Eryphanis zolvizora opimus Staudinger, 1887

Blandin, Patrick, Bristow, Roger, Neild, Andrew, Sousa, Juan Carlos De, Gareca, Yuvinka & Huertas, Blanca, 2014, Revisiting the Andean butterfly Eryphanis zolvizora group (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): one or several species?, European Journal of Taxonomy 71, pp. 1-66 : 36-38

Eryphanis zolvizora opimus Staudinger, 1887

Figs 5E-F , 7F , 13G-I , 15K

Eryphanis opimus Staudinger, 1887: 217 .

Eryphanis zolvizora opimus – Stichel 1904: 33; 1909: 157, fig. 36; 1932: 75. — Fruhstorfer 1912: 312. — D’Abrera 1987: 406-407. — Casagrande 2004: 203.

Eryphanis opimus ( Staudinger, 1887) [sic] – Penz 2008: 15-15 , figs 1I, 4I, 5I (status revised and redescription).

Diagnosis

HW projection only poorly developed; a faint orange spot between the R5-M1 veins is present in some specimens; the DFW band generally with five well developed, almost contiguous, crescent-shaped spots ( Fig. 5E ) (however, there are some specimens with small, sometimes blurred, disjunct spots; cf. Fig. 5F ); on the VFW, in space Cu2-2A, the inner margin of the distal white stripe forms a projection that does not reach the black border of the proximal white stripe; in the VHW cell the dark brown lines and curved line above the Cu1-Cu2 ocellus are well developed ( Fig. 5E-F ). The valva axis has no swelling; the dorsal ridge has a row of more than 6 spines, dimimishing towards the extremity ( Fig. 13G ).

Type material

Lectotype, here designated

COLOMBIA: ♂, dirty white, rectangular label: // Manizales , Cauca [handwritten in dark brown ink, followed by an indecipherable abbreviation: S?hl.]// ( ZMHB).

Paralectotype, here designated

COLOMBIA: ♂, dirty white, rectangular label: // Manizales, Cauca [handwritten in dark brown ink, followed by an indecipherable abbreviation: S?hl.]// ( ZMHB).

Type locality

Manizales ( Colombia).

Description

Male

The FWL varies from 58 to 66 mm. Average P = 3.9 (n = 6; cf. Table 3 ); it is possible that there is no significant difference with other populations from the Northern Andes, except E. z. greeneyi . In some specimens, there is a faint orange spot between the R5-M1 veins, making a very weak projection of the proximal branch of the submarginal band ( Fig. 5E ); this feature has not been observed in other specimens from the Northern Andes. The DFW band varies from well developed, with five barely contiguous spots, to five small disjunct spots in some specimens, that we consider to be individual variations, like similar specimens from northern Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela. The violet iridescence is a little more pronounced than that of E. z. greeneyi , but less than in E. z. reyi ssp. nov. and E. z. isabelae ssp. nov. (cf. Fig. 6 ). The androconial patch is a bright creamy, pale citrus yellow. The background colour of the ventral surface has a lighter yellowish aspect than in E. z. chachapoya ssp. nov. ( Fig. 5E ). On the VFW, the isolated white spot in the cell is medium to large, with a variable, roughly oval, triangular or crescent-like shape; there is sometimes a small white spot in the angle formed by the cubital vein and Cu2 ( Fig. 5E-F ); in space Cu2-2A, the inner margin of the distal white stripe forms a projection that does not reach the black border of the proximal white stripe, and is often less pronounced than in E. z. greeneyi ( Fig. 5E-F ). On the VHW, the white stripes extend far beyond the Cu1-Cu2 ocellus, notably the distal one, which reaches vein 2A; in the cell, the dark brown lines and curved line above the Cu1-Cu2 ocellus are well developed; the costal VHW ocellus has an incomplete pale circle, sometimes partially covered with white scales; the black ring is complete and sometimes thicker than in any other subspecies ( Fig. 5E-F ). The VHW Cu1-Cu2 ocellus (Φ average value: 10.7 mm; n = 6; cf. Table 5 ) is larger, on the average, than that of E. z. greeneyi and E. z. reyi ssp. nov., and much larger than in E. z. isabelae ssp. nov. Genitalia exhibit weak individual variations ( Fig. 13G-I ). The valva is regular, without a swelling; the ridge bears a row of more than 6 spines, the size of which varies more or less regularly; the gnathos is larger than those in E. z. zolvizora , and sometimes smaller than in E. z. chachapoya ssp. nov.

Female

Only 6 females are known (labelled from ‘Calima Valley, Cauca River’; Calima, 45km W of Buga; Río Agua; ‘Rio Aguatal’; Colombia Ost; and ‘Colombie’). The FWL varies from 66 to 70 mm. The diagnostic characters correspond to those of the males ( Fig. 7F ). On the dorsal surface, the FW band is composed of five narrow crescentic orange spots that just touch each other (the band is slightly narrower than that of most E. z. greeneyi females). There is the faintest hint of a sixth orange spot between the R5-M1 nerves ( Fig. 7F ). There is a strong purplish sheen in the middle of both the FW and HW. As in the male, on the VFW, in space Cu2-2A, the inner margin of the distal white stripe forms a projection that does not reach the black border of the proximal white stripe (an exception is the female from Río Aguacatal), unlike in E. z. reyi ssp. nov. and E. z. isabelae ssp. nov. The dorsal branches of the inward projections of the sterigma have a regular outline, in this way being different from E. z. greeneyi and more similar to E. z. chachapoya ssp. nov., but their extremities are notably less distant from the internal side of the arch than in females from northern Peru ( Fig. 15K ); nevertheless, the differences with one of the E. z. chachapoya ssp. nov. females (cf. Fig. 15H ) are weak. Female genitalia of E. z. opimus do differ markedly from those of other Northern Andean females, except one female of E. z. reyi ssp. nov. which has thicker inward projections and shorter dorsal branches (cf. Fig. 15L ).

Flight periods

The only ten dates that we have are from May to November.

Distribution

Colombia. The only specimens with reliable data are from the Cauca Valley, and from Río Aguacatal (this name has often been misspelt on data labels as Aquatil, Aquatal, Aguatal, Aguaca, and similar), on eastern slopes of the western cordillera. It is unfortunate that, of the many specimens of E. z. opimus that we have seen, only five reliable localities can be confirmed in the Cauca Valley: Calima Valley, on the west side of the valley (i.e. east side of the western cordillera); and Armenia, Pereira, Manizales, and Mesopotamia, on the east side of the valley (i.e. west side of central cordillera). Fassl (1915a: 10) shows opimus on both sides of the western cordillera at heights between 2000 and 2500 m, but we have not seen any E. zolvizora specimen from these altitudes on the west side of the western cordillera, although specimens labelled ‘Cali, 1000 m’ in the MNHN and MPM were probably collected along the road from Cali to Buenaventura on the Pacific slope, as well as the ‘Buenaventura-Queremal’ male in the IAvH. Reliable altitudes range from 900 to 2500 m.

Remarks

The taxon E. opimus was described by Staudinger (1887), on the basis of three syntypes (males), two from Manizales ( Colombia) and one from Chanchamayo ( Peru). After Stichel (1904), it was considered as a subspecies of E. zolvizora , until Penz (2008) revised its status. The name opimus has always been used for Colombian specimens ( Stichel 1904, 1909, 1932; Fruhstorfer 1912; Fassl 1914, 1915 a, 1915b; D’Abrera 1987). Staudinger noted differences between the Peruvian syntypic specimen and the Colombian ones. It should be noted that none of the syntypes match the figured specimen (fig. 36) in Stichel (1909). To stabilize the situation, we have designated as lectotype the undamaged Manizales syntype. The other Manizales specimen is therefore a paralectotype. As indicated previously, it is likely that the syntype from Chanchamayo belongs to E. z. chachapoya ssp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 5. Habitus of males. Red spot: holotype (HT) or lectotype (LT). A. Eryphanis zolvizora greeneyi Penz & DeVries, 2008, stat. rev., HT (Yanayacu, Napo, Ecuador; BMNH). B. E. z. greeneyi, specimen with increased forewing spots (Baeza, Napo, Ecuador, Pinas). C. Eryphanis zolvizora casagrande ssp. nov., HT (Altaquer, Nariño, Colombia; ICNUN). D. E. z. casagrande from Western Ecuador (Las Gralarias, Pichincha; FLMNH). E. Eryphanis zolvizora opimus (Staudinger, 1887), LT (Manizales, Colombia; ZMHB). F. E. z. opimus, specimen with reduced spots (Cauca, Colombia; MNHN, CG).

Fig. 7. Habitus of females. Yellow spot: paratype (PT). A. Eryphanis zolvizora zolvizora (Hewitson, 1877) (San Jacinto, Bolivia; BMNH). B. Eryphanis zolvizora chachapoya ssp. nov., PT (San José de Molinopampa, Amazonas, Peru; MNHN, PBGL 198). C. Eryphanis zolvizora greeneyi Penz & DeVries, 2008, stat. rev. (Ecuador; JFLC). D. Eryphanis zolvizora casagrande ssp. nov., PT (La Planada, Nariño, Colombia; IAvH). E. E. z. casagrande ssp. nov. (Huigra, Chimborazo, Ecuador; ANSP). F. Eryphanis zolvizora opimus (Staudinger, 1887) (Río Agua (presumably Río Aguacatal), Valle del Cauca, Colombia; BMNH).

Fig. 13. A-C. Male genitalia of Eryphanis zolvizora greeneyi Penz & DeVries, 2008, stat. rev. A. Specimen from Rio Blanco, Ecuador (MNHN, PBB 729). B. Specimen from Rio Blanco, Ecuador (MNHN, PBB 537). C. Specimen from Rio Blanco, Ecuador (MNHN, PBB 257). – D-F. Male genitalia of Eryphanis zolvizora casagrande ssp. nov. D. HT from Altaquer, Nariño, Colombia (ICNUN). E. PT from Ricaurte, Nariño, Colombia (IAvH; drawing by Jean-François Le Crom, JFL 336). F. Specimen from Las Gralarias, Pichincha, Ecuador (FLMNH). – G-I. Male genitalia of Eryphanis zolvizora opimus (Staudinger, 1887). G. Specimen from Manizales, Caldas, Colombia (BMNH 8228). H. Specimen from Arménia, Quindio, Colombia (MNHN, CG). I. Specimen from Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia (BMNH 8227).

Fig. 15. Female sterigma. A. Eryphanis zolvizora zolvizora (Hewitson, 1877) (Bolivia; MNHN, CG). B-H. Eryphanis zolvizora chachapoya ssp. nov. B. PT from Cushi, Pasco, Peru (BMNH 8226). C. PT from Carpish, Huánuco, Peru (MNHN, PBB 2285). D. Specimen from Mallqui, Huánuco, Peru (MNHN, PBB 2327). E. PT from San José de Molinopampa, Amazonas, Peru (MNHN, PBGL 198). F. PT from Nieva, Amazonas, Peru (MNHN, PBGL 596). G. PT from Alto Nieva, Amazonas, Peru (MNHN, PBGL 519). H. Specimen from Alto Nieva, Amazonas, Peru (MNHN, PBGL 520). I. Eryphanis zolvizora greeneyi Penz & DeVries, 2008, stat. rev., specimen fromValladolid, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador (MNHN, PBB 2288). J. Eryphanis zolvizora casagrande ssp. nov., PT from La Planada, Nariño, Colombia (IAvH; drawing by Jean-François Le Crom, JFL 337). K. E. zolvizora opimus (Staudinger, 1887), specimen from ‘Colombie’ (MNHN, CG). L. Eryphanis zolvizora reyi ssp. nov., PT from La Mina, Barinas, Venezuela (R, 116-JCSC). M-O. E. zolvizora isabelae ssp. nov. M. PT from Choroní, Aragua, Venezuela (R, 114-JCSC). N. PT from Rancho Grande, Aragua, Venezuela (MIZA, 118-JCSC). O. PT from La Llanada, Distrito Federal, Venezuela (MNHN, PBB 2322).

Fig. 6. Habitus of males. Red spot: holotype (HT). Yellow spot: paratype (PT). A. Eryphanis zolvizora reyi ssp. nov., HT (La Chimenea, Barinas, Venezuela; MIZA). B. E. z. reyi ssp. nov., PT (Charalá, Colombia; MNHN, PBB 2321). C. Eryphanis zolvizora isabelae ssp. nov., HT (Choroní, Aragua, Venezuela; R, to be donated to MIZA). D. E. z. isabelae ssp. nov., PT; specimen with reduced forewing spots (Choroní, Aragua, Venezuela; R).