Menevia lucara (Schaus, 1905)

St. Laurent, Ryan A. & Dombroskie, Jason J., 2016, Revision of the genus Menevia Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the description of 11 new species, ZooKeys 566, pp. 31-116 : 50-53

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Mimallonidae

Menevia lucara (Schaus, 1905) Figs 18-23, 76, 94; Map 2

Cicinnus lucara Schaus, 1905: 328

Menevia lucara ; Schaus 1928: fig. ♂ 88f

Menevia lucara ; Forbes 1942

Menevia lucara ; Becker 1996

Menevia lucara ; Herbin and Mielke 2014: fig. ♂ 51

Type material.

Holotype, ♂: FRENCH GUIANA: St. Jean, Maroni, Fr. Guiana/ Collection Wm. Schaus/ Perophora lucara type Schaus/ Type No.: 8895 U.S.N.M./ USNM-Mimal: 1123/ St. Laurent diss.: 2-5-15:3/ (USNM) [examined]. No paratypes. Type locality: French Guiana: St. Jean du Maroni.

Additional specimens examined.

(60 ♂, 4 ♀ total) BRAZIL: Amazonas: 4 ♂, Hyutanahan [ Huitanaã], Rio Purus: II.1922, III.1922, S.M. Klages, Carn. Mus. Accs. 6963, 7088, 8840, St. Laurent diss.: 2-5-15:5 (CMNH). 2 ♂, Nova Olinda, Rio Purus: V.1922, VI.1922, S.M. Klages, Carn. Mus. Acc. 7088, St. Laurent diss.: 2-5-15:9 (CMNH). 1 ♂, Miracema, Rio Purus: IV.1922, S.M. Klages, Carn. Mus. Acc. 6960, St. Laurent diss.: 2-7-15:1 (CMNH). 1 ♂, "en remontant l’Amazones de Teffé à Tonantins," [between Tefé and Tonantins]: XI.1921, Dognin Collection, USNM-Mimal: 2584 (USNM). 1 ♂, 2 km. N. of Itacoatiara-Manaus Highway, 11 km. W. of Itacoatiara, "Canadian Fathers’ Pool": 11.V.1972, E.G., I. & E.A. Munroe (CNC). 3 ♂, Reserva Ducke, km. 26 Manaus-Itacoatiara Highway: 16.V.1972, 20.IV.1972, E.G., I. & E.A. Munroe, St. Laurent diss.: 7-7-15:2 (CNC). 5 ♂, Fonte Boa: V.1906, VI.1906, S.M. Klages, Rothschild Bequest, BM 1939-1 (NHMUK). Pará: 1 ♂, Ponte Nova, Rio Xingu: Dognin Collection, USNM-Mimal: 2575 (USNM). 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Likely Belém: A.M. Moss (NHMUK). COLOMBIA: 1 ♂, Antioquia, Nari [Nare?] River: Collection Frank Johnson, USNM-Mimal: 2580, St. Laurent diss.: 2-5-15:6 (USNM). 1 ♂, Muzo, 400-800 m: Coll. Fassl, ex. Joicey Coll. Brit. Mus, 1925-157, BMNH(E) 1378765, St. Laurent diss.: 6-29-15:1 (NHMUK). 1 ♂, Villavicencio, 400 m: Coll. Fassl, ex. Joicey Coll. Brit. Mus, 1925-157 (NHMUK). 1 ♀, "Interior of Colombia": Wheeler, ex. Joicey Coll. Brit. Mus, 1925-157, BMNH(E) 1378760 [abdomen missing, no dissection prep.] (NHMUK). 2 ♂, "W. Columb.", Rio Dagua, 600-1000 m: “2–5,” W. Hopp S., St. Laurent diss.: 7-7-15:1 (MNHU). ECUADOR: 2 ♂, Esmeraldas, 27 km. W. Alto Tambo, 200 m, timber tract at forest edge: 19.VIII.1996, Jan Hillman, St. Laurent diss: 2-7-15:3, 9-7-14:2 (CMNH). FRENCH GUIANA: 13 ♂, St. Jean du Maroni: Collection Le Moult, ex. Dognin Collection, “topotype”, USNM-Mimal: 2578, St. Laurent diss.: 2-7-15:2 (USNM); VII-VIII.1904, E. Le Moult, Rothschild Bequest, BM 1939-1 (NHMUK); 1905-14, Rothschild Bequest, BM 1939-1 (NHMUK). 2 ♂, Mana River: V.1917, Acc. 6008, St. Laurent diss.: 2-5-15:4 (CMNH). 1 ♀, Kourou Forest: 25.VIII.1975, Mission M. Boulard and P. Pompanon, Muséum Paris, St. Laurent diss.: 5-22-15:1 (MNHN). 3 ♂, St. Laurent du Maroni: 1920-1932, ex. coll. L. & J. de Joannis (MNHN); XI, Collection Le Moult, ex. coll. Ed. Brabant, ex. Joicey Coll. Brit. Mus, 1925-157 (NHMUK); I.1906, E. Le Moult, Rothschild Bequest, BM 1939-1 (NHMUK). 1 ♂, Saül: 7.III.1978, Th. Porion (MNHN). GUYANA: 5 ♂, Potaro: V.1908, S.M. Klages, Rothschild Bequest, BM 1939-1 (NHMUK). 1 ♀, Bartica: W.J. Kaye, 1904-25, BMNH(E) 1378763, St. Laurent diss.: 7-4-15:1 (NHMUK). 1 ♂, Montsinery-Tonnegrande Nr. Tonnegrande [D5], N04°50.772', W52°31.165', 12 m: 11.III.2011, P. Sammut (RAS). PANAMA: 1 ♂, Darien vic. Cerro Pirre, Rancho Frio, N 08°01'11.3", W 077°43'57.0", 100 m: 19-24.VII.2013, J.R. MacDonald, St. Laurent diss.: 9-7-15:1 (MEM). PERU: 3 ♂, Carabaya, La Union, Huacamayo River, 2000 ft.: "wet s.," XII.1904, G. Ockenden, Rothschild Bequest, BM 1939-1, BMNH(E) 1378764, St. Laurent diss.: 6-29-15:2 (NHMUK). SURINAME: 2 ♂, Moengo, Boven Cottica River: 25.V.1927, Cornell Univ. Lot 760, Sub 79, Lot 672, Sub 382, St. Laurent diss.: 12-10-13:1 (CUIC). 1 ♂, Aroewarwa Creek, Maroewym Valley: IV.1905, S.M. Klages, Rothschild Bequest, BM 1939-1 (NHMUK).

Diagnosis.

Both males and females are recognizable by their moderate size and gray ground color with pinkish highlights especially concentrated near the apical angle of the contrasting black postmedial line and near the anal angle of hindwings. The postmedial lunule is bright white and sharply curved outward toward the forewing margin, nearly forming a semicircle. The phallus/juxta combination is unique in the genus in that the phallus is smooth and cylindrical, without a dorsal phallic ridge. The terminal ends of the juxtal processes are spatulate, not pointed, and curved inward toward each other, near the terminal quarter of their length. The gnathos processes are highly distinct; they are thick, upturned, heavily sclerotized, somewhat boxing glove in shape.

Description.

Male.Head: Light gray, straw colored in old specimens, eyes large comprising about two-thirds of head area, eyes bordered posteriorly by dark brown collar of scales reaching labial palpi, labial palpi small, segments weakly defined ventrally due to ventral tufts, dorsally with darker scales contrasting with overall gray coloration. Scape and pedicel tufted. Thorax: As for genus. Grayish. Legs: As for genus. Tibial spurs thin apically, terminal third not scaled, especially ventrally, weakly hooked. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 16.5-21 mm, avg.: 17.3 mm, n = 22. Triangular, apical half of outer margin concave, apex falcate. Ground color gray with pink hue especially near apical point of postmedial line and throughout medial area, overall lightly speckled by dark petiolate scales. Discal spot faintly marked by light gray. Apex marked by black scales above apical dash. Straight postmedial line black or brown, usually strongly contrasting. Antemedial area lighter, submarginal area gray without pink hue, somewhat contrasting with medial area, postmedial lunule originating from apical dash, lunule follows postmedial line from apex to one third length of postmedial line where lunule sharply sweeps outward toward wing margin, forming acute angle with postmedial line. Antemedial line usually absent, if present, faint, brown, undulating. Forewing venter: As in forewing dorsum but postmedial line fainter, antemedial line absent, small black discal spot present. Hindwing dorsum: Somewhat rounded with margin weakly pointed mesally, anal angle accentuated, similar coloration and patterning as forewings, vague postmedial lunule originating near anterior margin, sweeping outward to marginal point, antemedial line absent, postmedial line straight or slightly curved, especially near anterior wing margin. Hindwing venter: Following similar pattern as forewing venter, but slightly lighter, discal mark absent. Abdomen: As for genus. Coloration a continuation of grayish thoracic color. Midventral stripe absent. Genitalia: (Fig. 76) n = 14. Tegumen subtriangular, not constricted near base of gnathos. Vinculum broad, somewhat quadrate ventrally. Valves simple, relatively narrow, saccular and costal edges of valves with sharp tooth proximal to transtilla. Valves rounded apically. Uncus bottle-shaped, apex quadrate. Gnathos as two prominent, thick, heavily sclerotized, boxing glove shaped, upturned, outward facing extensions of varying width, occasionally broken dorsally. Juxtal processes roughly phallus length, heavily sclerotized, curving inward toward each other. Processes spatulate distally, setae absent. Base of phallus with robust, paired, somewhat elongated, rounded, diverging lobes, angled ventrally. Phallus simple, cylindrical, thin, but expanded distally. Left edge of rolled phallus simple, ridge-like process absent, distal tip of phallus separated into two distinct, often curled, points of varying length. Vesica elongated. Female.Head: As in male, labial palpi slightly longer. Thorax: As in male. Legs: As in male. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 15-20.5 mm, avg. 18.5 mm, n = 3. As in male but broader, less falcate, pinkish hue more prominent, postmedial line bowed out slightly mesally. Forewing venter: As in forewing dorsum but postmedial line fainter, antemedial line absent, small black discal spot present. Hindwing dorsum: As in male but slightly more rounded, broader. Hindwing venter: Following similar pattern as forewing venter except lighter. Abdomen: As in male but stouter. Sternite of VIII as pair of elongated sclerotized bands converging near anterior margin of VIII forming a “V”. Genitalia: (Fig. 94) n = 2. Tergite of VIII smoothly curved, very wide, with rounded edges, membranous gap mesally. Apophyses anteriores slightly shorter than apophyses posteriores. Lamella antevaginalis bent mesally, forming sharp “V” with ostium bursae at apex. Ductus bursae elongate. Papillae anales subtriangular when viewed ventrally, base widened, covered in relatively long setae especially at apex.

Distribution

(Map 2). Menevia lucara is found throughout the Amazonian rainforest in the Guianas, Suriname, the Brazilian states of Pará and Amazonas, as well as in western and central Colombia, Panama, northwestern Ecuador, and southern Peru.

Remarks.

Like Menevia lantona , Menevia lucara is a wide-ranging Amazonian species found throughout northern South America and is sympatric with Menevia lantona throughout most of its range.

Some geographical variation has been noted among the material examined. Specimens from Panama and Colombia (Figs 20 and 21 respectively) average slightly larger than those from the rest of the species range. Similarly, Menevia lantona showed parallel geographic variation, with specimens from Colombia, and some from Panama also being larger on average. Additional geographic variation is present in the shape of the phallus. In some of the examined specimens from Colombia, and one from Ecuador, the phallus is slightly thicker and more robust overall than in specimens from other Amazonian localities. Also, the apical tips of the phallus are very short in specimens from French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Peru, whereas they are longer in specimens from Ecuador and those from some Colombian localities.