Pseudopieris, Castro-Gerardino & Llorente-Bousquets, 2017

Castro-Gerardino, Diana Jimena & Llorente-Bousquets, Jorge, 2017, Comparative exploration of antennae in Pseudopontia, and antennal clubs of the tribes Leptideini and Dismorphiini (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Zootaxa 4347 (3), pp. 401-445 : 420-425

Pseudopieris

We studied the following species and subspecies of Pseudopieris : Pseudopieris sp. nov. (female with “androconial” patch), P. nehemia aequatorialis , P. nehemia jessica , P. nehemia limbalis , P. nehemia luisa , P. nehemia penia , P. nehemia prasina , P. nehemia ssp., P. viridula viridula , and P. v. zulma (see appendix).

ANTENNAL CLUB: The antenna is about one-half the length of the costal margin of forewing and clavate. The length of scaleless club ranges from 1470–1995 µm, averaging 1.7 mm (1740 µm) ( Fig. 7B ). Longer clubs occur in P. n. penia and P. v. viridula , and the shortest is found in P. n. jessica .

ANTENNOMERES: There are eight to ten scaleless antennomeres, which can vary in the same species. Eight antennomeres are found in males of P. nehemia ssp., P. n. prasina , P. n. luisa , and Pseudopieris sp. nov; nine are found in males and females of P. n. penia and P. n. jessica , females of P. n. aequatorialis , males of P. n. limbalis ; ten are found in males of P. n. aequatorialis ; eight to nine are found in females of Pseudopieris ssp. nov .; and nine to ten are found in P. v. viridula . The first two antennomeres of the scaleless club are cylindrical (rectangular appearance), and the following are doliform and depressed (thier width twice their length) ( Fig. 10A ); the last antennomere is digitiform and can be short or elongate. The last two or three antennomeres are fused ( P. n. limbalis ), and they measure twice or three times (males of P. v. viridula ) the size of those preceding them. This fusion sometimes is only ventral, and on the dorsal surface we noticed a division between antennomeres ( P. n. penia , P. n. aequatorialis , P. n. jessica , and Pseudopieris sp. nov.). The first antennomere can be partially scaled with a cleared region on the ventral surface, or may exhibit very few scales. Usually, the scaled area on the dorsal surface occurs on two antennomeres. In other cases, scales occur on one antennomere (males of P. n. penia ) or up to three, but only extending to the proximal margin ( P. n. jessica and Pseudopieris sp. nov.). On the dorsal surface of the club, we noticed a certain area along with the antennomere, which is only formed by microtrichia without any sensilla. Usually, it is seen on the dorsal surface from antennomere three to six, and only in P. n. aequatorialis did it reach antennomere seven.

SULCI AND PSEUDOSULCI: Central sulci are large and have a continuous and defined outline or are curvilinear, but they are reduced in the first antennomere; they are elliptic or semicircular, especially on the the first antennomere, and most are not truncated distally since they rarely reach the distal edge of the antennomere ( Fig. 12D ). Thus, the first two or three central sulci appear to be interrupted slightly by the edge of the antennomere, as in P. n. aequatorialis . They occupy one-half to two-thirds of the length of the antennomere and one-fourth to onehalf its width. In the first scaleless antennomere of the subspecies of P. nehemia , the sulci are reduced or absent, whereas Pseudopieris sp. nov. and P. viridula sspp. have the trisulcate configuration in the antennomeres of the neitre club. Until the third antennomere the sulci are lateral-mesial, then they occur on the dorsal surface of the club, and distally they are lateral-dorsal; this displacement is not symmetrical, but the sulci of one side are lateraldorsal and other remain lateral ( Fig. 11F ). In terms of numbers, they present the following combinations: 7 central and 14 lateral in females of P. n. jessica ; 7–8 central and 16 lateral in males of P. n. luisa ; 8 central and 12 lateral in males of P. nehemia ssp.; 8 central and 14 lateral in males of P. n. jessica ; 8 central and 15 lateral in males of P. n. limbalis , P. n. prasina , and Pseudopieris sp. nov.; 8 central and 16 lateral in males of P. n. penia ; 8–9 central and 14–16 lateral in females of Pseudopieris sp. nov.; 9 central and 16 lateral in females of P. n. penia ; 9 central and 17 lateral in females of P. n. aequatorialis ; 9–10 central and 17–18 lateral in males of P. v. viridula ; and 10 central and 18 lateral in males of P. n. aequatorialis . In this genus pseudosulci are rare and occur in Pseudopieris sp. nov. and P. viridula ; up to to six per antennomere. One exception is in P. n. luisa where they are scarce, but some contain a great number of trichoid sensilla (n = 36) considered to be pseudosulci. The lateral sulci are smaller than the central ones and occupy one-fourth to the middle of the antenna and are not truncated.

MICROTRICHIA: Michrotrichia m1 and m2 are present ( Fig. 13D ); also, in the scaled antennomeres the m2 are larger. In Pseudopieris sp. we found m3 surrounding sc1; m1 are joined together only at their bases, and sometimes their grooves converge to a single point with an acute apex. The ratio to the number of components of the sulci (st:m1) is 1:2 or 1:3.

TRICHOID SENSILLA: The stalk is 11–16 µm long. Sensilla are short and thick and their apices are blunt. They have very small pores along the cuticular wall. The cuticular ring is attached to the m1 forming a short, open cylinder around the sensilla ( Fig. 13D ).

CHAETIC SENSILLA: These sensilla are 17–35 µm in length; shorter in P. n. aequatorialis and longer in P. n. jessica . Chaetic sensilla are under the lateral sulci and between these and the central sulcus, for a total of four on the ventral surface. On the dorsal surface they occur in one or two pairs ( P. v. zulma ) toward the anterior half and near the distal and lateral edge antennomeres. They are also grouped in the apex of the distal antennomere.

OTHER SENSILLA: We found basiconic sensilla (sometimes two in a single cavity in P. n. aequatorialis ), which are more abundant on the ventral surface and scarce on the dorsal surface ( Fig 3B ). Auriculate sensilla are fewer and scattered throughout the scaleless club ( Fig. 16A ). Sensilla ni2 are on the ventral surface of the first antennomere; on the dorsal side, we counted two per antennomere distally. The coeloconic sc1 occur throughout the club, especially in the lateral-dorsal and the dorsal areas, but they are most abundant in the apex of the distal antennomere. Sensilla ni1 are in the lateral sulci and ni3 at the apex of the last antennomere.

PORES: We observed large and numerous pores between m1 and m2, as well as at their bases. Also, there are some pores within the sulci in Pseudopieris n. aequatorialis and P. v. viridula .

Figures

FIGURE 3. (A – G). Other types of sensilla on the antennae of Dismorphiinae. A. Basiconic sensilla (sb) in Enantia citrinella ♀; B. Basiconic sensilla (sb) in Pseudopieris nehemia jessica ♀, with cuticular pores (pc) and cuticular wall pores (pps) in the top box; C. Auriculate sensilla (sa) in Pseudopieris nehemia jessica ♂; D. Coeloconic sensilla type 1 (sc 1) with distal details d 1 (Moschoneura pinthous patricia ♂), d 2 and d 3 (Patia c. cordillera ♂); E. Coeloconic sensilla type 2 (sc 2) surrounded by smooth and sharp microtrichia type 4 (m 4) in Leptidea morsei ♂; F. Unidentified sensilla 1 (ni 1) in P. n. jessica ♀ surrounded by microtrichia type 2 (m 2); G. Unidentified sensilla 2 (ni 2) in P. n. jessica ♀; microtrichia type 2 (m 2).

FIGURE 7. (A – D). Antennal club I of Dismorphiinae species. A. Enantia c. citrinella ♂ (x 70); B. Pseudopieris v. viridula ♂ (x 70); C. Lieinix nemesis athis ♂ (x 60); D. Dismorphia amphione isolda ♂ (x 60).

FIGURE 10. (A – D). Mesial scaleless antennomeres II on antennal club of Dismorphiinae (counting from the scaleless baseline). A. Eighth antennomere in Pseudopieris nehemia aequatorialis ♂ (x 400); B. Fourth antennomere in Lieinix nemesis athis ♀ (x 300); C. Fourth antennomere in Dismorphia amphione isolda ♂ (x 300); D. Fourth antennomere of Moschoneura pinthous monica ♂ (x 450).

FIGURE 11. (A – F). Distal antennomeres fused in Dismorphiinae and location of lateral sulci. A. Pseudopontia gola (x 450) where there is a ventral unfinished division; B. Enantia citrinella ♂ (x 200); it can observed the ventral fusion of three antennomeres and the dorsal division between the last distals (two fused); C. Dismorphia eunoe eunoe ♀ (x 350), where there is apparently no fusion of the distal antennomeres; D. Moschoneura pinthous monica ♂ (x 300) where the fusion / division is shown in the distal antennomere; E. Patia cordillera cordillera ♀ (x 170); F. Dorsal view of the scaleless club of Pseudopieris sp. nov. ♀ (x 80) in which it can observed an asymmetric lateral, lateral-dorsal, and dorsal distribution of the lateral sulci.

FIGURE 12. (A – F). Central sulci and pseudosulci in some species of Dismorphiinae. A. Sulcus in the 2 ° antennomere in Leptidea gigantea ♂ (x 451); B. Sulcus in the 2 ° antennomere of L. gigantea ♀ (x 800) irregular outline and near to pseudosulcus; C. Sulcus 6 ° antennomere in Enantia jethys ♂ (x 850), with two pseudosulci; D. Central sulcus (well-defined boundary) in the 2 ° antennomere of Pseudopieris nehemia jessica ♂ (x 900); E. Sulcus in the 3 ° antennomere of Moschoneura pinthous ♂ (x 550); F. Sulcus in the 5 ° antennomere Patia c. cordillera ♀ (x 550).

FIGURE 13. (A – F). Trichoid sensilla in central sulci of Pseudopontiinae and Dismorphiinae. A. Pseudopontia paradoxa (x 4.0 k), with large pore (p) among microtrichia (m 1) and small cuticular prominences (pc); B. Leptidea juvernica ♂ (x 3.5 k; LCCA 10 kV; WIDTH 37.7 µm) with prominences (pc), more abundant; C. Enantia citrinella ♂ (x 2.7 k) with pores (p), like P. paradoxa, but scarcer; bases of sensilla with ornamentations (arrow); D. Pseudopieris sp. nov. ♂ (x 3.5 k) has the shorter sensilla; E. Lieinix neblina ♂ (x 3.5 k), the bases of the sensilla highly ornamented (arrows); F. Dismorphia amphione isolda ♀ (x 3.5 k).

FIGURE 16. Other sensilla in Dismorphiini. A. Sensilla auriculate in Pseudopieris sp. nov. ♀ (x 10.0 k); B. Unidentified sensilla 1 (sni 1) in Leptidea juvernica ♀ (x 4.7 k) where they are grouped at the apex of the distal antennomere; C. Unidentified sensilla 2 (sni 2) in Pseudopieris nehemia aequatorialis ♂ (x 4.7 k); D. Unidentified sensilla 3 (sni 3) in Leptidea darvazensis ♂ (x 14.0 k).