Symmachia probetor ( Stoll, 1782 )

Leite, Luis Anderson Ribeiro, Fernando, Mielke, Hendrik & Martins, Mirna, 2012, An annotated list of Symmachia Hübner, [1819] (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae: Symmachiini) from Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, Acre, Brazil, with the description of a new species, Insecta Mundi 2012 (249), pp. 1-11 : 5

Symmachia probetor ( Stoll, 1782)

( Fig. 7-8 , 39 , 42)

A single damaged male was collected at the hilltop at 14:00h flying about five meters from the ground and apparently competing for territory with S. estellina Gallard, 2008 in a small patch of sun. The time of sampling differs from records mentioned by Gallard (2008) for this species in French Guiana.

Although superficially similar, there are a number of characteristics of the wing shape, pattern, and male genitalia that seem to distinguish S. probetor and S. estellina : the forewing of S. probetor is rounded at the apex and convex at the outer margin and there is no white or translucent spots close to the curve of the costal margin, which is weakly developed when compared to S. estellina ( Fig. 39-40 ). These characteristics can be observed in the type illustration of S. probetor given by Stoll (1782). The male genitalia of S. probetor is generally larger, the saccus is shorter and the posterior margin of the tegumen is more projected and bilobed medially in dorsal view. Perhaps most conspicuously, the cornuti are undeveloped in S. probetor ( Fig. 42) but developed in S. estellina ( Fig. 43) ( S. probetor , n=2; S. estellina , n=6).

We think there is possibly a complex of several similar looking species lumped under S. probetor , with some of the recognized subspecies and synonyms perhaps corresponding to valid species, in addition to the possibility of undescribed taxa.

Figures

Figures 5-38. Symmachia species collected at PNSD (dorsal and ventral view for each species). 5-6) S. divisora sp. nov., Paratype. 7-8) S. probetor. 9-10) S. estellina. 11-12) S. falcistriga falcistriga. 13-14) S. leena punctata. 15-16) S. calliste. 17-18) S. pardalis. 19-20) S. accusatrix. 21-22) S. threissa seducta. 23-24) S. hetaerina hetaerina (Diamantino, Mato Grosso, Brazil). 25-26) S. hetaerina hesione. 27-28) S. hetaerina hesione, female (Senador Guiomard, Acre, Brazil). 29-30) S. miron miron. 31-32) S. emeralda. 33-34) S. calligrapha. 35-36) S. elinas. 37-38) S. tricolor. Scale line: 1cm.

Figures 39-40. Forewing of S. probetor and S. estellina. 39) S. probetor (Santo Antônio do Tauá, Pará, Brazil). 40) S. estellina (Montagne des Chevaux, Route de Cayenne à Régina, French Guiana). Scale line: 0.25cm.