Johnsonita carpia Bálint, Boyer & Pyrcz, 2021

Bálint, Zsolt, Boyer, Pierre, Cerdeña, José, Larico, Jackie Farfán, Brudecka, Jadwiga Lorenc-, Prieto, Carlos & Pyrcz, Tomasz W., 2021, Contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical Lycaenidae: taxonomy of Johnsonita Salazar & Constantino, 1995 with descriptions of seven new species (Theclinae Eumaeini), Zootaxa 4963 (1), pp. 11-57 : 19-21

Johnsonita carpia Bálint, Boyer & Pyrcz , sp. n.

( Figs 4 , 17C–D , 20D–F , 23A , 30 )

Type material. CB ( CEP – MZUJ) holotype male in moderate condition (broken hindwings’ tornal parts), labelled as “Prov. Pichincha, Nono – Nanegalito, km15, 2100 m, 15.III.1998, P. Boyer ” (white label, printed) (dissected: gen. prep.6639/ J.Lorenc). Paratypes (n=6; two dissections), all from ECUADOR. Prov. Pichincha, Nono – Nanegalito km 15, 2100 m, 15.III.1996 ( CB: female) ; Prov. Pichincha, Nono vers Nanegalito , V.1999, P. Boyer ( CB: female); Prov. Carchi, Maldonado , 1600–1900 m, 8. V. 1999 (CB: female); Prov. Carchi, Res. Forest Golondrinas, 2500 m, 3. VI.1999, J. Wojtusiak & T. Pyrcz ( CEP – MZUJ: female; dissected: gen. prep.6396/ J.Lorenc); Prov. Carchi, Res. Forest Golondrinas, 2500 m, 22. VI.1999, J. Wojtusiak & T. Pyrcz ( CEP – MZUJ: female, gen. prep. 379/ J. Lorenc); Prov. Pichincha, Tandapi , 2800 m, II.2002 , J. Wojtusiak ( CEP – MZUJ: male) .

Additional material (n= 2, two dissections), both from ECUADOR. Prov. Napo, Río Sucio , 1600 m, 8.X. 1998, C.P.J. Samson ( NHMUK: male, dissected, vial no. 5818); Prov. Napo, Res. Yanayacu, 2000 m, 6.II.2005, J. Wojtusiak & T. Pyrcz ( CEP – MZUJ: male; gen. prep. 02/ 11.03.2011 / J. Lorenc) .

Description. Wings. FW costa length: 15–18mm (CEP–MZUJ types); FW apex rounded, outer margin not straight; HW vein Cubitus 1 with slightly extended terminus; dorsal wing surface colouration dark violet in both sexes; dorsal FW surface with black border inner margin reaching the middle of vein M3; dorsal HW discal area structurally coloured; ventral wing surface medial pattern composed of light ruptive dashes and inner margin medial area with brown scaling. Genitalia. Male valva with pointed costal margin flip and pointed valval terminus slightly curved (somewhat longer than half valval length). Female ductus with slightly divergent edges and small lower plate, upper plate asymmetric and larger with sclerotized frame with spines or bristles. Androconia present on FW along vein Cubital 2 as wide streak in the median area.

Diagnosis. This is a relatively large species; especially the females. It is similar to J. auda and they occur together in Ecuador, although they are not syntopic. The two taxa can be identified in the field on the basis of their size ( J. auda is somewhat smaller), hindwing shape ( J. carpia with extended vein Cubitus 1 terminus, what absent in J. auda ) and their dorsal wing suface colouration ( J. auda is lighter). In identifying museum specimens or digital images the following traits provide clue for a positive identification: the colouration of the inner edge of the HW ( J. auda is orange coloured), male androconia (no androconia in J. auda ) and male genitalia (with extremely pointed and straight valval terminus, curved in J. auda ) and female ductus with lower plate (no lower plate in J. auda ).

Distribution. Geographical: ECUADOR (Carchi, Napo, Pichincha) ( Fig. 30 ); spatial: recorded between 1600–2800 m a.s.l; temporal: recorded in February–March, May–June and October.

Etymology. Named to signify the Ecuadorian provinces, where the species has been collected. The species name „carpia” is freely formed using and combining the first syllable of the departments Carchi and Pichincha, treating it as a female noun in apposition.

Note. Our description of J. carpia is based on material originating exclusively from the Ecuadorian western slope of the Andes (Carchi and Pichincha). Further investigations are necessary for mapping the actual distribution and variability of the species. We have examined two male specimens from the eastern slopes (Napo). One of them seems to be identical with the males collected on the western slopes ( Fig. 4 ). The NHMUK male from Napo also has androconia as described for the species, but it is somewhat different in the ventral wing surface pattern: the submedian line erects close to the median pattern. In this respect J. carpia is variable. The specimen has a red label with black frame, handwritten and printed in black: “ HOLOTYPE [//] m# [//] Johnsonita [//] samson [//] Bálint [//] London, VIII 23 [//] Zs. Bálint, 2000”, which testifies that the species has been recognized two decades ago.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Johnsonita carpia Bálint, Boyer & Pyrcz, sp. n. imagines (left column: recto, right column: verso). A–B: holotype (Ecuador: Pichincha), C–D: male specimen (Ecuador: Napo), E–F: paratype female (Ecuador: Carchi) (CEP–MZUJ specimens) (scale bar: 10 mm).

FIGURE 17. Johnsonita genitalia armatures, entire male organs in lateral (left column) and ventral (right column) views.A–B: J. auda, Ecuador, Morona-Santiago, 9 de Octubre-Macas; C–D: J. carpia, Ecuador, Napo, Res. Yanayacu; E–F: J. catadupa, Ecuador, Loja, Yangana; G–H: J. chlamydem, Peru, Pasco, Oxapampa, La Antena (CEP–MZUJ specimens) (scale as indicated).

FIGURE 20. Entire Johnsonita female organs in lateral (left column), ductus in lateral (central column) and ventral (right column) views. A–C: J. auda, Venezuela, Edo. Barinas, Minas de San Isidro; D–F: J. carpia, Ecuador, Prov. Carchi, Res. Forest Golondrinas; G–I: J. catadupa, Peru, Dept. Amazonas, Molinopampa, Tingo Ocol (CEP–MZUJ specimens) (scale as indicated).

FIGURE 23. Johnsonita mail trait ventral forewing subcubital scent patch indicated by arrow. A: J. carpia, B: J. catadupa, C: J. chlamydem, D: J. ianusca, E: J. johnsoni, F: J. pardoa, G: J. turquisca, H: J. zubkova.

FIGURE 30. Johnsonita distributions based on museum material examinded. J. assula = red circle, J. carpia = yellow trinagle, J. catadupa = blue diamond, J. chalamydem = brown triangle, J. ianusca = green square, J. oxalida = purple diamond.