Parasiomera paradoxa ( Schultze, 1917 ) Schultze, 1917

Sáfián, Szabolcs & Collins, Steve C., 2015, Establishment of a new genus for Eresiomera paradoxa (Schultze, 1917) and related taxa (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4018 (1), pp. 124-136 : 128-130

Parasiomera paradoxa ( Schultze, 1917) comb. nov.

( Figs. 1 A,B; 2A,B,C,D; 3A,D, 4A,E; 5H,K, I,L; 6A,D; 7B)

Pseuderesia paradoxa Schultze, 1917 Schultze 1917: 37

Pseuderesia paradoxa Schultze, 1917 Stempffer 1967: 36 , d’Abrera 1978: 434

Eresiomera paradoxa ( Schultze, 1917) Ackery et al. 1995: 497 , d’Abrera 2009: 634, Vande weghe 2010: 343

Lectotype (here designated). ♀ Bascho, Upper Cross River, Northwest Cameroon 0 1. III. 1906 (leg.: Schultze, A.) (in MNB collection). Coordinates: 3°23'53.26"N, 11°27'59.40"E.

Other material examined. ♂ Ebogo on Nyong River, Cameroon. X-XI.2000. Leg.: ABRI. Gen. prep.: SAFI 00026, ♂ Mbalmayo, Cameroon, IV.2007. Leg.: S. Collins. Gen. prep.: SAFI 00027. ♀ Ebogo, Nyong River Cameroon II.1984 Leg.: Collins, S.C. Gen. prep.: SAFI 00028, 20 specimens (mixed sex, genitalia not checked) Central Cameroon (Ebogo, Mblamayo), 1♂ Central African Republic (Pissa, Bangui) (all in ABRI collection).

Description of the lectotype. Forewing length: 13 mm Wingspan: 27 mm. The upperside colour is bright fiery orange on both wings with broad black frame. In the apex of the forewing the width of black reaches one-fifth of the wing length. It tapers down slightly towards to tornus, where it is only 0,5 mm wide. The black edge continues also along the costa, where it reaches the base as a 1 mm broad line. The inner margin of the line is rather diffuse in the basal and sub-basal area. The hindwing is of the same colour, with an evenly broad (1,2 mm) black margin between the apex and the tornus. It continues also along the inner margin, however it becomes more conspicuous and diffuse towards the base. The underside is uniform paler orange, with very fine black marginal lines on both wings, black dusting of scattered scales along the forewing costa (especially in the base and the disoidal cell) and the inner margin on the hindwing. There are four more prominent black spots of short streaks along the forewing costa, in the basal half of the wing. The dorsal side of the body is dark brown and deep orange, the ventral side is pale orange or ochreous. The legs are black, with white hairs, the antennae are black, ringed with white. Their clubs are rather long, black. The eyes are large, brown and smooth.

Genitalia. Bursa copulatrix small, globular, ductus bursae slightly broadening towards lamellae antevaginalis. Lamellae antevaginalis small, strongly sclerotised rounded. Papillae analis broad and short, apophyses posteriores very long, straight, but bent with an angle.

Description of male. The general appearence of male P. paradoxa is very similar to that of female, however the black border of both wings on the upper surface is slightly broader.

Genitalia. Uncus large, with strongly pointed tip. Lower edge of it is rectangular in lateral view. Valvae elongate, fan-like, with acute tip. Centre of inner surface of valvae very densely haired, the hairs are short. Aedeagus robust, unique-shaped, branched, its tip is strongly recurved.

Discussion. P. paradoxa was found only in the Congolian forest zone with records from Cameroon, CAR, Gabon and Congo ( Stempffer, 1962, d’Abrera 2009, Vande weghe 2010). Basically all known records come from lowland rainforest, which suggests wider distribution, especially as the type locality lies north of the Sanaga River in Cameroon situated in West Africa. The range could actually cover the entire Congolian lowland forest area, which extends from the Cross River loop in Eastern Nigera across the Congo Basin, even if there are no records from the DRC, which actually covers the largest area in the Basin.

The lectotype was designated to secure objectivity of the name usage of P. paradoxa . The other syntype that appears in the orginal description ( Schultze 1917) was most probably destroyed in the WWII (Libert pers. comm.).

Figures

FIGURE 1. The only existing female syntype (designated as lectotype below) of Eresiomera paradoxa (Schultze, 1917) (Aupperside, B—underside) in the Museum für Naturkunde (Natural History Musem), Berlin.