Choranthus richmondi L. Miller, 1965

Matthews, Deborah L. & Simon, Mark J., 2015, Review and comments on the current status of Choranthus richmondi L. Miller (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in the Bahamas, Insecta Mundi 2015 (414), pp. 1-9 : 2-3

Choranthus richmondi L. Miller, 1965

Fig. 1–10

Diagnosis Male ( Fig. 1–4 ). Forewing length males: 15.0, 15.4 mm: Head, vertex dark brown shading to metallic green with a row of buff scales posteriad; eye ring buff; buff, olive green and fuscous hair tuft between base of antenna and frons; palpi above fuscous admixed with dark brown; below buff with a few dark brown setae; antennae above, dark brown with a few buff fulvous scales on the proximal nine segments with club and apiculus ferruginous dark brown; below dark brown with buff fulvous scales at end of segments gradually shading to buff and fulvous scales on the segments and especially near base of club with a few buff and fulvous scales near the base of the apiculus. Thorax above, tegulae fuscous with dull fulvous olivaceous scales and setae dorsad and laterally with additional darker fulvous olivaceous setae on the metathorax; prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax above dark fuscous brown admixed with olivaceous and darker fulvous scales and setae; below olivaceous mixed with buff scales, legs reddish-fulvous. Abdomen dorsal, dark brown sprinkled with a few dull fulvous setae, A1- A3 shading to bright fulvous on A10; dark brown with additional dull fulvous setae along lateral line; below buff, almost pale fulvous shading to bright fulvous on A10.

Forewing above, ground color fuscous brown, with fulvous from base to three-fourths distad along the costa and extending posteriad to the anal margin; veins, darkened fuscous brown with the exception of subcosta extensive dark brown at origins of radial veins near end cell, and fuscous flare extending from cell end in R 5 -M 1 to lateral margin; a prominent blackish brown angular brand in M 3 -Cu 1 consisting of dense erect black androconial setae with raised longer fuscous spatulate scales along the anterior portion near end cell; brand in Cu 1 -Cu 2 contains dense black erect androconial setae; proximal area in Cu 2 -2A to the anal margin darker. Broad, darker fuscous brown marginal band extends from apex to anal angle and is diffuse along the proximal margin.

Hindwing, ground color dark fuscous brown, especially along the costal, lateral, and anal margins with dull fulvous extending from the base of cell to submargin in Rs-M 1, to anal margin proximad, with dull fulvous nearly to the margin in Cu 2 -2A; veins darkened in fulvous area especially along cubitus of cell. Elongate reddish fulvous setae in cell extend posteriad on wing into Cu 2 -2A. Forewing below with coloration and pattern similar to above but paler, veins not as darkened but with dark brown in the triangular area from above extending into base of cell; brown marginal band overscaled with dull fulvous, paler from M 1 -M 2 to Cu 2 -2A. Hindwing dark fuscous brown heavily sprinkled with reddish fulvous along costa and with fulvous scales present over the entire wing, appearing olivaceous with a brighter fulvous ray more prominent in Cu 2 -2A and along anal margin.

Fringes: forewing above fuscous at apex with few pale fulvous scales along lateral and anal margins shading to more fulvous at anal angle; hindwing dark brown fuscous along costa shading to fuscous with a few fulvous scales along lateral margin and with fulvous scales at anal angle and along anal margin. Below, forewing fuscous admixed with fulvous along lateral margin, fulvous at anal angle and fuscous along anal margin; hindwing fuscous with a few reddish fulvous scales along costa, fuscous and fulvous scales along lateral margin with fulvous at anal angle and along anal margin.

Diagnosis Female ( Fig. 5–6 ). Forewing length 16.1 mm. Head with the metallic green not as prominent posteriad of vertex as in male and with buff and fulvous scales posteriad; thorax similar but tegulae dark brown edged in buff fulvous scales; antenna similar but below dark brown with pale fulvous to buff on segments; below thorax clothed in fuscous scales and buff and olivaceous scales; legs with buff scales especially along exterior margin. Abdomen above dark brown fuscous with a few fuscous, olivaceous, and dull fulvous scales and setae on A1; below almost devoid of scales, perhaps due to partly worn condition, with a few fuscous brown scales on A1 and reddish fulvous on A10.

Forewing: ground color dark fuscous brown with fulvous areas reduced and not as bright as in male but with veins darkened, especially at origins of radial veins at end of cell, and along the cubitus, across end of cell into the diffuse fuscous brown band along margin. Hindwing pattern similar to male but darker especially in Sc + R 1 - Rs-Rs-M 1 with dull fulvous areas considerably darker and veins darkened. Below, forewing ground color is fuscous dark brown lightly sprinkled with dull fulvous scales especially on the hindwing. Forewing with bright fulvous along the costal margin extending to R 5 -M 1, with veins darkened; proximal triangular patch dark brown, larger than in the males and extending anteriad into the cell. Hindwing, fuscous dark brown sprinkled with dull fulvous scales, especially in Cu 2 -2A.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ): In lateral view the socii are heavily sclerotized, erect, expanding into a broad fan which is reflexed ventrad along distal margin; uncus quadrate distad with bulbous points on either side; there is a medium sclerotized, rectangular gnathos; saccus shortened and square on anterior margin; valva as well as the entire genital capsule heavily ornamented with setae, especially on tegumen, sacculus, ampulla, and inner margin of the valvula; the ampula is slightly produced with prominent, blunt cut in the cucullus; juxta lightly sclerotized, rectangular posterior margin with minute setae in lateral view; exterior surface of valva covered in setae; penis with a series of minute spines near attachment of the anellus along the dorsal surface and ventral views; aedeagus with enlarged sclerotized curved cornutus.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 8 ): As illustrated by Miller (1965) with a fork-shaped lamella antevaginalis, but with extension posteriad on either side which is lightly sclerotized and reflexed, terminating in a smooth angular plate; lamella postvaginalis lightly sclerotized plate slightly indented centrad; ductus bursae opaque, membranous, covered with folds extending into the bursa copulatrix; both ductus bursae and the posterior portion of the bursa copulatrix covered in fine spicules even into the folds; inception of ductus seminalis one-quarter below the antrum.

Material Examined BAHAMAS: South Andros Island , S of Mars Bay Settlement, 23.839084°, -77.518757°, 29.iii.2014, J. Miller, M. Simon, R. Rozycki, D. Matthews: 1 male, MGCL 234721 ; 1 male, MGCL 234741 with genitalia vial M-7640 ; 1 female MGCL 234720 with genitalia vial M-7642 .

Figures

Figure 7. Male genitalia of Choranthus richmondi. a) Lateral view illustrating the uncus (un), tegumen (tg), socii (soc), gnathos (gn), vinculum (vi), juxta (jx) and saccus (sa). b) Penis, lateral view. c) penis, ventral view. d) Ventral interior view. e) Complete interior view of the valve with setae and scales. f) Interior view of valve without setae and scales.

Figure 8. Female genitalia of Choranthus richmondi. a) Ventral view with papillae anales (pap. a.), lamella antevaginalis (lla), lamella postvaginalis (llp), ductus bursae (du. bu.), ductus seminalis (ds), and corpus bursae (crp. bu.). b) Lateral view.

Figures 1–6. Choranthus richmondi L. D. Miller. 1) Dorsal view, male, MGCL 234721. 2) Ventral view, same specimen. 3) Dorsal view, male, MGCL 234741. 4) Ventral view, same specimen. 5) Dorsal view, female, MGCL 234720. 6) Ventral view, same specimen.

Figure 9–10. Wings of Choranthus richmondi. 9) Hindwing ventral surface of female. 10) Forewing stigma on dorsal surface of male.