Cithaerias pireta (Stoll)

Penz, Carla M., Alexander, Laura G. & Devries, Philip J., 2014, Revised species definitions and nomenclature of the rose colored Cithaerias butterflies (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), Zootaxa 3873 (5), pp. 541-559 : 546-547

Cithaerias pireta (Stoll)

( Figs 2 , 6 a, 8a, 9)

Papilio menander Drury , preocc. Stoll.

Type material: Likely lost ( Lamas 1998).

Distribution. Central America, plus Colombia and Ecuador west of the Andes, pacific slope. See map ( Fig. 9 ) for examined specimens.

Diagnosis. This species is defined based on the following combination of characters (numbered in Fig. 2 ): (1) male HW submarginal and marginal bands forming even arches and often amalgamated to produce a wide brown outline distally on the wing; (2) male HW postmedial band that outlines the ocellus usually complete across cells Rs through M2; (3) male HW postmedial band approximates an arch across cells M3 through Cu2 (more so than any other species); (4) male HW rose scaling diffuse, often reaching the edge of the discal cell; (5) female similar to male but with paler scaling and wider HW brown bands. Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 a): in lateral view, note the sharply bent uncus; in dorsal view, the angular lateral edges of uncus plus tegument; in ventral view, the inner projection of the valva. Phallus short. Subscaphium triangular-shaped and bearing small spines. The subscaphium is not evident given it is weakly sclerotized. Female genitalia ( Fig. 8 a): note short sterigma, which is less sclerotized than those of other species. Post-sterigmal area weakly sclerotized, lacking the discrete heavily sclerotized indentation present in other species.

Variation in wing pattern ( Fig. 2 ). In both males and females FW and HW medial brown bands may be welldeveloped, incomplete or absent (compare Fig. 2 a and g). HW postmedial and marginal bands can vary in width, being extremely thin in some specimens. Male and female HW rose scaling usually does not reach discal cell, but these scales may enter the discal cell in some specimens. Male HW white spot in cell M2 present or absent, but normally present in females. Some examined specimens showed wing wear (fewer scales), and the scales of a few old collection specimens appear to have faded.

Subspecies. Cithaerias pireta magdalenensis Constantino ; holotype in the Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia, http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ih/n_ cithaerias 0031_i.htm (last accessed 22 June 2014).

Remarks. This species is distinct from all others in both wing and genitalia characters. We concur with D’Almeida (1951) that Cramer’s figure seems to correspond to C. pireta (compare Figs 1a and 2 ) and that C. menander should be considered a synonym of C. pireta . Consequently we are also confident that the illustrations of C. menander in Weymer (1910) and Brown (1942) correspond to C. pireta . Male genitalia from specimens collected close to the type locality of C. pireta magdalenensis match those in specimens from Central America and Ecuador (also noted by Constantino 1995). We note that the defining wing pattern characters of C. pireta magdalenensis are not unique to specimens of the region for which this taxon has been described (Caldas, Rio Guarinó, Colombia; Constantino 1995). According to the original description, these are: (1) the FW brown transversal lines are faded, and so is the HW transversal line (also in specimens from Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Fig. 2 a and c); (2) the HW show a marginal line, in addition to the submarginal, which is not present in C. pireta pireta males (note such line in specimens from Costa Rica and Panama, Fig. 2c and d); (3) the submarginal line [of the HW] is narrower and more faded (this characters varies within localities and is also present in the specimen in Fig. 2 d); (4) the HW rose blush ranges from the wing margin to M2, not entering the cell (this is true for most specimens of C. pireta ); (5) the same as in the male, the female shows a well defined white spot between HW veins M2 and M3 (also present in specimens from Central America and other areas, Fig. 2 b and e). Despite this, we recognize that the type locality is isolated from the remainder of the range of C. pireta , which justifies the recognition of this taxon. Specimens from that region were not available to us for examination. The use of DNA sequence to compare specimens from various localities would be of interest.

Material examined: MALE: 1M Honduras, no date ( CMNH); 1M Honduras, Lancetilla, 7 November 1930 ( CMNH); 1M Nicaragua, Zelaya Dept. Nueva Guinea, 26 October 1976, dissection CMP 13-08 (UFL); 1M Nicaragua, Zelaya Dept. Nueva Guinea, 27 October 1976 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Finca Las Cruces, San Vito de Java, 29 September 1986 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, Turrialba, 25 August 1973 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, Puntarenas, San Vito, Las Alturas, 1600 m 15 September 1983 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, Limon, Ruta 32, 18.9 km W Compiles (sic), 12 September 1986 (UFL); 2M Costa Rica, Heredia, Sarapiqui, Chilamate, 30 March and 1 April 1989 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, Limon, Tortuguero, Agua Fria, 50 m, 17 August 1983 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, San Jose Carillo, Fila Rio Sucio, 700 m, 21 April 1983 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, Turrialba, 15 July 1973 (UFL); 1M Costa Rica, Cartago, Moravia de Chiripo, 1200 m, 11 February 1983 (UFL); 15M Costa Rica, Heredia, Sarapiqui, Tirimbina Biological Station, various dates in 2009, 2010 and 2011, three dissected LGA 12-01, 12-02 and 12-03 (PJD); 1M Costa Rica, no date ( CMNH); 1M Costa Rica, Limon, Guapiles, 9 August 1963 ( CMNH); 1M Costa Rica, Limon, no date ( CMNH); 3M Costa Rica, Sixola Riv. (sic), no date ( CMNH); 3M Costa Rica, Juan Viñas, 14 and 15 March 1908 ( CMNH); 1M Costa Rica, Esperanza, no date ( CMNH); 1M, Costa Rica, Turrialba, 26 July 1909 ( CMNH); 1M Costa Rica 6 January 1892 ( CMNH); 2M Panama, Canal Zone, Piña, 27 July 1970 and July 1970 (UFL); 1M Panama, Gatun, Canal Zone, August 1915 ( CMNH); 2M Panama, Madden Dam, 19 and 22 April 1966 (UFL); 1M Panama, Panama, Cerro Campana, 10 January 1973 (UFL); 1M Panama, Darien, Gorgas Bayano Sta., 27 December 1975, dissection CMP 13-09 (UFL); 1M Panama, Chriqui, no date ( CMNH); 1M Colombia 5 December 1889 ( CMNH); 1M Colombia, Bogotá, no date ( CMNH); 2M, Colombia, Carmen de Yacopi, April 1914 M. Clifton dissection slides 106, 107 ( CMNH); 1M Colombia, Valle Calima, 19 March 1988 (UFL); 1M Colombia, Bajo Calima Valle 300 m, 20 January 1988, dissection CMP 13-11 (UFL); 2M Colombia (UFL); 3M Ecuador, Huigra, March 1911 ( CMNH); 1M Ecuador, Dos Puentes, March 1980 ( CMNH); 2M Ecuador, Tinalandia 21–25 July 1984, one dissected LGA 12-07 (UFL); 1M Ecuador, Pichincha, 12 km E of Santo Domingo de Los Colorados, 750–850 m 13 May 1988 (UFL); 1M Ecuador, Pichincha, 12 km E of Santo Domingo de Los Colorados, 750–850 m 5 May 1988, dissection LGA 12-08 (UFL); 1M Ecuador, Pichincha, Loriquin 20 July 1968 dissection LGA 12-09 (UFL); 1M Ecuador, Pichincha, Rio Tachi 22 July 1968 (UFL); 1M Ecuador, El Oro, Los Monos February 1973 (UFL); 1M Ecuador, Napo, Limoncocha (likely mislabeled) 26 September 1974 dissection CMP 13-10 (UFL). FEMALE: 1F Nicaragua, Zelaya Dept. Nueva Guinea, 26 October 1976 (UFL); 2F Costa Rica, Turrialba, 28 July 1973 and 15 January 1981 (UFL); 1F Costa Rica, Limon, Cerro Guabas, 400 m, 20 January 1979 (UFL); 2F Costa Rica, Heredia, Sarapiqui, Chilamate, 30 March and 1 April 1989 (UFL); 1F Costa Rica, Alajuela, Rion Angel, La Virgen del Socorro, 9 April 1989 (UFL); 1F Costa Rica, San Jose, Parque Nacional Carillo, Fila Rio Sucio, 700 m, 20 February 1983 (UFL); 1F Costa Rica, Limon, Paraiso, 3 September 1987 (UFL); 2F Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Finca Las Cruces, San Vito de Java, 29 and 30 September 1986 (UFL); 3F Costa Rica, Heredia, Sarapiqui, Tirimbina Biological Station, 10 May and 2 September 2010 and 22 February 2011, 1 dissected CMP 13-38 (PJD); 1F Costa Rica, Sixola Riv. (sic), no date ( CMNH); 3F Costa Rica, Juan Viñas, 11 March 1908 ( CMNH); 2F Costa Rica, Limon, Guapiles, 9 August 1963 ( CMNH); 1F, Costa Rica, Guapiles, no date ( CMNH); 1F Costa Rica, Alajuela, Florencia, 13 July 1963 ( CMNH); 1F Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Golfito, 17 August 1963 ( CMNH); 2F Panama, Chiriqui, no date ( CMNH); 1F Panama, no date ( CMNH); 1F Panama, Madden Forest, 21 April 1966 (UFL); 2F Panama, Canal Zone, Piña, 2 July and July 1970 (UFL); 1F Panama, Cerro Campana, 2500 [m] 6 November 1964 (UFL); 3F Panama, Darien, Gorgas Bayano Sta., 25 December 1975, 1 dissected CMP 13- 28 (UFL); 1F Colombia (UFL); 1F Colombia, Environs of Bogota, 1913 (likely mislabeled) (UFL); 1F Peru, Loreto, Iquitos (likely mislabeled) (UFL); 1F Ecuador, Napo, Limoncocha (likely mislabeled) 1 July 1980 (UFL); 1F Ecuador, Pichincha, Rio Tachi 22–25 July 1968 (UFL); 1F Ecuador, El Oro, Los Monos February 1973 (UFL); 2F Ecuador, Pichincha, 12 km E of Santo Domingo de Los Colorados, 750–850 m 13 May 1988 (UFL); 2F Ecuador, Pichincha, Rio Tachi 21–25 July 1968 and 17 July 1968 (UFL); 1F Ecuador, Pichincha, Alluriquin 13 August 1972 (UFL).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia in lateral and ventral views, tegument and uncus in dorsal view, and subscaphium in ventral view. Valva setae shown on one side only. When not clearly visible in the lateral view illustration, the phallus was shown separately. The position of the phallus varies between illustrations, which does not reflect true variation in length. Given that the two parts of the subscaphium (subanal plate and adjacent sclerotized area) rest on the membranous diaphragma, the variation in the shape of the subanal plate includes preparation artifacts (compare c – e which belong to the same species). Scale bar 1 mm for all images. a, C. pireta dissection CMP 13 - 09; b, C. cliftoni dissection LGA 12 - 05; c – e, C. aurora dissections CMP 13 - 16, CMP 13 - 19 and CMP 13 - 18.

FIGURE 8. Female genitalia in ventral view, including schematic representation of papilla anales and abdomen outline. Scale bar Scale bar 1 mm for line drawings only. a, C. pireta dissection CMP 13 – 28, the arrow indicates lateral portion of the sterigma that is much reduced (and not illustrated) in other species; b – c, C. cliftoni dissections CMP 13 – 35 and 13 – 29; d, C. aurora dissection CMP 13 – 33; e, C. pyritosa dissection CMP 14 – 20. f, characteristic aspect of a mated female; note that the scaling anterior to the sterigma have been lifted by the mating plug.

FIGURE 9. Map showing the collecting localities of examined specimens (excluding dubious localities).

FIGURE 2. C. pireta; dorsal view on the left, ventral on the right. Collecting localities and genitalia dissection codes appear below each specimen.

FIGURE 1. a, Illustration of C. pireta in Cramer’s “ De uitlandische Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen, Asia, Africa en America. b – d, Illustrations of C. menander, pireta and aurorina in Seitz’s “ Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde ”.