Ferenta stolliana (Stoll, 1782)

Borth, Robert J. & Kons, Hugo L., 2022, Mitochondrial genetics of Ophiderini, with a new species from the Eudocima phalonia species group (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Calpinae), Zootaxa 5148 (1), pp. 1-151 : 25

Ferenta stolliana (Stoll, 1782)

( Figs 7 : E–F, 18: F, 23: I, 28: P, 30: G, 90: E–F, H)

This species differs from F. incaya by the dorsal hindwing orange band not reaching the wing margin, and this band is narrower than in F. cacica . Ferenta stolliana was described as having violet tints in the forewings and ebony blue hues on the hindwings and was illustrated in Cramer (1782) Fig. 28 : P)). It was described from Suriname and ranges from Costa Rica south to Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and east to Suriname near the French Guiana border.

The description of Darceta (Ferenta) castula Dognin was based on one female specimen from Venezuela in the heart of the F. stolliana distribution range. The description refers to a large orange hindwing spot as in cacica , but thinner and less oval ( Dognin 1912). This agrees with F. stolliana . The fact that Dognin (1912) compared F. castula to F. cacica but not F. stolliana (which also has a thinner, less ovuloid hindwing band), suggests that Dognin was unaware of the latter species. He also described castula as having bluish tinted forewings and ebony blue hues on the hindwings, which also agrees with F. stolliana . We are unaware of any difference between F. stolliana and F. castula , and thus consider F. castula a syn. nov. of F. stolliana .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Neotropical Eudocima and Ferenta adults (dorsal aspect).

FIGURE 28. A–O: Eudocima phalonia group and Calpini adults (dorsal aspect); P: Page 41, Plate 310, Figure A from Cramer (1782); Q: Page 58, Plate 12, Figure 11 from Stoll (1790).