Automeris mineros Decaens , Rougerie & Bonilla, 2021

Decaens, Thibaud, Beneluz, Frederic, Ballesteros-Mejia, Liliana, Bonilla, Diego & Rougerie, Rodolphe, 2021, Description of three new species of Automeris Huebner, 1819 from Colombia and Brazil (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae, Hemileucinae), ZooKeys 1031, pp. 183-204 : 183

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1031.56035
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1014D0C2-C459-448C-A15E-69084DD2039E
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CE1EAA15-8197-4B98-A2F4-062C40A83153
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:CE1EAA15-8197-4B98-A2F4-062C40A83153
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Automeris mineros Decaens , Rougerie & Bonilla
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Automeris mineros Decaens, Rougerie & Bonilla sp. nov. Figures 1A, B, E, F View Figure 1 , 2A View Figure 2

Type material.

Holotype. Colombia • ♂ (Fig. 1A, E View Figure 1 ); Boyacá department, near Quipama, Vereda Caviche; 5.575°N, 74.2595°W; elevation: 1500 m; 1-3 Dec. 2002; at MV light; DB and G. Lecourt leg.; BOLD SampleID: BC-Dec0551; Deposited in IAvH.

Paratypes (19 ♂♂ and 6 ♀♀). Colombia • 15 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀, all same data as holotype; all specimens collected at MV light except one pair ab ovo, reared on Pyracantha regersiana in Rouen (France) by TD, and 3 ♂♂ and 2 ♀♀ ab ovo, reared on Quercus sp. in Bogotá (Colombia) by L.D. Ramirez and DB. Deposited as follow: 2 ♂♂ and 2 ♀ (Fig. 1B, F View Figure 1 ; allotype; BOLD SampleID: BC-Dec0547) in IAvH, 5 ♂♂ in MNHN (BOLD SampleID: BC-Dec0548, BC-Dec0549, BC-Dec0550), 6 ♂♂ and 1 ♀ in CTD, 1 ♂ in CFB, 4 ♂♂ and 2 ♀♀ in CCGM, 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ in CDB.

Diagnosis.

Automeris mineros sp. nov. is similar to the reddish forms of A. midea , a species with a large and essentially Amazonian distribution (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ). However, the vivid coloration, which is occasional in the later, is consistent among all the specimens of A. mineros sp. nov. that have been examined. It is also possible to separate the two species by additional fine characters of the habitus. In A. mineros sp. nov., the antemedian area of the forewings appears lighter than the median area due to the presence of a dense dusting of yellow scales, while this zone is generally concolourous with or darker than the rest of the wing in A. midea (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ). The apex of the forewing tends to be less acute in A. mineros sp. nov. The width of the yellow periocellar ring of the hindwing is also wider in A. mineros than in most of the examined specimens of A. midea . Finally, the veins on the ventral side of the forewings are clearly highlighted in orange in A. mineros sp. nov., and are more sharply contrasting with the surrounding ground colour than in A. midea . Distinction based on male genitalia is less conclusive, although we can however note the truncated instead of triangular shape of the saccus, as well as the median plate of the gnathos which is less massive in A. mineros sp. nov. and clearly marked by a median projection. Interestingly, DNA barcodes clearly separate A. mineros sp. nov. from all closely related species in a distinct cluster of sequences (BINBOLD:ABY4503; see fig. 4). The nearest neighbour is A. belizonensis (1.8% minimum p-distance), from which it can be distinguished by the more rounded shape of the forewings and the more vivid coloration of the hindwings.

Description.

♂ (Fig. 1A, E View Figure 1 ). Wingspan: 77-84 mm. Head: dark brown, labial palpi and antennae orange brown. Thorax: dorsally dark brown with red orange piliform scales on the ventral side; legs dark brown. Abdomen: dark orange brown with dark brown piliform scales on the dorsal side; eighth abdominal segment lacking any remarkable sclerotised structure. Forewings: length 40-42 mm, slightly elongated, rounded apex, straight outer margin; dorsal ground colour orange brown, suffused with yellow scales in the ante- and postmedian areas and, to a lesser extent, by pink scales in the median area; antemedial line faint, almost indistinct, only visible as yellow scales bordering its distal edge; postmedial line barely preapical (1-3 mm), slightly convex from apex to vein CuA2, then bent toward the anal margin, yellow in colour, lined distally by a line of black scales; discocellular mark rectangular, darker than the surrounding wing surface, with a dark brown spot in its centre, and three to four small spots of the same colour at its corners. Ventral side with a large dull orange area extending on the main basomedian area, with veins marked in distinctive orange scales; apical area dark brown, extending along outer margin and toward tornus. Postmedial line well marked, dark reddish brown; marginal band diffuse, suffused with yellow scales and disappearing toward apex. Discocellular mark large and black, with a white discal spot in its centre and surrounded by a thin diffuse ring of yellow scales. Hindwings: basomedian area vivid orange-red with a 7-12 mm × 6-8 mm eyespot in its centre formed by, from its centre: a small well marked white pupil surrounded by a dark brown iris, a first large black periocellar ring, a second large yellow ring of the same width, and finally a barely visible line of black scales enclosing the eyespot. Postmedial line black and lunular, distally bordered by a thin line of yellow scales, and proximally by another thin line of yellow and black scales; postmedian area formed by a thin vivid orange-red band and bordered by a large orange-brown marginal band covered with yellow scales. Ventral side light brown, suffused with yellow scales, particularly on the marginal band; venation distally marked with orange scales. Postmedial line dark brown, becoming faint toward the anal margin; discal cell with a small white spot.

Wingspan ♀ (Fig. 1B, F View Figure 1 ): 94 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen of the same colour as in the male. Forewings: length 47 mm, elongated, rounded apex, almost straight border; dorsal ground colour dark purplish brown, suffused with light grey scales in the median area, except for a large oblique band lacking these scales approximately half way between the dark rectangular discal mark and the apex; postmedian area suffused with yellow scales. Both ante- and postmedial lines yellow, the latter straight and slightly preapical (3 mm). Ventral side light orange brown, the venation marked by orange scales, marginal band suffused with orange scales; postmedial line dark brown; large black discocellular mark, with a large white discal spot in its centre. Hindwings: Basomedian area brownish red; eyespot with the same structure as in the male, slightly duller in colour; black and lunular postmedial line, bordered by a line of yellow scales on both edges; postmedian area brownish red; marginal band covered with yellow scales. Ventral side light brown, suffused with yellow to pink scales; venation distally marked by orange scales; discal point small and white.

Genitalia ♂ (Fig. 2A View Figure 2 ): typical of the A. bilinea subgroup as described in Lemaire (2002). Uncus well developed, slightly extending beyond the distal end of the valves, with a broad bifid dorsal protuberance. Dorsal lobes of valves weakly developed and sharp. Median plate of gnathos strongly sclerotised with its posterior margin concave and with a small median projection. Saccus short and anteriorly truncated. Phallus straight, with a small lateral spine on its base; its posterior, tapering end slightly bent upward, with the weakly developed vesica expanding ventrally.

Genitalia ♀: not examined.

Immature stages.

Eggs were obtained from a wild collected female. Larvae hatched 22 days after and readily fed on Pyracantha regersiana ( Rosaceae ) in France (rearing #17 by TD) and on Quercus sp. ( Fagaceae ) in Colombia (rearing by L. D. Ramirez and DB). Native foodplants remain unknown. Rearing was successful in plastic boxes, feeding larvae with fresh branches changed every 2-4 days. Larvae completed six instars within two months on P. regersiana and pupated in a brown cocoon.

Eggs are white with a black micropyle, laterally flattened, 2 mm diameter × 0.8 mm height, laid in dense cluster of several dozens. First larval instar: head black. Body 4 mm upon hatching, 6 mm maximal length; pale yellow with black scoli and spines. Second instar: Head black. Body 7-8 mm maximal length; brownish yellow dorsally, dull yellow ventrally; scoli and spines dark brown. Third instar: Head black. Body: 14 mm maximal length; brownish yellow dorsally, green yellow ventrally; scoli and spines dark brown. Fourth instar: Head black. Body 19-20 mm maximal length; dark brown dorsally with fine light green stripes, light green ventrally; scoli and spines dark brown to black. Fifth instar: Head green. Body: 35-40 mm maximal length; light green colour with pink dorsal ornamentation, a lateral ivory strip ventrally and dorsally bordered with a thin black line; scoli and spines light green. Sixth instar: Same colour and ornamentation as previous instar; 35-40 mm maximal length. Pupa and cocoon: Last instar larvae spin a thin and supple cocoon of beige silk. Pupa 24-37 mm long, dark brown. Reared adults emerged from the cocoon early in the morning one to two months after pupation.

Distribution.

Automeris mineros sp. nov. is known form the type locality only, in the Oriental Cordillera of Colombia near Muzo (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), a region from which a number of new taxa of Saturniidae were described recently ( Decaëns and Rougerie 2008).

Etymology.

This species is named in reference to emerald mining, which represents an emblematic economic activity in the region surrounding the type locality.