Oenomaus myrteana Busby, Robbins & Faynel

Faynel, Christophe, Busby, Robert C. & Robbins, Robert K., 2012, Review of the species level taxonomy of the neotropical butterfly genus Oenomaus (Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini), ZooKeys 222, pp. 11-45 : 17-18

Oenomaus myrteana Busby, Robbins & Faynel sp. n. Figs 5, 6, 22, 28, 41, 46

Type-locality.

Ecuador: Morona Santiago, Santiago (Hill North of Town), 3°02.3'S, 78°00.3'W, 350 m. The holotype was collected in wet secondary forest in the low hills on the north edge of Santiago.

Type-specimen.

Holotype ♂ (Fig. 5) labeled as "ECUADOR: Morona Santiago / Santiago (Hill North of Town) / 3°02.3'S, 78°00.3'W 350 m / 20 September 2004 / Robert C. Busby, leg." [rectangular, white, printed], "GENITALIA NO. / 2003: 35♂ / R.K. ROBBINS" [rectangular, green, printed] "Holotype ♂ / Oenomaus myrteana / Busby, Robbins & Faynel, 2012" [rectangular, red, printed]. Deposited in USNM.

Paratypes: Ecuador.1 ♂: Morona Santiago, Santiago (Hill North of Town), 3°2.3'S, 78°0.3'W, 350 m, 20.IX.2006, Robert C. Busby leg. (RCB); 1♀: Morona-Santiago Province, 1.8 km Santiago-Puerto Morona Rd., 3°2.4'S, 77°59.7'W, 300-350 m, 20.IX.2006, D.H. Ahrenholz & Robert C. Busby leg., gen. prep. CF n°415 (RCB) (Fig. 6). Brazil. 2 ♂: RO, Cacaulândia, 1-5.IX.1997, E. Furtado & A. Moser leg., gen. prep. CF n°442 (MC 250); RO, Candeias do Jamari, Rio Preto, 27-31.VIII.1997, E. Furtado & A. Moser leg., gen. prep. CF n°443 (MC 251).

Description, diagnosis and recognition as a distinct species.

Male FW length: 12.8 mm (SD = 0.1, N = 3). Female FW length: 12.1 mm (N = 1). Wing pattern (Figs 5, 6) and genitalia (Figs 22, 28) illustrated. Oenomaus myrteana has a conspicuous round white spot in VHW cell Sc+R1-Rs, which is similar to those species of Oenomaus with a ventral wing patterns similar to that of Oenomaus atena . However, Oenomaus myrteana lacks the inclined white median line of the VFW, which is characteristic of species with the Oenomaus atena wing pattern. Instead, Oenomaus myrteana has a vertical, distally displaced postmedian line of white dashes, inwardly bordered by black. This character appears to be unique among Oenomaus species. In addition, Oenomaus myrteana may have a few red-orange scales in VHW cell Cu1-Cu2. This red-orange cubital spot is uniformly lacking in other Oenomaus and Porthecla . The male genitalia of Oenomaus myrteana are very similar to those of Oenomaus nigra , which has an “atena-like” ventral wing pattern. The female genitalia of Oenomaus myrteana are similar to those Oenomaus that have a bifid posterior end of the ductus bursae and a signa with a two pointed spine in the middle of the corpus bursae.

The ventral wing pattern of Oenomaus myrteana is superficially similar to those of Enos myrtea (Hewitson) and Allosmaitia myrtusa (Hewitson), but in these genera, males lack a scent pad on the DFW. The genitalia of Oenomaus myrteana , as noted, are typical of Oenomaus .

Etymology.

The name Oenomaus myrteana is intended to highlight the striking resemblance between the ventral hindwing of this species and that of Enos myrtea (Hewitson). The name is a feminine noun in apposition.

Habitat and distribution.

Oenomaus myrteana occurs in lowland wet forest from eastern Ecuador to western Brazil ( Rondônia) (Fig. 46). Busby observed males in Ecuador low in the understory at 11:00 hours. This species and Enos myrtea have been found at the same site.