Cithaerias aurora (C. Felder & R. Felder)

Penz, Carla M., Alexander, Laura G. & Devries, Philip J., 2014, Revised species definitions and nomenclature of the rose colored Cithaerias butterflies (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), Zootaxa 3873 (5), pp. 541-559 : 550-552

Cithaerias aurora (C. Felder & R. Felder) STAT. REV.

( Figs 4 , 5a–e , 6 c–e, 8d, 9)

Callitaera phantoma Fassl NEW SYN. Callitaera pireta aura Langer NEW SYN. Cithaerias juruaënsis [sic] D’Almeida

Type material: The type specimen is in the Natural History Museum, UK http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ ih/n_ cithaerias 0025_i.htm (last accessed 22 June 2014).

Distribution. Brazil, Colombia and Peru, east of the Andes. Available collection records suggest that this species is not sympatric with C. cliftoni . See map ( Fig. 9 ) for examined specimens.

Diagnosis. We define this species based on the following combination of characters (numbered in Fig. 4 ): (1) male HW marginal band very thin; (2) male HW submarginal band usually thin, clearly separated from marginal band and slightly staggered; (3) male HW postmedial band that outlines the ocellus usually complete, reaching vein M3; (4) male HW postmedial band usually thin, forming a staggered pattern, complete across cells M3 through Cu2 or reduced/absent from cell M3 depending on the locality; (5) distance between male HW submarginal and postmedial bands usually larger than the width of the cells, variable between cells; (6) male HW rose scaling diffuse but denser than in C. cliftoni , usually not entering discal cell, or only entering the distal portion of discal cell; (7) female with much wider HW brown bands than male, forming arches in each cell; (8) female HW scaling usually limited to postmedial but sometimes reaching the medial area, vivid rose (more so than C. cliftoni ). In both sexes the FW brown bands vary from incomplete (below discal cell only) to nearly absent. Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 c–e): in lateral view the valva is slightly shorter than that of C. cliftoni , which also lacks inner projection as seen in ventro-lateral view; in dorsal view the lateral edges of uncus plus tegumen are rounded; and in ventral view the rounded shape of the sclerotized subscaphium bears large spines—a key difference between C. aurora and C. cliftoni . Female genitalia ( Fig. 8 d): note the rectangular sterigma (slightly variable in shape and width between specimens), and the heavily sclerotized post-sterigma indentation.

Variation in wing pattern ( Figs 4 , 5a–e ). In both males and females HW postmedial and marginal bands shows some variation in width (more pronounced in females), and also the distance between bands. Ocellus below M1 varies in size. Male HW rose scaling varies from being limited to the postmedial area to barely entering the discal cell. We found much geographical variation in the density of scaling and color of the male HW (from pale to vivid rose), which was the basis for the description of subspecies tambopata (denser scaling, vivid rose). Note that specimens from Rondônia, Brazil also have a vivid rose coloration (compare Fig. 5a and d ).

Subspecies: Cithaerias aurora tambopata Lamas , NEW COMB. Holotype is in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Universidad Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ih/ n_ cithaerias 0033_i.htm (last accessed 22 June 2014). This proposal is justified based on two main sources of evidence: (1) the close similarity of male valva and subscaphium morphology and sclerotization (compare specimens from Brazil in Fig. 6 c–d to one from Peru in Fig. 6 e), and (2) a regional trend in the broad spacing between HW submarginal and postmedial bands (character (5) in Fig. 4 g, see also Fig. 5a ).

Remarks. The type specimens of aurora and aura are both faded and nearly identical, and the type material of phantoma appears to have been lost (see Lamas 1998). Most specimens recognized here as C. aurora have a wider distance between male HW submarginal and postmedial bands than the aforementioned types, but a few resemble the pattern of those types. See Historical Information for further details.

Material examined: Cithaerias aurora aurora MALE: 2M Brazil, Rondônia, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 62 km S Ariquemes, 17 August 1993, dissection CMP 13-19, 10 October 1993 (UFL); 1M Brazil, Rondônia, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 62 km S Ariquemes, 29 September–10 October 1992 ( USNM); 1M Brazil, Rondônia, Jaru, August 1976 (UFL); 1F Brazil, Amazonas, São Paulo de Olivença, 5 November 1971, dissection CMP 13-16 (UFL); 11M Brazil, Amazonas, São Paulo de Olivença, January–April 1923, seven dissected by M. Clifton, slides 102, 164, 169, 170, 171, 174, 176 ( CMNH); 1M Brazil, Amazonas, São Paulo de Olivença October 1973 ( USNM); 1M Brazil, Amazonas, Tefé, 20 February 1920 and 22 December 1926 dissected by M. Clifton, slides 165 and 166 ( CMNH); 5M Brazil, Amazonas, Arimã, November–December 1922, dissected by M. Clifton, slides 139, 140, 141, 142, 144 ( CMNH); 25M Brazil, Amazonas, Nova Olinda, Rio Purus, May–July 1922, dissected by M. Clifton, slides 101, 103, 104, 105, 136, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 166, 167, 168, 175 ( CMNH); 1M Colombia, Amazonas, Rio Loreto Yacu 8 July–August 16 1981, dissection CMP 14-07 ( LACM); 1M Peru, Tingo Maria, March 1981, dissection CMP 13-14 (UFL); 1M Peru, Huanuco, Tingo Maria, Leonces Prado, 23 June 1982, dissection CMP 13-24 (UFL); 1M Peru, Tingo Maria, 28 January 1972 ( USNM); 6M Peru, Junin, Satipo, October 1947, dissection CMP 2M Peru, Junin, Satipo, May and October 1983 ( USNM); 14–17 and M. Clifton slides 112, 113 ( CMNH); 3M Peru, Sani Benj (sic) 840 m 25 August 1935, 6 September 1935, 31 August 1935 dissected by M. Clifton, slide 221 ( CMNH); FEMALE: 2F Brazil, Rondônia, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 62 km S Ariquemes, 6 August 1992, dissection CMP 13–33, 17 August 1993 (UFL); 1M Brazil, Rondônia, vic. Caucalandia, 14 October 1991 ( USNM); 1F Brazil, Rondônia, Jaru, 6 August 1976 (UFL); 1F Brazil, Amazonas, São Paulo de Olivença, 5 June 1972 (UFL); 4F Brazil, Amazonas, São Paulo de Olivença, January–March 1923 ( CMNH); 1F Brazil, Amazonas, São Paulo de Olivença June 1964 ( USNM); 1F Brazil, Amazonas, Arimã, November 1922 ( CMNH); 7F Brazil, Amazonas, Nova Olinda, Rio Purus, May–July 1922 ( CMNH); 1F Brazil, Amazonas, Manacapuru July 1923 ( CMNH); 1F Colombia, Amazonas 13 April 1986, dissection CMP 14-08 ( LACM); 1F Ecuador, Mera 15 December 1956 (likely mislabeled) ( LACM); 1F Peru, Pucallpa, 19 May 1960, dissection CMP 14–21 ( USNM); 2F Peru, Junin, Satipo no date, dissection CMP 14–18 and M. Clifton slide 214 ( CMNH); 2F Peru, Junin, Satipo, October 1983, and no date ( USNM); 1F Peru, Huanuco, Tingo Maria, Leonces Prado, 23 June 1982 (UFL); 1F Peru, Huanuco, Tingo Maria, 7 August 1979, dissection CMP 13–40 (UFL). Cithaerias aurora tambopata MALE: 1M Peru, Cuzco, Kosnipata, 5 km N Picopata 1000 m, 12 November 1989, dissection CMP 13–18 (UFL); 1M Peru, Madre de Dios, Cerro Pantiacolla, Shintuya 460 m, 15 July 1980, dissection CMP 13–25 (UFL); 1M Peru, Tambopata 18 June 1985 (UFL); 7M Peru, Puerto Maldonado, various dates in 2004 and 2005 plus 25 April 2005, dissection CMP 13– 20 and 13 October 2004, dissection CMP 13–27 (PJD); 3M Peru, Madre de Dios, Manu, Pakitza, 22, 26, 28 April 1991 ( USNM); 1M Peru, Rio Madre de Dios 10 May 1975 ( USNM);. FEMALE: 1F Peru, Madre de Dios, Cerro Pantiacolla, Shintuya 460 m, 25 June 1980, dissection CMP 13–34 (UFL); 1F Peru, Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata Reserve, 22 October 1983 (UFL); 4F Peru, Puerto Maldonado, various dates in 2004 and 2005 plus 13 August 2005 dissection CMP 14-02 (PJD). 1F Peru, Cuzco, Pompawaxo (sic) 1000 m, April 1997 (UFL); 1F Peru, Madre de Dios, Cerro Pantiacolla, Shintuya 460 m, 20 July 1980 (UFL); 1F Peru, Madre de Dios, Manu, Pakitza, 4 May 1991 ( USNM); 1F Peru, Rio Madre de Dios 16 May 1975 ( USNM).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia in lateral and ventral views, tegument and uncus in dorsal view, and subscaphium in ventral view. Valva setae shown on one side only. When not clearly visible in the lateral view illustration, the phallus was shown separately. The position of the phallus varies between illustrations, which does not reflect true variation in length. Given that the two parts of the subscaphium (subanal plate and adjacent sclerotized area) rest on the membranous diaphragma, the variation in the shape of the subanal plate includes preparation artifacts (compare c – e which belong to the same species). Scale bar 1 mm for all images. a, C. pireta dissection CMP 13 - 09; b, C. cliftoni dissection LGA 12 - 05; c – e, C. aurora dissections CMP 13 - 16, CMP 13 - 19 and CMP 13 - 18.

FIGURE 8. Female genitalia in ventral view, including schematic representation of papilla anales and abdomen outline. Scale bar Scale bar 1 mm for line drawings only. a, C. pireta dissection CMP 13 – 28, the arrow indicates lateral portion of the sterigma that is much reduced (and not illustrated) in other species; b – c, C. cliftoni dissections CMP 13 – 35 and 13 – 29; d, C. aurora dissection CMP 13 – 33; e, C. pyritosa dissection CMP 14 – 20. f, characteristic aspect of a mated female; note that the scaling anterior to the sterigma have been lifted by the mating plug.

FIGURE 9. Map showing the collecting localities of examined specimens (excluding dubious localities).

FIGURE 4. C. aurora; dorsal view on the left, ventral on the right. Collecting localities and genitalia dissection codes appear below each specimen.

FIGURE 5. a – e, C. aurora; f, C. aurorina; g – i, C. pyritosa; dorsal view on the left, ventral on the right. Collecting localities and genitalia dissection codes appear below each specimen.