Jamides vasilia Mueller

Mueller, Chris J., 2016, A stunning new species of Jamides Huebner, 1819 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae), with notes on sympatric congeners from the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, ZooKeys 571, pp. 113-131 : 114-116

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Lycaenidae

Jamides vasilia Mueller sp. n. Figs 1-9, 46, 53

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (Figs 1-3): Papua New Guinea, Whiteman Range, West New Britain Province, 1050m, 5°59'S, 150°35'E, 19 Nov, 2013, Chris J. Müller, genitalia dissected and held in vial pinned to specimen (AM), Registration: AM K.465325. Paratypes (3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀): 1 ♂ labelled as holotype but dated 10 Nov, 2014 (NHM); 1 ♂ labelled as holotype but dated 26 Nov, 2014 (CJMC); 1 ♂ labelled as holotype but dated 22 Nov, 2014, Chris J. Müller (CJMC); 1 ♀ labelled as holotype but dated 10 Nov, 2014 (AM), Registration: AM K.465326.; 1 ♀ labelled as holotype but dated 13 Nov, 2014 (NHM); 1 ♀ labelled as holotype but dated 07 Dec, 2014 (CJMC); 1 ♀ labelled as holotype but dated 19 Apr, 2013 (CJMC); 1 ♀ labelled as holotype but dated 07 Nov, 2014 (NARI).

Diagnosis.

Both sexes of Jamides vasilia are highly distinctive and cannot be confused with any other known species. The uppersides of both sexes are brighter and more reflective than those of other species in the genus, the ground colour of the male in particular rivalling Morpho butterflies in intensity and radiance. The male of Jamides vasilia is unusual from a structural perspective, having long antenna (versus forewing length) that extend well beyond the cell and reach the postmedian area. The antenna/forewing length ratio is ~0.6, whereas in all other known Jamides species the antenna of the male is approximately half the length of the forewing. The shape of the male forewing is unique in that the tornus and inner margin are rounded, the latter being convex while in all other Jamides species the inner margin is straight. Also peculiar in the male is the large purple-brown patch occupying the costal one-third of the hindwing upperside. This patch is adorned with long androconial hairs (up to 5 mm in length). No other known Jamides bears such prominent structures. The male forewing upperside bears a thick terminal black border, tapering towards the tornus, not present in other species. On the underside, both sexes are easily recognised by the curved striae that are well displaced between veins on both wings and the two apical black spots on the hindwing are more rounded and pronounced than in other taxa. The area of orange bordered by metallic blue on the hindwing underside is extensive in both sexes, particularly the female, and extends from the inner margin all the way to space 5. The male forewing underside has the entire median area grey-white between the inner margin and vein 2.

The male genitalia of Jamides vasilia is unusual, bearing long teeth-like processes on the inner margin of the valva, with a spine-like process at the apex of the valva.

Description.

♂ Forewing length 15.8mm (Holotype), Antenna length 9.5mm (Holotype). Head grey; antenna long and extending well beyond end of cell, black ringed with white; thorax blue scaled on upperside, grey beneath; abdomen dark grey with blue scales near base on upperside; legs black with white between segments.

Forewing with tornus rounded (in congeners squared), and inner margin convex (in congeners straight).

Forewing upperside brilliant metallic sky blue, darkening slightly towards termen and apex, a prominent black termen border widening to ~1.5mm at apex; cilia black. Forewing underside deep grey-brown; inner margin broadly pale grey-white (in spaces 1a and 1b), with some metallic sky blue scales along vein 1b; termen narrowly white; a narrow grey-brown subterminal band, narrowly edged with white that forms triangular marks on basal edge; a postmedian band of similar colour to ground colour, about 2mm wide, narrowly edged with curved white on outside margin and with corresponding dark brown on inside margin, band is strongly displaced at veins by approximately 1mm, towards base in spaces 6 and 7 and incrementally towards base towards inner margin in spaces 2, 3 and 4; a median band at end of cell, approximately 1.5mm wide, curved and edged with white and dark brown as in postmedian band; cilia dark brown.

Hindwing rounded, with 2.5mm long, black tail at vein 2, tipped with white.

Hindwing upperside brilliant metallic sky blue, darkening slightly towards termen; a large purple-brown patch, clothed with long androconia along costa and in median area, occupying much of spaces 6 and 7 as well as part of cell and space 5; termen narrowly black; a series of diffuse black-dusted and indented subterminal spots, as well as two small black spots at tornus near intersection of vein 1b. Hindwing underside deep grey-brown; inner margin narrowly white, interspersed with black at vein ends; a large black apical spot (1.5mm diameter) in space 6 and another apical spot of similar colour and dimensions in space 7, both spots rimmed narrowly with white; two large subtornal black spots in spaces 2 (approx. 1mm across) and 3 (approx. 0.4mm across) and smaller, less regular black spots in spaces 1b and 4, each of these spots broadly edged along veins with metallic sky blue and basally with bright orange, and then fine white arcuate lines; an additional arcuate white subterminal line in space 5 linking the subapical and subtornal black spots; a postmedian band similar to that on the forewing underside, curved and strongly displaced at veins; a median band edged with white and dark brown at end of cell; a basal band approximately 1mm wide, edged narrowly with white, displaced at either side of cell; cilia dark brown.

♀: Forewing length 20.6mm, antenna length 10.8mm, antenna, thorax, abdomen and legs similar to male.

Forewing with inner margin straight.

Forewing upperside bright lustrous sky blue, darkening towards termen; apex of termen and apex broadly and sharply edged black (2.5mm and 8mm wide, respectively). Forewing underside similar to male, ground colour slightly paler and inner margin only narrowly white-grey and without blue scales, postmedian band extending to vein 1b, white edging to bands slightly wider and more diffuse.

Hindwing rounded, with black, white-tipped tail at vein 2 (approx. 4mm long).

Hindwing upperside bright lustrous sky blue, darkening towards termen; inner margin broadly black, basally transitional to brown, with narrow blue scaling along edge of space 6 and 7 adjacent to cell; a row of black subterminal spots (each averaging 0.6mm diameter) in spaces 2, 3, 4 and 5; two irregular black subtornal lines in spaces 1a and 1b, subparallel to termen; inner margin narrowly white. Hindwing underside similar to male, ground colour slightly paler, orange bordering subterminal spots wider and very extensive, reaching from the inner margin to space 5.

Male genitalia. Vinculum and tegumen ring broadly oval; sociuncus divergent; socii with lateral margin rounded, socii distinctly separated by straight, perpendicular sinus; saccus of even thickness, brachium widely bowed dorsally, yet sharply bent laterally, tapered dorsally; valva elaborate, hollowed, with serrated margin and teeth-like processes on inner margin, long narrow process stemming from near base of valva, weakly clubbed with pointed ventral surface on club; phallus with prezonal section approximately one tenth the length of postzonal section, slender, with apical rounded pencil-like process.

Etymology.

This enigmatic and exquisite new butterfly is named in honour of the author’s wife, Vasilia (Vicki) Savvas (Muller). Vicki has always supported the author’s obsession in butterfly research, despite the many sacrifices both on and off the field.

Distribution.

New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea.

Ecology.

Adults of Jamides vasilia inhabit moss forest and appear to have a more rapid, erratic flight than other members of the genus. Two females were initially observed flying around the base of a Syzygium R.Br. ex Gaertn. ( Myrtaceae ) sapling and resembled those of the lycaenid Arhopala thamyras (Linnaeus, 1758). The particular Syzygium plant had numerous, highly active, medium-sized brown ants present on the lichen-covered trunk but no early stages of Jamides could be located either on the foliage, trunk or in leaf litter surrounding the base of the plant. In the upper parts of the Whiteman Range (Figs 60, 61), Jamides vasilia flies with several other Jamides taxa, including Jamides reverdini (Fruhstorfer, 1915), Jamides pseudosias (Rothschild, 1915), Jamides cyta (Boisduval, 1832), Jamides allectus (Grose Smith, 1894), Jamides soemias Druce, 1891 and Jamides amarauge Druce, 1891. At lower elevations in the same mountain range, Jamides celeno (Cramer, 1775), Jamides aetherialis (Butler, 1884) and Jamides nemophila (Butler, 1876) are abundant.

Remarks.

The phylogeny of Jamides , presented in Fig. 59, comprises representative species from each of Hirowatari’s eight subgroups of Jamides , with the exception of the monotypic Jamides celebica (Eliot, 1969). In the Bayesian phylogeny, Jamides vasilia is recovered in a deeply diverged clade also comprising Jamides cyta and Jamides nitens Joicey & Talbot, 1916.

There is no significant variation in the type series of Jamides vasilia , with all specimens similar in size and shape. The male exhibits very slight variation in the width of the terminal black border.

The extent of distribution of Jamides vasilia on New Britain Island is not known. Based on the distribution of other endemic butterfly taxa on the island, it is unlikely to be restricted to the Whiteman Range, although no specimens have been observed during surveying, at a range of altitudes, of the Nakanai and Bainings Mountains, in central and east New Britain, respectively. Jamides vasilia appears to be a rare species.