Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum (Carcasson), 1965

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 : 24-25

Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum (Carcasson), 1965 Figs 6C, 6D , 8A-F , 11B, 11D, 11F , 12A, 12C

Najas sarcoptera nipponicorum Carcasson, 1965: 132, fig. 4.

Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum (Carcasson); Ackery et al. 1995: 414.

Type-locality.

Ititye Camp, Mihuno, 25 miles east of Kigoma, Western Province, Tanzania.

Material examined.

3 ♀: Kasye Forest, Kigoma, Tanzania, III.1990, leg. local dealer, ex coll. P. Boyer, MZUJ; 3 ♂: R.C.A., Bangui, C.A.R., VIII.2000, S. Collins leg.; 1 ♂: R.C.A., Bangui, IX.2000, S. Collins leg., 2 ♂ and 1 ♀: R.C.A., Bangui, IV.2004, S. Collins leg.; 1 ♂: R.C.A., Bomoloto, R. Longamp, VII.1985, S. Collins leg.; 2 ♀: R.C.A., Bangui, VIII.2000, S. Collins leg.; 1 ♀: R.C.A., I.2004, S. Collins leg.; 2 ♂: R.D.C. (NW), Lukolela, Congo River, V.2012; 11 ♂ and 10 ♀: Tanzania, ABRI; 1 ♂: Congo, Province de l’Equateur, Mbandaka, 12.II.1998, prep. genit. 01/04.12.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♂: same data, prep. genit. 05/04.1.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♀: same data but XII.1997, prep. genit. 08/04.12.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♂: Congo, Province de l’Equateur, Environ de Mbandaka - Kuluboku, 27.IV.1995, prep. genit. 06/04.1.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♀: same data but 15.XI.1995, prep. genit. 07/04.12.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♂: Congo, Province de l’Equateur, Lukolela, 26.X.1993, prep. genit. 03/04.12.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♂: same data but 27.X.1993, prep. genit. 04/04.12.2012, J. Lorenc; 1 ♂: same data but XI.1993, PhO; 1 ♂: Sandoa, Katanga, R.D.C., Sandoa, 16.I.1991; 1 ♂: same data but 30.X.1920; 1 ♂: Kafakumba, Katanga, R.D.C., VII.1939; F.G. Overlaet leg.; 2 ♂: same data but II.1939; 1 ♂: same data but IX.1933; 1 ♂: Kinda, Katanga, R.D.C., 31.III.1916; 1 ♂: same data but 31.VIII.1916; 1 ♂: Montamba, 24.V.1916; 1 ♂: Kondué, East Kasai, R.D.C., no date, E. Luja leg.; 1 ♂: Tshilolo, Sankuru, East Kasai, 10.III.1951, Dr. Vallard leg.; 1 ♀: Kafakumba, Katanga, R.D.C., II.1939, F. G. Overlaet leg.; 1 ♀: same data but III.1939; 1 ♀: same data but IV.1939; 1 ♀: same data but IX.1933; 1 ♀: Kinda, 27.II.1916, F. G. Overlaet leg., MRAC.

Diagnosis.

Upperside ground colour golden yellow, same as in ferrea.

Redescription.

Male ( Figs 6C, 6D ): Head, thorax and abdomen same as in of the nominate subspecies. Wings: FW (length: 37-43 mm, mean: 40,3 mm, n=18) 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 golden yellow area with a light green suffusion from wing base to two-thirds of anal margin, covering lower half of discal cell; black postbasal and mid discal cell black round spots connected to black costal area; a large, elongated golden yellow subapical patch, extending from subcosta costa, progressively widening to space M2-M3, then narrowing and reaching to vein Cu1, with an irregular basal limit marked by an incision along vein M3, and a diffused outer limit, not reaching outer margin; fringes grey and black. HWD subtriangular with a gently scalloped outer margin; golden yellow, from Rs to costal margin dull brown; submarginal and marginal area black with a strong blue sheen, gradually narrowing from costa, where some 4 mm wide, to tornus, where greenish-blue takes over black and leaves one black spot in Cu1-Cu2 free; fringes grey and black. FWV green yellow, except for diffuse are in mid cell Cu2-1A-2A where free of green and in subapical area where forming a large patch shaped as on the upperside; basal to median area purple; a series of black patches, a rounded postbasal spot, a wide mid cell bar, a similar bar along discal cell distal margin, a series of four, moon-shaped patches along basal limit of a diffused subapical light yellow area, a large moon-shaped patch in mid cell Cu1-Cu2 coupled with a minute spot in Cu2-1A-2A, and a series of submarginal patches, five small from costa to cell M3-Cu1 and two large, roughly oval, in Cu1-Cu2 and Cu2-1A-2A. HWV golden yellow, with an elongated basal purple patch extending from costal margin to Rs to one-fourth costa, edged with black; six to seven black median spots, three or four of which in discal cell, and a row of eight large, roughly oval black submarginal patches; marginal area darker bottle green and black. Male genitalia: ( Figs 11B, 11D, 11F ) Tegumen same length as uncus, with a dome-like dorsal surface; uncus stout, more so than in other subspecies, slightly arched, with a sharp tip pointing downwards; gnathos long, same length as uncus; pedunculus prominent; saccus flattened in lateral view; valvae with a smooth dorsal surface with a blunt distal extremity ending with a small tip; aedeagus as long as valvae tubular and straight, with a sharp distal extremity, longer than in the nominate subspecies or styx, approaching the length of nimbta,and prominent cornuti.

Female ( Figs 8A-F ): Sexual dimorphism slight except for the larger size of the female (FW length: 40-51 mm, mean: 47,5 mm, n=10). Female genitalia ( Figs 12A, 12C ): Bursa copulatrix very large, larger than the rest of genital body, oval, no signa; ductus bursae wide, of same width throughout, one-third the length of bursa; colliculum short and weakly sclerotized; ductus seminalis joins the colliculum at the entrance of ductus bursae; lamella postvaginalis very small, slat-like; papillae anales three times as long as wide in lateral view, compressed in ventral view, apophyse posteriores one and half as long as the width of papillae anales; von Siebold organ prominent.

Range.

This subspecies was described from the now largely destroyed Kasye forest in western Tanzania. It is however widely distributed across the Congo Basin south to Katanga (Shaba). The individuals coming from the area of Mbandaka in the western part of the Congo Basin are attributable to this subspecies. They present however an unusual, apparently individual variation in the ground colour of the upperside, ranging from orange-yellow, through typically golden yellow to yellow with a strong green overcast. Such an apparent individual variation, quite common in some species of Euphaedra sensu lato , has been also observed in the Mount Swa population of Euphaedra sarcoptera . We refrain from further actions until more thorough sampling in the western Congo Basin confirms the differently patterned individuals are either syntopic or represent parapatric subspecies.

Figures

Figure 6. Adults, males: A Euphaedra sarcoptera cyparissoides holotype (dorsum) B Euphaedra sarcoptera cyparissoides holotype (venter) C Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo (dorsum) D Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo (venter) E E. sarcoptera sarcoptera-styx cline, Mount Swa, Liberia (dorsum) F E. sarcoptera sarcoptera-styx cline, Mount Swa, Liberia (venter).

Figure 8. Adults, females: A Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Kigoma, Tanzania (dorsum) B Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Kigoma, Tanzania (venter) C Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo (dorsum) D Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo (venter) E Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo (dorsum) F Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo (venter).

Figure 11. Male genitalia (in lateral view, aedeagus extracted): A Euphaedra sarcoptera sarcoptera Bibiani, Ghana B Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo C Euphaedra sarcoptera styx Tai, Ivory Coast D Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo E Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea F Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo.

Figure 12. Female genitalia (in lateral view): A Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Kigoma, Tanzania B Euphaedra sarcoptera ferrea Mont Nimba, Guinea C Euphaedra sarcoptera nipponicorum Mbandaka, Congo.