Optimandes mocha Willmott, Hall & Lamas, 2019

Willmott, Keith R., Marín, Mario A., Nakahara, Shinichi, Pomerantz, Tatiana, Lamas, Gerardo, Huertas, Blanca, Espeland, Marianne, Xiao, Lei, Hall, Jason P. W., Robinson Willmott, James I. & Freitas, André V. L., 2019, A revision of the new Andean butterfly genus Optimandes Marín, Nakahara & Willmott, n. gen., with the description of a new species (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Euptychiina), Tropical Lepidoptera Research 29 (1), pp. 29-44 : 40

Optimandes mocha Willmott, Hall & Lamas , n. sp.

Figs. 1G,H, 3A-E, 4, 6

Diagnosis and identification: DNA sequence data suggest that this species is sister to Optimandes eugenia , from which it may easily be distinguished by the straight and very broad dark brown ventral discal and postdiscal lines and large VHW ocelli in cells Cu 1 -M 2 (similar in size to those in Cu 2 - Cu 1 and M 2 - M 1). In addition, O. eugenia transversa , which is sympatric with O. mocha n. sp., has a broad white postdiscal band on the VHW. The male genitalia of the two species differ as follows: in O. mocha , the uncus is sharply constricted near the posterior tip rather than just narrowing gradually, the valva posterior tip slants downwards rather than curving slightly upwards, and the aedeagus curves upwards more strongly in the anterior half. Optimandes mocha is distinguished from all other euptychiines by the combination of very broad, straight brown ventral postdiscal lines and a tornal ocellus on the VHW in cell 2A-Cu 2; Magneuptychia tiessa (Hewitson, 1869) has similarly broad VHW postdiscal lines but is larger and has a more scalloped HW margin and no VHW tornal ocellus, among other differences.

Description: MALE ( Fig. 2 G, H): Forewing length 22.5 mm (mean 23 mm, n=2). Wings: FW triangular, distal and anal margins straight and almost perpendicular, vein R 2 arising just basally of origin of vein R 3+4+5; HW approximately triangular, distal margin rounded, anal margin slightly indented basal of tornus. Dorsal surface: Ground color brown. DFW with costa and distal margin very slightly darker than remainder of wing. DHW with indistinct black postdiscal ocellus encircled by very diffuse orange ring in cell Cu 2 -Cu 1, margin lined diffusely with black, very indistinct darker submarginal line visible in tornal region. Ventral surface: Ground color grayish brown, a little paler than dorsal surface. VFW with broad, straight dark brown discal line from costal vein extending across discal cell basal of base of vein Cu 2 almost to vein 2A; discocellular veins lined with dark brown; broad, approximately straight dark brown postdiscal line from cell M 1 -R 5 to vein 2A, slightly kinked in cells 2A-Cu 2 and M 1 -R 5, basally diffusing into wing background, distally bordered sharply by band of paler grayish scaling; four postdiscal ocelli in cells Cu 1 -M 3 (indistinct black spot encircled by yellowish brown ring), M 3 -M 2 (similar to preceding but with central white pupil), and M 2 -R 5 (black spots encircled by clear yellowish brown rings with single central white pupils in each ocellus); two broad, dark brown submarginal lines, more basal line wavy and bordered basally by band of paler grayish scaling, more distal line straighter, lines close or touching at each wing vein, wing margin lined with black. VHW with broad, straight dark brown discal line from costa extending across discal cell just basal of base of vein Rs, tapering towards anal margin to a thin line in middle of cell 3A-2A; broad, straight dark brown postdiscal line tapering from costa to tornal indentation on anal margin, bordered distally with pale grayish band; discocellular vein 2d lined with dark brown; six postdiscal ocelli, in cells 2A-Cu 2 (half width of cell, black spot encircled by clear yellowish brown ring with single central white pupil), Cu 2 -Cu 1 (similar to preceding except larger, almost filling cell), Cu 1 -M 3 and M 3 -M 2 (similar to preceding except dark brown central spot, diffuse yellow brown ring and no white pupil), M 2 -M 1 (similar to that in Cu 2 -Cu 1, filling cell) and M 1 -Rs (similar to preceding but not quite filling cell); two broad, dark brown submarginal lines, more basal line wavy and bordered basally by band of paler grayish scaling, more distal line straighter, lines close or touching at each wing vein, wing margin lined with black. Head: eyes brown with dense, long setae; antennae with c. 33 antennomeres, distal c. 10 comprising club, dark brown with sparse white scales at ventral base of antennomeres in basal part of antennae; labial palpi dark brown with long dark brown hair-like scales ventrally on basal segment, remaining segments missing in specimens studied; head covered with dark brown scales and hair-like scales. Thorax: thorax, forelegs, mid- and hind legs dark brown, mid- and hind legs with pair of tibial spurs. Abdomen: dark brown. Genitalia ( Fig. 4 F-J): as illustrated, notable features include eighth tergite unsclerotized except for narrow anterior band and slightly broader posterior patch; brachia directed upwards with respect to uncus, uncus curving downwards, in lateral view broad in basal two-thirds then sharply constricted and narrow in distal third; valva tapering throughout, with distal tip pointed and directed downwards; aedeagus with anterior portion curved upwards and smoothly joining ductus ejaculatorius, distal portion ending with a point on right side, two elongate, parallel patches of teeth-like cornuti visible in middle of aedeagus.

FEMALE: unknown.

Types: HOLOTYPE ♂: ECUADOR: Zamora-Chinchipe: nr. Sabanilla, Loja-Zamora rd., Quebrada San Ramón , power station, [3°58'12''S, 79°3'42''W], 1850 m, (Willmott, K. R., Aldaz, R.), 28 Oct 2006, [ FLMNH-MGCL-112631 ], (genitalic dissection KW-17-20), (FLMNH, to be deposited in INABIO) .

PARATYPES (3 ♂): Ecuador: Zamora-Chinchipe: km 24 Loja-Zamora rd., San Francisco , casa de Arcoiris , [3°59'18''S, 79°5'42''W], 2000-2100 m, (Willmott, K. R.), 3 Dec 2006, 1 ♂ [FLMNH-MGCL-112632], ( FLMNH) . Peru: Cuzco: Rocotal, [13°7'S, 71°34'W], 1970 m, (Harris, B.), 15 Aug 2009, 1 ♂ [MUSM-LEP-101305], ( MUSM) . Bolivia: La Paz: Yungas, San Antonio [de Chicalulu ], [14°35'S, 68°23'W], 1800 m, (Garlepp, G.), 1895-1896, 1 ♂, ( MNHU) .

Etymology: The species name is derived from the English word ‘mocha’, meaning a mixture of coffee and chocolate, in reference to the rich dark brown colors of the ventral surface of this species. It is treated as a feminine noun in apposition.

Distribution and natural history: This species is known to occur from southern Ecuador to Bolivia on the east Andean slopes, between 1800 m and 2100 m elevation ( Fig. 6). It is very rare in collections as well as in nature; despite collecting for 57 days spread over 7 months and 5 years at the Reserva Arcoiris in southeastern Ecuador, using hand-nets and up to 32 bait-traps, only a single individual was recorded at that site. That individual was collected in a trap baited with rotting fish 1 m above the ground, in tall cloud forest on a steep slope c. 50 m from a stream (Quebrada de las Pavas), on a day of bright sun. The holotype was collected between 11:00 and 14:00 in bright sun at or near the upper Quebrada San Ramón, in wellpreserved cloud forest. Ken Kertell photographed a male ( Fig. 6) at Rocotal, Cuzco, Peru, at approximately 12:00 on 17 Nov 2015, feeding on rotting fish bait sprayed onto roadside leaves (Kertell, K., pers. comm.).