Porphyrogenes speciosus Austin and Mielke, 2008

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 : 29

Porphyrogenes speciosus Austin and Mielke , new species

( Fig. 101, 102 , 133 , 153 )

Description. Male ( Fig. 101, 102 ) - forewing length = 29.6 mm (holotype); forewing with costal fold, apex slightly produced, slightly pointed, termen convex apically, then nearly straight, anal margin broadly convex in middle; hindwing termen broadly convex, tornus produced to very short lobe, vein Rs arising nearer to end of discal cell than to its base and distad of CuA 2 ( Fig. 133 ); dorsum brown, unmarked; forewing overscaled with orange-brown, heaviest basad in CuA 2 and anal cell, anal margin with orangebrown tuft proximad; hindwing overscaled with orange-brown on basal half posterior to vein Rs; shining gray speculum in anterior discal cell, proximal 1/4 of Sc+R 1 -Rs, and proximal 1/2 of costal cell; moderately long pale yellow-tan recumbent tuft near base of Sc+R 1 -Rs covering speculum in that cell, semierect pale yellow-tan tuft arising from near base of discal cell covering speculum in discal cell ( Fig. 133 ); conspicuous erect pale yellow-tan tuft along anterior edge of vein 2A, recumbent orange-brown tuft from posterior edge of 2A; fringes on both wings brown.

Venter brown, hindwing with slight purplish tinge especially in CuA 2 -2A; forewing vein 2A curved, not swollen, surrounded (broadest on cephalic edge) 1/3 distance from base by oval area of modified hairlike scales (appearing as a brand without magnification, Fig. 133 ); shining gray-tan speculum in proximal 1/3 of posterior 2/3 of CuA 2 -2A and in nearly entire anal cell; hindwing with no indication of discal macules; cell 2A-3A with deep groove just caudad of vein 2A.

Dorsal head gray-brown with a few greenish scales, palpi gray, eyes red, antennae black, yellow on venter most extensive distad on shaft, nudum dark red-brown, 28 (n = 1) segments, dorsal thorax orangebrown, ventral thorax mixed brown and blue-green, pectus brown with a few greenish scales cephalad, legs brown, dorsal abdomen dark brown, ventral greased but appearing dark gray.

Genitalia ( Fig. 153 ) - tegumen narrow in lateral view, broad in dorsal view, long, thin and dorsocaudal oriented process from each side of caudal end, tuft double and sparse; uncus decurved in lateral view, broadly divided in dorsal view, arms widely spaced, long and parallel, ventral process of uncus more or less triangular; gnathos shorter than uncus, terminal ends lobate inwardly in ventral view; combined ventral arms from tegumen and dorsal arms from saccus slightly curved; saccus broad, oriented dorsocephalad; valva with costa-ampulla broadly quadrate, harpe long, narrow, bent abruptly dorsad at about its middle, broadened slightly beyond bend, then narrowing to weakly spiculose caudal end; aedeagus about length of valva, broad with blunt caudal end; cornuti as short and nearly straight spikes.

Female - unknown.

Type. Holotype male with the following labels: white, handprinted - / Buen Amigo / 27 Apr 95 / MAU – II Hr. /; white, handprinted - / 297? /; white, printed and handprinted - / Genitalic Vial / GTA - 13985 /; red, printed - / HOLOTYPE / Porphyrogenes speciosus / Austin & Mielke /. Deposited for now in the Haber collection.

Type locality. COSTA RICA: Puntarenas; San Luis Monteverde, Buen Amigo .

Etymology. The name means “handsome or imposing” and refers to this species’ large size and bright color.

Distribution and phenology. The species is known only from the holotype.

Diagnosis and discussion. Porphyrogenes speciosus is one of the larger species of the genus. The valva, especially the long and upcurved harpe, of P. speciosus is similar to this structure of P. stresa , P. zohra , and P. sparus , but the costa-ampulla is broader and more quadrate than on any of those species. In addition, the uncus of P. speciosus is longer than on those species. The valva of P. sula as illustrated by Williams and Bell (1940) is somewhat quadrate as on P. speciosus and the harpe appears similarly expanded near its bend. Porphyrogenes sula , however, is smaller, has different venation and wing shape, and has blackish tufts anteriorly on the dorsal hindwing;

Figures

Figure 101-114. Porphyrogenes (ds = dorsal surface, vs = ventral surface). 101) P. speciosa, holotype male, data in text, ds. 102) same, vs. 103) P. eudemus, female, PANAMA: Canal Zone; Cocoli, 10 July 1963, ds. 104) same, vs. 105) Porphyrogenes unassociated unnamed female #1, ECUADOR, Yasuni National Park, Yasuni Field Station, 767’, 8 May 2003, ds. 106) same, vs. 107) Porphyrogenes unassociated unnamed female #3, PANAMA: Canal Zone, Gatun, 2 May 1970, ds. 108) same, vs. 109) Porphyrogenes unassociated unnamed female #4, PANAMA: Panamá Prov.; Distrito de El Llano, Cordillera de San Blas, north of El Llano, ca. 330m, 29 May 1978, ds. 110) same, vs. 111) Porphyrogenes unassociated unnamed female #5, COSTA RICA: Ciudad Colon, Finca Hamadryas, 20 April 1998, ds. 112) same, vs. 113) Porphyrogenes unassociated unnamed female #2, BRAZIL: Pará, no date, ds. 114) same, vs.

Figure 129-133. Venation and some secondary sexual characters of male Porphyrogenes. Shown is ventral surface including modification of vein 2A and extent of speculum on ventral forewing (irregular line in CuA 2 -2A and anal cell) and origins of veins on hindwing. Insert is of anterior portion of dorsal hindwing showing hair-like tufts. 129) P. sparus, paratype, BRAZIL: Rondônia (GTA #2806); 130) P. specularis, holotype, BRAZIL: Rondônia (GTA #3589); 131) P. spina, holotype, PANAMA (GTA #8905); 132) P. sporta, holotype, COLOMBIA (GTA #4180); 133) P. speciosa, holotype, COSTA RICA (GTA #13985).

Figure 152-153. Male genitalia of Porphyrogenes; shown are lateral view of uncus, gnathos, tegumen, and saccus; dorsal view of uncus and tegumen; ventral view of uncus and gnathos; juxta; lateral view (with extended vesica) and often dorsal view of aedeagus; internal lateral view of right valva (inset shows the flattened harpe). 152) Porphyrogenes undescribed species, COSTA RICA (GTA #13917); 153) P. speciosus, holotype, COSTA RICA (GTA #13985).