Splendeuptychia ackeryi Huertas, Ríos & Le Crom, 2009

Huertas, Blanca, M, Cristóbal Ríos & Crom, Jean François Le, 2009, A new species of Splendeuptychia from the Magdalena Valley in Colombia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae), Zootaxa 2014, pp. 51-58 : 53-54

Splendeuptychia ackeryi Huertas, Ríos & Le Crom , new species

Euptychia ?sp. D'Abrera, 1988: 783

Holotype male ( Fig. 1 A): Colombia, Santander, Serranía de los Yariguíes, Municipio Galán, below La Luchata and El Cerro, 1800–1850m, 06°38’N, 73°19’W, east slope, 27 June 2005 (B. Huertas, J. J. Arias & C. Ríos leg.) deposited at IAvH. Allotype female: Colombia, Santander, Meseta de los Santos, 1600m, 06°46’N, 73°08’W, 7 April 1998 (J. F. Le Crom leg.) in JFLCPC. Paratypes 1 male: same data as Holotype. 1 male: same data as allotype. 1 male: Colombia, Antioquia, Porce, 17 June 1998 (Rodríguez leg.) in JFLCPC. 2 males: Colombia, “Bogotá” and Colombia, Antioquia, Botero, 4000 ft. [= 1230 m, approximate coordinates: 06°33’N, 75°15’W], July 1920 (A. Hall leg.) both in BMNH. 1 male: Colombia, Antioquia, Amalfi, v. [sic vía= “road to”?] Cueva Santa, 06°55’N, 75°03’W, 9 December 2003 (E. Henao leg.) in EHPC. 1 male: Colombia, Antioquia, Amalfi, Porce, Bosque San Ignacio 76, 06 °46’34”N, 75°04’25”W, 20°C, 960m, T.VSR (banano), en bosque, 19 September 1998, (P. Duque leg.); 1 male: Colombia, Antioquia, Amalfi, Porce, Bosque El Caimán, 960m, 20°C, Jama, en bosque, 6 July 1997, (P. Duque leg.); 1 male: Colombia, Antioquia, Porce, Santa Lucia, 100m al interior del bosque, 2 m de altura, 11:00am, (M. A. Marín leg.); all three in MEFLG. No other specimens of Splendeuptychia ackeryi were found in the other consulted collections or at other study sites in the Yariguíes mountains.

Diagnosis. The new species is described in the genus Splendeuptychia following current taxonomy ( Willmott & Hall 1995, Lamas & Viloria 2004). The closest species to Splendeuptychia ackeryi n. sp. in their wing morphology are S. toynei Willmott & Hall, 1995 and S. furina ( Hewitson, 1862) .

S. toynei shares with S. ackeryi the presence of a broad white band on both wings on both ventral and dorsal surfaces, and the presence of ocelli on the hindwing (HW) ringed broadly on the dorsal surface. However, S. ackeryi differs from S. toynei in having a reduced white band on the dorsal FW and smaller ocelli on the dorsal HW, broader anal marginal band on the HW, two clearly marked brown lines across the medial area on both ventral wings not covering the discal cell totally on the FW, the submarginal brown band on the FW not covering vein Cu2, and ocelli with darker (burnt) yellow borders and less extensive black scaling ( Fig. 1 A). S. ackeryi has longer scales on the marginal wing borders ( Figs. 1 H–I) and longer hairs on the palpae ( Figs. 1 E & 1G) than S. toynei . In the male genitalia of S. ackeryi , the valvae are c. 4mm shorter than S. toynei and flatter, whilst in S. toynei they are more curved and the subuncus is not as curved as in S. toynei ( Figs. 1 B & 1F).

Compared with S. furina , there are various clear differences in wing morphology including the lack of a white band on the dorsal FW and a rounded white mark (not band) on the dorsal HW of S. furina . In the male genitalia, S. furina has flat valvae similar to S. ackeryi but a curved subuncus as in S. toynei .

Description. MALE: Head: Eyes naked, dark coffee brown; palpi twice as long as head and densely hirsute black and white (brush-like) in two lines, with centre naked ( Fig. 1 E); antennae brown. Thorax: Dark brown. Abdomen: Dark brown with hairy scales lighter on distal ventral side. Wings: Forewing (FW) mean length 21.2 mm (n=4). Dorsal ground colour, three anal bands and broad marginal bands in FW and HW dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), colour codes herein following Munsell's (1977, 2000) charts. Broad white band equally wide in both wings in the submedia area. Two brown (7.5YR 3/2) marginal lines in HW. Spots with diffuse edges between HW veins Rs-M1, M1-M2 and Cu1-Cu2. Ventral base colour light brown (10YR 5/3) with a series of maroon brown (10YR 4/6) submedia and media bands, with mid-marginal band broadest, broad white bands as in dorsal. Series of six large ocelli on marginal HW bordered broadly burnt yellow (10YR 7/8) with bluish silver and black centres. Long scales on margin of FW ( Fig. 1 H). Legs: dark brown (7.5YR 3/2). Genitalia: ( Figs. 1 C–D). Uncus curved and pointed at end. Subuncus L-shaped bending towards uncus and tapering to point, almost extending as long as tip of uncus. Valvae with rather flat mid-section, hirsute distally and tip of valvae ending with a short, pointed projection and heavily sclerotised. Tegumen mitre-shaped. Aedeagus bent with two parallel cornuti near the vesica.

FEMALE: Almost identical to male, but FW more rounded and with paler ground colour. Genitalia: ( Fig. 1 D) not fully examined due to the only female specimen available having been attacked by pests. Bursa spherical, paired signa composed of two narrow bands of densely set teeth, signa two thirds length of bursa. Cervix highly sclerotised at base.

Distribution. S. ackeryi is known from lower montane sites in Colombia’s Magdalena valley between 960–1850 m elevation. The type locality and Meseta de los Santos are both on the eastern side of the valley in the dry Suárez/Chicamocha river basin. The Botero, Amalfi and Porce localities are all on the western side of the Magdalena valley. The “Bogotá” specimen is of unknown provenance, but is also likely to have been collected in the Magdalena Valley.

The Central and East Andes habitats in which S. ackeryi are found are separated by the low c. 30 km wide Magdalena valley. S. ackeryi would appear to be an endemic of the Colombian Inter-Andean Slopes Endemic Area (EBA 0 40, as defined by Stattersfield et al. 1998), which harbours several endemic species, mostly of lower montane elevations.

Morphologically similar S. toynei is known from similar elevations (1000–1400m), but occurs only on the Amazonian slope of the Andes in southern Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe Prov.). S. toynei and S. ackeryi all have disjunct distributions separated by hundreds of kilometres ( Fig. 2 ). It is notable that neither this species nor S. ackeryi has been recorded in northern Ecuador or Southern or Central Colombia, despite some parts of these regions being subject to significant collecting efforts. It would appear that S. toynei and S. ackeryi are isolated from one another by the high elevations of the Andes and unsuitable habitats.

Ecology. Host plant unknown. S. ackeryi usually flies not higher than 2m above ground level. It has been attracted by banana bait. It has been recorded both inside forest and at forest edges.

Etymology. The name ackeryi is formed as the genitive singular of a fictional second declension masculine Latin noun. The epithet is dedicated to Phil Ackery, former Collections Manager of Lepidoptera at the Natural History Museum where he worked for more than 35 years. He has been an inspirational figure for butterfly research, prolific author and mentor of the first author in her career at the BMNH.

Conservation. Judging from the lack of specimens of S. ackeryi found in collections and in the field, the species appears to have a narrow elevational range and small geographical distribution ( Fig. 2 ). Using DIVA- GIS and data collected on museums, it has been estimated that S. ackeryi has a Geographical range (extent of occurrence) of c. 15000km 2, of which almost 20% has been lost to habitat modification. The area of occupancy has not been determined precisely due to few available localities. The Colombian Inter-Andean Slopes endemic area is rated a critical conservation priority, owing to high levels of endemism and the lack of protected areas. Widespread modification has occurred to natural vegetation in the region, mostly for agriculture and from human colonisation ( Stattersfield et al. 1998). The occurrence of S. ackeryi on two inter- Andean slopes and in forest edge habitat suggests that it may not be seriously threatened with extinction at present.

Following current IUCN threat categories, Splendeuptychia ackeryi would qualify for Vulnerable status under criteria B1(extent of occurrence estimated <20,000 km 2, severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than 10 locations; and projected continued decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat) and D2 (population with a very restricted area of occupancy (number of locations five or fewer) such that it is prone to the effects of human activities or stochastic events within a very short time period) (IUCN 2001).

In addition to S. ackeryi , the Serranía de los Yariguíes harbours a number of other undescribed and recently described taxa (see references above). Based on the EBA and YARÉ projects’ fieldwork and other local input, the Serranía de los Yariguíes is now protected as a National Park (Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Desarrollo y Vivienda 2005) and Fundación ProAves has established two nature reserves in the region (www.proaves.org). However, S. ackeryi has not been recorded at any of the sites within these new protected areas or in any other protected areas in Colombia. In the YARÉ project, considerable conservation-oriented community work was carried out (Huertas & Donegan 2006).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Splendeuptychia ackeryi n. sp. A. male HT left dorsal view and right ventral view. B. aedeagus detail. C. male genitalia D. female genitalia E. palpae detail. H. wing margin detail. S. toynei for comparison F. aedeagus detail G. palpae detail. I. wing margin.

FIGURE 2. Map of northern South America showing localities where S. ackeryi n. sp and S. toynei are found.