Neomaenas simplex ( Butler 1881 ) (Argyrophenga)

Matz, Jess & Brower, Andrew V. Z., 2016, The South Temperate Pronophilina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae): a phylogenetic hypothesis, redescriptions and revisionary notes, Zootaxa 4125 (1), pp. 1-108 : 43

Neomaenas simplex ( Butler 1881) (Argyrophenga)

( Figs. 7 G; 16D–f; 26)

Holotype: BMNH Type No. Rh3878

Type location: near Termas de Chillán, Bío-Bío province, Chile

Distribution. Found in Chile from the eastern part of Bío-Bío Province southward to northern Auraucania Province in January and February at 1000–1550m ( Fig. 26). Abundant near Termas de Chillán.

Diagnosis. Similar to N. inornata in coloration and lack of design elements on the ventral side of the hindwing. Chocolate to dark chocolate brown with the ventral side more taupe to tawny, females being generally lighter in coloration than the males. Veins highlighted in ivory to white distally past the median on the ventral side of the hindwing. Most obvious is the white triangular patch between M2-M3 adjacent to M3 with the apex touching the discal cell. Type specimen is without postmedian ocelli, but some specimens may have a single black ocellus ringed in yellow between CuA1-CuA2 and others may also bear small black or ivory ocelli between M2-M3 and/or M3-CuA1.

Redescription. Head: Antennae 7–9mm and covered in cream and ivory scales on the dorsal side, terminating in a spatulate club. Eyes oval and naked, length approximately 1.4 times width. Palps with a longitudinal black stripe along the median with piliform ventral side and dorsal side scales black, tan, and ivory. Terminal palp segment cylindrical and about one fifth the length of the second segment.

Thorax dark sepia and clothed with iridescent black scales. Piliform scales ivory to medium brown, the males slightly darker. Abdomen ivory and tan. Forelegs of both males and females with the tarsus cylindrical and clublike. Midlegs and hindlegs with four rows of amber spines on the tibia and tarsus.

Forewing ( Fig. 7 G): Wingspan 24–30mm. Termen slightly convex and the distal end of the discal cell widely V-shaped with the distance between M1-M2 shorter than between M2-M3. Dorsal side chocolate to dark chocolate brown with tan fringe scales. Small rust-red patches appearing faintly over the discal cell in the females. Apical ocellus between M1-M2 appearing either as a faint black spot or absent in males or as a black spot or distinct ocellus ringed in taupe and bronze in females, sometimes paired with another similar ocellus between M2-M3. Males with no visible androconial patch. Ventral side rust orange and widely bordered in taupe to chocolate brown that fades to maize brown at the apex over the radials. Postmedian band yellow-orange proximally and taupe to chocolate brown distally and bordered by a faint medium to dark chocolate brown outline. Apical ocellus between M1-M3 ringed in daffodil yellow and bipupillate, one white pupil in each cell, and extending just past the confines of the cells. Another black, sometimes unipupillate ocellus appears occasionally between M3-CuA1 and may be fused with the M1-M3 ocellus.

Hindwing ( Fig. 7 G): Wing trapezoidal, termen slightly convex and barely scalloped. Inner margin barely excavated between anal vein and 1A+2A. Dorsal side chocolate to dark chocolate brown with tan fringe scales. Females sometimes with rust red patches between M3-CuA1 and CuA1-CuA2 on the dorsal side. Long piliform scales appearing on both sexes at the base and over the discal cell, extending to the median and toward the inner margin. Ventral side taupe to tawny with a patch of black and tawny scales at the base. Veins highlighted in ivory to white distally past the median. A white triangular patch appears just distal to the discal cell sits between M2-M3, adjacent to M3 with its apex touching the discal cell. A single black postmedian ocellus ringed in taupe to daffodil yellow is found between CuA1-CuA 2 in some specimens and a small ocelli occasionally appears between M2-M3 and/or M3-CuA1 and may be ivory or black ringed with yellow. Type specimen is without hindwing ocelli.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 16 D–F): Uncus narrow and finger-like, widening very slightly at the median, approximately 1.3X the length of the tegumen. Gnathos acute and a little more than half the length of the uncus, pedunculus long and U-shaped, and saccus U-shaped and about as long as the gnathos. Valvae widening distally past the median then narrowing to half the width, the distal end terminating in a U-shape. Aedeagus nearly even in width along the distal two-thirds, narrowing proximally to an acute end.

Remarks. Butler (1881) quoted Thomas Edmonds’ statement that N. simplex is “scarce and difficult to catch” while Elwes (1903) notes that it resembles Neosatyrus ambiorix in “form and flight,” flying amongst low bushes. It can also be collected in the wooded spaces near Las Trancas, fewer than ten kilometers from Termas de Chillán. Specimens examined. Chile, Bío-Bío Province, (BMNH) Holotype No. Rh3878, (MTSU) CH 24B-10, CL0204, CL0205, CL0309-CL0311, CL0317, CL0419-CL0422, (CU) 2 specimens

Figures

FIGURE 7. Composite habitus images of Neomaenas species. The left side of each specimen is the dorsal surface, the right side is the ventral surface. A, B: Neomaenas inornata Elwes 1903. Lithographs of male holotype (BMNH # Rh 3864) (A), and female allotype (BMNH) (B), (reproduced from Plate XIV of Elwes, 1903, Figure 19); C, D: Neomaenas monachus (Blanchard, 1852) — male N. monachus monachus (C), male N. monachus limonias (MZUJ) (D); E, F: Neomaenas poliozona (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867) male holotype N. poliozona (BMNH # 809789) (E), male holotype N. poliozona eustephanos Matz nom. nov. (BMNH # 809619) (F); G: Neomaenas simplex (Butler, 1881) male holotype (BMNH # Rh 3878); H: Neomaenas tristis (Guérin-Méneville, [1830]) male (MZUJ); I, J: Neomaenas wallengrenii Butler, 1881, male lectotype (BMNH # 809361) (I), female paralectotype (BMNH # 809362) (J).

FIGURE 16. Male genitalia of Neomaenas species. See Fig. 2 for labels of parts. All to the same scale. A – C: Neomaenas poliozona (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867) (CH 10 - 5); D – F: Neomaenas simplex (Butler, 1881) (CL 0204); G – I: Neomaenas tristis (Guérin-Méneville, [1830]) (CL 0901); J – L: Neomaenas wallengrenii Butler, 1881 (CL 0204).