Psoralis mirnae Siewert, Nakamura & Mielke

Siewert, Ricardo Russo, Nakamura, Ichiro & Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik, 2014, Psoralis mirnae sp. nov., the first species of the skipper genus from Central America (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), Zootaxa 3861 (1), pp. 91-95 : 91-93

Psoralis mirnae Siewert, Nakamura & Mielke , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–12 , 17–18 )

Diagnosis. Psoralis mirnae sp. nov. is similar to other Psoralis species in the spot pattern of both wings, but can be easily distinguished from the others members of the genus by its rufous brown ground color and the yellow patch between CuA2–2A on the forewing underside. The male genitalia resemble those of P. degener in the tegumen, uncus and gnathos ( Figs 13–16 ), but differ mainly in the valva and aedeagus.

Description. Sexes similar except as noted. Head: Brown; frons densely covered by brown and yellow elongated scales with greenish tinge; antennae shaft brown on upper side, underside similar but with yellow scales at the base of each segment; underside basal half of the club yellow, nudum 12–14 segments (n=8); eye glabrous, brown, surrounded by yellow scaling; labial palpus mixed with brown and yellow scales in the first and second segments, third segment short, conical, dark brown.

Thorax: Dorsally dark brown; legs reddish.

Forewing ( Figs 1–4 ): Male, length 16–17 mm (average 16.5 mm, n=11), female, length 18 mm (n=1); triangular; costal margin straight; apex rounded; outer margin convex; tornus rounded; inner margin straight. Upper side ( Figs 1, 3 ): ground color dark brown; fringes dark brown with paler outer two thirds; two small apical semi-hyaline spots in R4–R5 and R5–M1, the latter the larger of the two; three semi-hyaline spots in M3–CuA1, CuA1–CuA2 and CuA2–2A, the first rectangular, the second oblique and elongated, the third opaque, small and yellow; male with tripartite and sagittate black stigma in M3–CuA1, CuA1–CuA2 and CuA2–2A. Underside ( Figs 2, 4 ): costa, apex and external margin rufous brown; similar spots as on the upper side; opaque yellow patch in CuA2–2A more extensive than on the upper side; inner margin dark brown.

Hind wing ( Figs 1–4 ): Rounded; costal margin convex; apex rounded; external margin rounded, truncated in 2A–3A; inner margin slightly straight towards tornus. Upper side ( Figs 1, 3 ): ground color dark brown; fringes dark brown with lighter tips; small white discal spots in M1–M2, M2–M 3 in some individuals. Underside ( Figs 2, 4 ): ground color rufous brown; anal fold dark brown and inner margin narrowly rufous brown; one rounded white spot in discal cell, but the spot barely visible in the single female; three smaller similar spots in M1–M2, M2–M3 and M3–CuA1.

Abdomen: Dorsally dark brown, ventrally yellowish.

Male genitalia ( Figs 5–12 ): Uncus bifid, distal portion squared; tegumen squared in dorsal view; valva squared, harpe well developed, with its distal margin dentated; aedeagus cylindrical, bifid distally in lateral view.

Female genitalia ( Figs 17–18 ): Tergum VIII squared; papillae anales with postapophysis; sterigma large, formed by a lamella postvaginales with the distal portion trilobate, third distal portion membranous and four rough protuberances; opening of ostium bursae exposed; bursa copulatrix totally membranous.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr. Mirna Martins Casagrande, professor and colleague of Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná. The epithet is a feminine noun in the genitive case.

Type material. Holotype male with the following labels: / HOLOTYPUS / GUATEMALA: Dpt. Baja Verapaz, Km 160.5 La Cumble – Purulha Rd, 1650–1850 m, vicinity 15º12’59’’N, 90º13’15’’W, 16.x.2011, I. Nakamura leg. / DZ 25.512 / HOLOTYPUS Psoralis mirnae Siewert, Nakamura & Mielke det. 2014/. Deposited at DZUP. Allotype female with the following labels: /ALLOTYPUS/ GUATEMALA: Dpt. Baja Verapaz, Km 160.5 La Cumble-Purulha Rd, 1650–1700m, vicinity 15°12’ 56”N, 90°13’09”W, 14.x.2011, I. Nakamura leg. / ALLOTYPUS Psoralis mirnae Siewert, Nakamura & Mielke det. 2014/. Currently in the collection of I. Nakamura.

Paratypes: GUATEMALA: Dpt. Baja Verapaz, Km 160.5 La Cumble—Purulha Rd, 15º12’59’’N, 90º13’15’’W, 1650–1850 m, 16.x.2011, 2 males, I. Nakamura leg., DZ 24.926, DZ 25.511 ( DZUP). La Cumble—Purulha Rd, 1650–1700 m, vicinity 15°12’ 56”N, 90°13’09”W, 13.x.2011, 5 males, I. Nakamura leg., with 1 male also bearing a label: Genitalia prep. 021012 -1, I. Nakamura; 1650–1700 m, vicinity 15°12’56”N, 90° 13’09”W, 14.x.2011, 2 males, I. Nakamura leg.; 15º12’59’’N, 90º13’15’’W, 1650–1850 m, 16.x.2011, 1 male, I. Nakamura leg., the above 8 males are in the collection of I. Nakamura.

Discussion. In the markings of both wings, Psoralis mirnae sp. nov. resembles other Psoralis species, such as P. degener (Plötz, 1882) ( Venezuela, Colombia to Peru), P. exclamationis (Mabille, 1898) ( Colombia to Bolivia) and P. chittara (Schaus, 1902) (Southeast Brazil; the type locality “ Trinidad ” is probably incorrect) (see figures of these species in Warren et al. 2014), but the rufous brown ground color of both wings and the yellow patch on the ventral forewing are clearly distinct. The pattern of the male genitalia of P. m i r n ae, especially the configuration of uncus, gnathos and tegumen, is different from some Psoralis species illustrated by Evans (1955), but is similar to P. degener , presumably its closest ally. The possibility that the present new taxon is an allopatric subspecies of P. degener can be ruled out, given the marked differences in the wing pattern and male genitalia. In P. mirnae the valva is squared with a well-developed harpe, with its distal margin dentated ( Fig. 10 ), while in P. degener the valva is rectangular, with a distinct trifid harpe ( Fig. 14 ).

P. mirnae is the first species of Psoralis registered in Mesoamerica, extending the geographical distribution of the genus throughout the Neotropics. The type locality and the surrounding areas are in a cloud forest zone near the Quetzal sanctuary of Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera. The area is a part of the physiographically highly complex and humid faunal belt known as the “Quecchian area” ( Campbell & Vannini 1989), but it remains to be seen whether the present species is restricted to this faunal area. The specimens collected were mostly found on roadside flowers and were not uncommon at the time. Among the other Hesperiid species collected in the same area were three species not included in the recent list of the Guatemalan skippers ( Barrios et al. 2006): Falga sciras Godman, 1901 , Perichares deceptus (Butler & Druce, 1872) which was caught at light, and Neoxeniades molion (Godman, 1901) . The last species was also collected near Poptún, 500–600m, Petén. As repeatedly pointed out ( Austin et al. 1998; Barrios et al. 2006), our understanding of Guatemala’s skipper fauna is still quite incomplete.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Psoralis mirnae sp. nov. 1 – 2. Holotype male, dorsal and ventral views. 3 – 4. Allotype female, dorsal and ventral views. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 5 – 12. Male genitalia of Psoralis mirnae sp. nov. 5. Tegumen and uncus, dorsal view. 6 – 7. Juxta, posterior and left lateral views. 8. Succus, dorsal view. 9. Tegumen + vinculum, lateral view. 10. Right valvae, internal view. 11 – 12. Aedeagus, lateral and dorsal views. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 17 – 18. Female genitalia of Psoralis mirnae sp. nov., lateral and ventral views. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Male genitalia of Psoralis degener 13. Tegumen + vinculum, lateral view. 14. Right valvae, internal view. 15 – 16. Aedeagus, lateral and dorsal views. Scale bar = 1 mm.