Carminda surpresa Barbosa, Aguiar, Rosa, Zacca & Freitas, 2020

Barbosa, Eduardo P., Aguiar, Tamara M. C., Rosa, Augusto H. B., Zacca, Thamara & Freitas, André V. L., 2020, A new species of butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from the highlands of Southeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 4819 (1), pp. 128-142 : 130-139

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4819.1.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EFA18EF4-B927-4A7F-AE77-A128EEF0923F
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/57821416-BE04-44E4-A785-692FA709892A
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:57821416-BE04-44E4-A785-692FA709892A
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Carminda surpresa Barbosa, Aguiar, Rosa, Zacca & Freitas
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Carminda surpresa Barbosa, Aguiar, Rosa, Zacca & Freitas , sp. nov.

Figures 1–4 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4

Type material. Holotype: Deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade Estadual de Campinas ( ZUEC), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, with the following four labels separated by transverse bars : / HOLOTYPUS / Brazil, São Paulo, Campos do Jordão, Brejo Caminho para Pico do Itapeva , 22°45’S 45°33’W, 1735 m, 11.II.2018, A. H. B. Rosa leg. / ZUEC LEP 11052 GoogleMaps / Holotypus Carminda surpresa Barbosa, Aguiar, Rosa, Zacca & Freitas , det. 2019 /.

Allotype: Deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade Estadual de Campinas ( ZUEC), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. With the following four labels separated by transverse bars : / ALLOTYPUS / Brazil, São Paulo, Campos do Jordão, Brejo Caminho para Pico do Itapeva , 22°45’S 45°33’W, 1735 m, 28.I.2018, A. H. B. Rosa & E. K. S. Ramos leg. / ZUEC LEP 11049 GoogleMaps / Allotypus Carminda surpresa Barbosa, Aguiar, Rosa, Zacca & Freitas , det. 2019 /.

Paratypes (all from Campos do Jordão , São Paulo, Brazil). No specific locality , 1 male, 27.II.1983, K. S. Brown Jr. leg., ( ZUEC LEP 11059), ( ZUEC) ; Brejo Caminho para Pico do Itapeva, 22°45’S 45°33’W, 1735 m GoogleMaps , 2 males, 28.I.2018, A. H. B. Rosa & E. K. S. Ramos leg., DNA Voucher YPH–0781, ( ZUEC LEP 11047, 11048 View Materials ) ( ZUEC) , 1 male, II.2018, A. H. B. Rosa leg., ex. Larva, ST5 ( ZUEC LEP 11050), ( ZUEC) , 1 male, 02.II.2018, E. P. Barbosa leg., ( ZUEC LEP 11051), ( ZUEC) , 2 males, 11.II.2018, A. H. B. Rosa leg., ( ZUEC LEP 11053, 11054 View Materials ), ( ZUEC) , 1 male, 21.II.2018, A. H. B. Rosa leg., DNA Voucher YPH–0793, ( ZUEC LEP 11055) ( ZUEC) , 1 male, 05.III.2018, A. H. B. Rosa leg., DNA Voucher YPH–0689, ( ZUEC LEP 11056) ( ZUEC) ; 1 male, 1 female, III–V.2018, A- 358, criação, ex. Larva ( ZUEC-AVLF) ; Novo Capivari , Mirante Ferradura, 22°43’S 45°31’W, 1745 m GoogleMaps , 1 female, 08.II.2017, A. H. B. Rosa leg., (DNA Voucher YPH–0689), ( ZUEC LEP 11057), ( ZUEC) , Novo Capivari , 22°44’S 45°32’W, 1735 m GoogleMaps , 1 male, 14.III.2018, A. H. B. Rosa leg., ( ZUEC LEP 11058), ( ZUEC) .

Diagnosis. Carminda surpresa sp. nov. is superficially similar to Yphthimoides ochracea (Butler) and Yphthimoides straminea (Butler) , both sympatric and syntopic with the new taxon here described. It can be distinguished from both species of Yphthimoides by the following characters: 1) the absence of a well-defined thin stripe crossing both wings at one third distance from wing base (present in both species of Yphthimoides ); 2) the presence of a faint yellowish stripe crossing the VHW (absent in Y. straminea and more conspicuous in Y. ochracea ). Carminda surpresa sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from other species of Carminda by the following characters: 1) the ventral wings are mostly homogeneous, lacking the dark and white mottled pattern present in other species of Carminda ; 2) the ocelli on the VHW are small and incomplete, usually only three are visible (rarely four) and the pupils are occasionally absent, whereas in the other species of Carminda usually four large ocelli with double white pupils are present; 3) a faint yellowish stripe crossing the VHW in the medial area is present in some individuals.

Description of adults. Male ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 A–B). Forewing length 19–22 mm (mean = 20.4 mm, SD = 0.81, n = 11); hind wing length 17–19 mm (mean = 17.6 mm, SD = 0.67, n = 11). Eyes dark brown, covered by sparse brown setae. Palpus length 1.5 times head height, beige, with long dark brown and white hairs. Antenna 9–10 mm in length, with 42–43 antennomeres extending to mid-costa; shaft rust brown, dorsally covered by dark brown scales, club with 14 antennomeres, not conspicuously developed. Male foreleg covered by long dark brown hairs. DFW covered with brown scales with no marks except for a faint thick submarginal line extending from R 4 to Cu 2. VFW dark brown with no marks except for a speckled pattern of dark brown dots at apex and subapical area. DHW covered with brown scales and presenting a thin marginal line a thick submarginal line extending from Rs to 1A+2A; presence of an oval patch of androconial scales between 1A+2A and 3A, near anal margin at proximity of tornus region. VHW entirely dark brown with a very thin marginal line extending from M 1 to 1A+2A and a fainted yellowish stripe crossing VHW; four small ocelli composed of a thin ring of yellowish-ochre scales surrounding a patch of black scales; four ocelli are located at Rs–M 1 (ocellus 1), M 1 –M 2 (ocellus 2), Cu 1 –Cu 2 (ocellus 3) and Cu 2 –1A+2A (ocellus 4); ocelli 2 and 3 are larger and ocellus 1 is absent in some individuals.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 A–F). Tegumen suboval in lateral view with anterior region projected; appendix angularis short; ventral projections of tegumen and dorsal projections of saccus fused and angulated at mid-region; saccus very short when compared to valva length; anterior part of uncus robust and posterior part tapering towards tip in lateral view, where it folds down ventrally; uncus spatulate, constricted near junction with tegumen; gnathos almost half size of valva, sinuous, curved upwards in lateral view and inward near tip in dorsal view; valva trapezoid and robust in lateral view, slightly tapering towards posterior tip, which presents a small group of mid-sized “teeth”; in dorsal view valva bends inward towards mid-line; costa developed and bearing a bunch of small “teeth”; fultura superior absent; fultura inferior present as a sclerotized V-shape stripe; phallus 2/3 length of valva, sinuous in lateral view, anterior region digitiform, posterior region about 2 times longer than anterior region, covered with small knobs randomly distributed on surface ( Fig. 2E, F View FIGURE 2 ) and apex bipartite in dorsal view; vesica presenting very small cornuti ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ).

Female ( Figs. 1C, D View FIGURE 1 ). Forewing length 23–24 mm (n = 2); hind wing length 19–21 mm (n = 2); antenna 10 mm

(n = 2). General color and pattern very similar to that of males, with wings more rounded.

Female genitalia ( Fig 2G, H View FIGURE 2 ). Eighth tergite weakly sclerotized; papilla analis ovoid, sclerotized at base, covered by long hairy-like setae at distal region, apophysis posterior absent; lamella antevaginalis as a semicircle; lateral expansions of lamella antevaginalis with one spiracle located at upper margin; ductus bursae membranous; corpus bursae almost 1.5 times longer than ductus bursae; signa dorsally paired.

Variation. Variation in external morphology seems limited, and is restricted to some wing pattern elements. A yellowish irregular thick medial stripe crossing from costa to 1A+2A on the VHW is present in some individuals. The number of ocelli on the VHW can vary: while most individuals have three ocelli, a fourth tiny ocellus is present in some individuals. In addition, in several individuals the larger ocelli (ocelli 2 and 4) can have tiny double pupils.

Etymology. The specific epithet, the Portuguese word for “surprise”, alludes to the fact that it was a surprise to discover a new species in a well sampled locality, and belonging to a small genus endemic to the Atlantic Forest. It is a name in apposition.

Immature stages. Egg ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–B). White and round, chorion sculptured with several hexagonal cells. Height 0.96–1.01 mm (n = 4); diameter 0.92–0.94 mm (n = 4); duration 10–13 days (n = 6).

First instar ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 C–D). Head capsule width 0.68–0.77 mm; head scoli 0.08 mm (n = 10). Head black, bearing a pair of short scoli on vertex, each with two long narrow black setae. Third stemma larger than other stemmata. Body light green, with white longitudinal red stripes; caudal filaments very short. Legs and prolegs light green. Setae light green, all dorsal and subdorsal setae clubbed at tip. Maximum length 6 mm. Duration 7–8 days (n = 5).

Second instar ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 E–F). Head capsule width 0.94–1.16 mm; head scoli 0.19–0.22 mm (n = 8). Head light brown, with two diverging short scoli on vertex. Body brown, with dark longitudinal stripes; caudal filaments short. Legs and prolegs light brown. Maximum length 10 mm. Duration 5–6 days (n = 5).

Third instar ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 G–H). Head capsule width 1.50–1.84 mm; head scoli 0.31–0.37 mm (n = 7). Similar to second instar in color and general shape; body with several longitudinal zigzag stripes. Maximum length 18 mm. Duration 5–9 days (n = 4).

Fourth (last) instar ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 I–J). Head capsule width 2.66–3.46 mm; head scoli 0.52–0.64 mm (n = 3). Head light brown, with two diverging short scoli on vertex. Body light brown with several zigzag longitudinal stripes; legs and prolegs light brown; caudal filaments short. Maximum length 30 mm. Duration 14–15 days (n = 3). A single larva presented a total of five instars, and in this case, the fourth instar was very similar to the third instar, just slightly bigger, and the last (fifth) instar was identical to that described above.

Pupa ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 K–M). Short and smooth; mostly dark brown, with short ocular caps; cremaster broad and dark in ventral portion; dorsal abdomen with a paired series of short subdorsal light brown protuberances. Total length 9–10 mm. Duration 15–18 days (n = 4).

Distribution, habitat and Natural history. Carminda surpresa sp. nov. is only known from three nearby sites above 1700 m altitude in Campos do Jordão, São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The three sites are part of the system of natural grasslands that occur above 1600 m in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range. The species is associated with wet natural grasslands where the soil is permanently flooded ( Figs. 4 View FIGURE 4 A–B), and are apparently restricted to this specific habitat. A single observation of an individual flying fast through a dry grassland adjacent to a wet grassland was recorded. Adults were observed flying only during the summer months, from January to March. Although no formal population studies have been done, daily counts suggest relatively small populations, with less than 10 individuals observed in a single day. Adults spent most of their time flying and landing within grass tufts of Cortaderia sp. ( Poaceae ) (a common grass species in the wet grasslands) ( Figs. 4 View FIGURE 4 C–D). Courtship behavior and mating were not observed. Oviposition behavior was not observed in the field, and the host plant in nature is unknown. However, in the laboratory, larvae easily accepted Bambusa gracilis (Poaceae) .

Phylogenetic relationships ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Based on the Maximum Likelihood analysis using three genes (COI, GAPDH and RpS5), the genus Carminda is monophyletic and well-supported (bootstrap support = 94) and Carminda surpresa sp. nov. is sister to C. griseldis , forming a clade sister to C. umuarama + C. paeon , in the “ Megisto clade”, and both clades are well-supported (bootstrap support = 100, each).