Esthemopsis diamantina Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande

Dias, Fernando Maia Silva, Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Casagrande, Mirna Martins, 2014, Two new species of Esthemopsis C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae: Symmachiini) from southeastern and northeastern Brazil, with taxonomic comments on Esthemopsis teras (Stichel, 1910) stat. rev. and Esthemopsis pallida Lathy, 1932 stat. nov., Zootaxa 3784 (2), pp. 148-158 : 156-157

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3784.2.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:83A5C49C-48BD-468F-8143-435BBB8B4C89
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6138988
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B387ED-2732-223C-AEFF-FD49250D0968
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Esthemopsis diamantina Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Esthemopsis diamantina Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande sp. nov.

( Figs 17–18 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 27–28 View FIGURES 25 – 28 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 , 37 View FIGURES 33 – 37 )

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from its closest relative, E. teras , by the smaller size, by the rounded subapical band, which runs through R3+4 to M3, with only a few scales on M3–CuA1 ( Figs 17–18 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ); and the more extended medial dark brown area of the frons ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 25 – 28 ). The male genitalia of E. diamantina is similar to E. teras , but, the ventral set of cornuti is considerably underdeveloped in the former ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 33 – 37 ).

Description. Head: mostly orange; frons ventrally orange, dark brown medially and close to the bases of the antennae ( Fig. 27 View FIGURES 25 – 28 ); vertex dark brown, with an anterior patch of dull white scales ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 25 – 28 ); chaetosema brown with pale setae; antenna mostly dark brown, tip reddish; labial palpus entirely orange ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 25 – 28 ); first segment short; second segment five times larger than the first; third segment short, half the size of the first, conical.

Thorax: Dark brown, dorsally with one medial and two lateral antero-posterior thin blue lines ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 ); ventrally uniformly dark brown; forelegs with puffy orange scales; meso and metathoracic legs grayish blue internally and dark brown externally.

Forewing, shape: Length, male: 16–17.5mm (n=3); triangular, costal margin almost straight, slightly concave at the discal cell and curved towards the apex ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ); apex slightly pointed; outer margin convex; tornus rounded; inner margin straight.

Forewing, upperside: Background color dark brown ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 ); greenish blue lines radiating from the base of the wing between the veins, inside the discal cell, very faintly on CuA1–CuA2, and two lines on CuA2–2A ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ); subapical rounded white band from R3+4 to M3, with dark brown scales over the veins M1 and M3 and some white scales on M3–CuA1 ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ); fringe dark brown ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ).

Forewing, underside: Similar to the upperside, but greenish blue scales also along the costal margin ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 1 – 18 ); the lines and the greenish blue color are more conspicuous ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 1 – 18 ).

Hindwing, shape: Ellipsoidal; costal margin strongly convex; apex rounded; outer margin strongly convex; tornus obtusely angled but rounded; inner margin slightly convex ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ).

Hindwing, upperside: Background color dark brown ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ); greenish blue scales along the costal margin and greenish blue lines radiating from the base of the wing between the veins, on the discal cell, M2–M3, M3–CuA1, CuA1–CuA2, and CuA2–2A ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 1 – 18 , 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ); fringe white along the outer margin, dark brown near the tornus ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 29 – 32 ).

Hindwing, underside: Similar to the upperside, but the lines and the greenish blue color are more conspicuous ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 1 – 18 ).

Abdomen: Uniformly dark brown dorsally and ventrally; pleura grayish blue; anterior margins of the tergites 4–6 with a thin line of CAS shortly interrupted medially.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 33 – 37 ): Tegumen about the same size as the uncus, projecting from the medial anterior margin an obliquely curved ventral arm which connects with the dorsal arm of the vinculum, angled ventrally ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 33 – 37 ); anterior projection of the saccus short and thin; fultura inferior developed; uncus rectangular in lateral view, with a medial spine at the posterior margin; lateral irregular membranous areas between the tegumen and the uncus; gnathos acutely angled, “c” shaped, flattened at the tip of the ventral projection; valvae membranous dorsally, distally strongly indented between the ampulla and the harpe; ampulla developed internally, triangular, broad and pointed ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 33 – 37 ); harpe rounded and thin, projecting internally and anteriorly; aedeagus thick and slightly curved, anterior opening on the left side; vesica with two sets of cornuti; dorsal set larger, with many tiny aligned spines on a sclerotized base and the ventral set rounded with a very small patch of smaller spines ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 33 – 37 ).

Female: unknown.

Taxonomic Comments. The most similar species is E. teras . The male genitalia between these two species are quite alike, however, the male genitalia seems to be quite homogeneous in Esthemopsis . The female is not yet known, but greater differences in the female genitalia are expected, as the female genitalia appears to be much more plastic than that of the male in the genus.

Distribution. All known specimens are from Lençóis, Bahia, Brazil, in the center of the Chapada Diamantina , an erosional landform of the Espinhaço Range formed mostly by sandstone, pelites and diamond bearing conglomerates.

Etymology. The species is named after the location of the holotype and paratypes, Chapada Diamantina , as a noun in apposition.

Type material. Holotype with the following labels: / HOLOTYPUS / 3-7-XII-1997 LENÇOIS, BAHIA, [ BRASIL] 600m, MIELKE & CASAGRANDE leg./ OM 47.768/ HOLOTYPUS Esthemopsis diamantina Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande det. 2013/ ( DZUP).

Paratypes — 2 males. BRAZIL— Bahia: Lençois, 600 m, 3-7- XII-1997, 1 male, Mielke & Casagrande leg., OM 47.760* (OM), 15 Km L, 500 m, 6- XII-1997, 1 male, Mielke & Casagrande leg., OM 47.995 (OM).