de San José

B. Cheimas opalinus iosephi female, PARATYPE, Páramo de San José

C. Cheimas opalinus dominici male, PARATYPE, Los Frailes

D. Cheimas opalinus dominici female, PARATYPE, El Baho

E. Cheimas opalinus dominici male, PARATYPE, Qda. Ranchería

F. Cheimas opalinus dominici female, PARATYPE, El Baho

A. Cheimas opalinus iosephi male, PARATYPE, Páramo de San José

B. Cheimas opalinus iosephi female, PARATYPE, Páramo de San José

C. Cheimas opalinus dominici male, PARATYPE, Los Frailes

D. Cheimas opalinus dominici female, PARATYPE, El Baho

E. Cheimas opalinus dominici male, PARATYPE, Qda. Ranchería

F. Cheimas opalinus dominici female, PARATYPE, El Baho

Figures

FIGURE 5. Cheimas adults (dorsum)

FIGURE 6. Cheimas adults (venter)

FIGURE 9. Cheimas male genitalia (lateral view, aedeagus extracted, in lateral and ventral view from its natural position) A. Cheimas opalinus opalinus, La Aguada (prep. genit. 404/21.08.2016)

FIGURE 11. Cheimas female genitalia (lateral view)