Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Pyrcz & Oremans, 2013

Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Warren-Gash, Haydon, Lorenc-Brudecka, Jadwiga, Dieuwko Knoop,, Oremans, Philippe & Safian, Szabolcs, 2013, Taxonomy and distribution pattern of the African rain forest butterfly genus Euphaedra Huebner sensu stricto with the description of three new subspecies of Euphaedra cyparissa (Cramer) and one of E. sarcoptera (Butler) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Limenitidinae, Adoliadini), ZooKeys 298, pp. 1-37 : 8-12

Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Pyrcz & Oremans ssp. n. Figs 2A, 2B , 3E, 3F , 9D , 10A, 10B

Type-locality.

N. Awasso, Bibiani, Western Region, Ghana

Material examined.

Holotype ♂: Ghana, Western, Bibiani, N. Awasso, 250-400 m, 02.IV.2007, MZUJ; Paratypes (127 ♂ and 29 ♀): 7 ♂: Ivory Coast, Abengourou, XI.1993, S. Collins leg., (1 ♂: prep. genit. 03/09.05.2012, J. Lorenc); 1 ♂: Ivory Coast, Abengourou, 13.V.1973; 1 ♀: Ivory Coast, Abengourou, 04.XII.1970, J. Kielland leg., prep. genit. 03/09.05.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♀: Ivory Coast, Abengourou; 1 ♀: Ivory Coast, Abengourou, S. Collins leg.; 1 ♂: Ivory Coast, Danane, IV.1973, S. Collins leg.; 1 ♀: same data but IV.1977; 1 ♀: same data but IV.1970 (all 3 specimens from " Danane " possibly mislabeled); 3 ♂: Ghana, Ankasa, XI.2003, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♀: Ghana, Bia, XII.2003, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♀: same data, prep. genit. 06/09.05.2012, J. Lorenc; 13 ♂: Ghana, Bia, XII.2003, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 7 ♂: Ghana, Bia, III.2003; 1 ♀: Ghana, Bibiani, IV.2007, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♂: Ghana, Bibiani, IV.2007, SY leg.; 1 ♀: Ghana, Bonkro, XI.2005, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 5 ♂: Ghana, Cape 3 Points, I.2004, R. Vorgas leg.; 1 ♀: same data but I.2006, 1 ♂: Ghana, Kibi, XII.1996, S. Collins leg.; 1 ♂: Ghana, Kibi, S. Collins leg.; 1 ♂: Ghana, Mate, II.2002, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♂: same data but III.2002; 1 ♂: Ghana, Mpasaso, VII.2004, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♀: same data but V.2004, prep. genit. 02/09.05.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♂: Ghana, Nkwakwa, 04.IX.2000; 1 ♀: Ghana, Nkwakwa, IV.2000, S. Collins leg.; 3 ♂: Ghana, Sagamase, Kibi, X.2010, S. Collins leg.; 3 ♂: same data but XII.2000; 2 ♂: same data but IX.2003; 2 ♂: same data but I.2002; 1 ♂: same data but I.2001; 3 ♂: same data but XII.1997; 1 ♂: same data but IV.2003; 1 ♂: same data but VII.1998; 1 ♀: same data but I.2002; 1 ♀: same data but I.2003; 11 ♂: Ghana, Tano Ofin, III.2002, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♂: same data, prep. genit. 01/09.05.2012, J. Lorenc; 13 ♂: same data but I.2004; 3 ♂: same data but II.2002; 1 ♂: same data but X.2009; 1 ♂: same data but IX.2002; 1 ♂: same data but XI.2003; 1 ♂: same data but IX.2001; 1 ♂: same data but III.2001; 4 ♂: same data but II.2001, R. Vorgas leg.; 1 ♂: same data but Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♂: same data but S. Collins leg.; 1 ♂: same data but XII.2001, S. Collins leg.; 4 ♂: same data but III.2001; 1 ♂: Ghana, Tano Ofin, I.2011; 1 ♀: same data but IV.2011; 2 ♀: same data but III.2002, Vorgas/Yevu leg.; 1 ♀: same data but II.2002; 1 ♀: same data but II.2001, R. Vorgas leg.; all ex coll. ABRI; 2 ♂: Ghana, Kyebi (Kibi) District, Eastern Region, Segyimaase, forestry access road, Atewa Range, 29.III-04.IV.2005, Sáfián, Sz., Csontos, G. and Kormos, B. leg.; 1 ♂: same data but 13-21.X.2007, Sáfián, Sz. leg., SZS; 1 ♀: Ghana, Eastern Region, Asuom Amanfrom, Amanfrom Forest, Kade District, 20-24.III.2005, Sáfián, Sz., Csontos, G. and Kormos, B. leg., SZS; 1 ♂: Ghana, Western, Bibiani, N. Awasso, 250-400 m, 01.IV.2007; 1 ♀: Ghana, Eastern Region, Atewa Forest, Sagymasse trail, 400-500 m, 16-27.X.2008, G. Csontos and Sz. Sáfián leg., MZUJ; 1 ♀: Ivory Coast, Banco, 11.XII.1999, H. Warren-Gash leg.; 1 ♀: Ivory Coast, South-West, Ft de Dassioko, 31.XII.1997, H. Warren-Gash leg.; 1 ♂: Ivory Coast, Foret d’Azagny, 10.III.2001, H. Warren-Gash leg.; 1 ♂: Ivory Coast, Foret d’Azagny, 06.I.2001, H. Warren-Gash leg., HWG; 14 ♂ and 7 ♀: Kibi, Ghana, XII.2012, local collector leg., Ph.O; 2 ♂ and 1 ♀: same data, MZUJ.

Diagnosis.

Upperside black and golden green with a yellow subapical patch strongly suffused with green, compared to the slightly suffused patch in Euphaedra cyparissa aurata .

Description.

Male ( Figs 2A, 2B ): Head, thorax and abdomen: identical to other subspecies. FWD: (length: 34-38 mm, mean: 37 mm, n=4): with an elongated apical part, and gently convex outer margin; most of wing surface black; costa from base to apex dusted with dark blue; a yellow green area with a golden sheen from wing base to two-thirds of anal margin, slightly entering discal cell and base of cell Cu1-Cu2; a large, roughly rectangular yellow subapical patch heavily dusted with green scales, with sharply defined zigzagging basal limit and somewhat diffused outer limit; fringes grey. HWD oval with a gently scalloped outer margin; predominantly golden green, gradually turning bluish green from vein M3 towards tornus and anal margin, with a blackish marginal area with a strong dark blue flush, gradually narrowing from roughly 4-5 mm at apex to 1 mm at tornus, leaving a dark blue submarginal dot in cell Cu1-Cu2; fringes grey. FWV mostly green yellow except for a large rich yellow subapical patch with some greenish overcast in apical part, a series of black spots, at wing base, mid cell, cell end, the latter two elongated, a half-moon one in mid cell Cu1-Cu2; two black elongated patches and four spots, two enclosing basally and distally a mostly rich yellow patch suffused with green yellow in its apical part, and two large, roughly square tornal patches in Cu1-Cu2 and Cu2-1/2A; HWV mostly rich yellow with an elongated basal pinkish patch extending from costal margin to Rs to one-third costa, edged with black; two black discal spots, and a series of smaller patches forming a gradually shrinking row from mod costa to discal cell end, a row of eight large, mostly rectangular black submarginal patches; marginal area steely blue. Male genitalia ( Fig. 9D ): Not differing noticeably from the nominotypical subspecies.

Female ( Figs 3E, 3F ): Sexual dimorphism slight, recognized from the male by the larger size (FW length: 43 mm, n=3). Female genitalia ( Figs 10A, 10B ): Bursa copulatrix large, oval; no signa; ductus bursae (0.21-0.24 mm) longer than in other subspecies, narrow, approximately the same width over the whole length, same length as bursa; colliculum slat like with gently folded edges, strongly sclerotized, one-third the length of ductus bursae; ductus seminalis joins the colliculum at the entrance of ductus bursae; lamella postvaginalis small, slat-like; papillae anales three times as long (0.9-0.13 mm) as wide in lateral view, compressed in ventral view; apophyse posteriores as long as the width of papillae anales; von Siebold organ prominent (but smaller than in some species of the Euphaedra ceres group ( Pyrcz et al. 2011).

Etymology.

The epithet of this taxon is an allusion to its resemblance to the next subspecies, Euphaedra cyparissa aurata .

Range.

A widely distributed subspecies found in coastal forests in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, and also in inland forests in eastern Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Figures

Figure 2. Adults, males: A Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Bibiani, Ghana, holotype (dorsum) B Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Bibiani, Ghana, paratype (venter) C Euphaedra cyparissa aurata Isheri, Nigeria (dorsum) D Euphaedra cyparissa aurata Isheri, Nigeria (venter) E Euphaedra cyparissa nominalina Mongoumba, R. C. A., holotype (dorsum) F Euphaedra cyparissa nominalina Mongoumba, R. C. A., holotype (venter).

Figure 3. Adults, females: A Euphaedra cyparissa cyparissa Guma, Sierra Leone (dorsum) B Euphaedra cyparissa cyparissa Guma, Sierra Leone (venter) C Euphaedra cyparissa nimbina Mont Nimba, Guinea, paratype (dorsum) D Euphaedra cyparissa nimbina Mont Nimba, Guinea, paratype (venter) E Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Atewa Forest, paratype (dorsum) F Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Atewa Forest, paratype (venter).

Figure 9. Male genitalia (in lateral view, aedeagus extracted): A Euphaedra cyparissa cyparissa Guma, Sierra Leone B Euphaedra cyparissa tai Tai, Ivory Coast C Euphaedra cyparissa nimbina Mont Nimba, Guinea D Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Abengourou, Ivory Coast E Euphaedra cyparissa aurata Ebogo, Cameroon F Euphaedra cyparissa nominalina Bangui, Central African Republic.

Figure 10. Female genitalia (in lateral view): A Euphaedra cyparissa aurantina Mpasso, Ghana E cyparissa aurantina Abengourou, Ivory Coast; 1 ♂: S. Nigeria, Ewohimi, 29. XI. 55, J. Boorman; 1 ♂: no label; 2 ♂: Cameroon, Ebogo, Mbalmayo, X. 2001; 1 ♂: Cameroon C Euphaedra cyparissa nimbina Mont Nimba, Guinea D Euphaedra cyparissa tai Tai, Ivory Coast E Euphaedra cyparissa aurata Obudu, Nigeria F Euphaedra cyparissa nominalina Mongorimba, R. C. A.