Buzyges Godman, 1900

Austin, George T. & Warren, Andrew D., 2009, New looks at and for Onespa, Buzyges, and Librita (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae), with new combinations and descriptions of a new genus and six new species, Insecta Mundi 2009 (89), pp. 1-55 : 16-17

Buzyges Godman, 1900

Type species: Buzyges idothea Godman, 1900 , by monotypy.

The investigation leading to a revision of the genus Onespa above included examination of similar and potentially allied taxa. Among these was Buzyges Godman, 1900 , that was listed adjacent to Onespa in recent phylogenetic reviews of hesperiids ( Warren et al. 2008 a, 2009). Buzyges was proposed for a superficially rather odd species of skipper, Buzyges idothea Godman, 1900 , known only from Costa Rica ( Godman and Salvin 1879 -1901). That genus has remained monotypic since its description ( Evans 1955, Mielke 2005a), based upon those superficial traits that seemingly set it apart from other taxa of Hesperiinae . Genital morphology and other traits, however, suggest that at least three additional species, one undescribed, should be included. Here, Buzyges and its newly subsumed species are described in detail and the genus is recharacterized to encompass two new combinations and one new species. The format of descriptions of Buzyges and of subsequently treated genera parallels that of Onespa for ease of comparison.

Description. Palpi subquadrate, shaggy, 3rd segment robust, nearly erect, exceeding scales of second segment. Antennae more than 1/2 costa on males (52-63%), about 1/2 costa on females (48-55%); club stout, more than 1/3 shaft (34-44% on males, 43-48% on females), bent to constricted apiculus beyond thickest part; nudum varies from 11 to 13 segments, subequally divided between club and apiculus (4-5 segments on club); shaft black above, usually not checkered, black and checked with yellow or yelloworange on venter; nudum red-brown.

Wings somewhat produced; forewing apex 1.3 times length along vein 2A; hindwing about equally long at veins Sc+R 1, 2A, and CuA 1; 3A 1.1-1.2 times length of Sc+R 1. No secondary sex characters in male. Hindwing origin Rs nearer to cell end than base. Forewing origin CuA 2 nearer to origin of CuA 1 than to base of wing. Sexual dimorphism prominent. Wings brown with yellow-orange (male) or yellowish and/or whitish (female) maculation.

Meso- and metatibiae spined (smooth on one species) with long fringes of setiform scales on both tibia and femur, especially dense and long on metafemur; mesotibiae with one pair of spurs, metatibiae with two pairs; outer spur in each pair 1/2-3/4 length of inner spur.

Male genitalia with gnathos bifid, arms slender and connivent, uncus narrow, bluntly pointed to slightly bilobed at end, about width of gnathos in dorsal view, prominently longer than gnathos; separation of gnathos and uncus in lateral view moderately deep. Tegumen flaring cephalad, ventral arm with dorsal arm of saccus combining into a structure bent below its middle, anterior arm of saccus moderately long, narrowing to a pointed or bluntly curved cephalic end in ventral view. Valvae simple and unarticulated, with costa/ampulla relatively straight and undifferentiated between themselves and harpe, ampulla with small dorsal triangular process caudad, harpe with caudal end pointed. Aedeagus broad, relatively short (1.1-1.5 times length of valva), triangular process (titillator) on right side near caudal end, with complex cornuti consisting of two heavily sclerotized structures and a flexible, lightly sclerotized and sometimes spinulose pad.

Female genitalia characterized by a short (1.4-2.2 mm), sclerotized, and centrally constricted ductus bursae, curved dorsad, and shorter than corpus bursae. Lamella antevaginalis very broad and slightly excavated caudad; lamella postvaginalis also very broad with shallow caudal indentation; ostium bursae broad and shallow, twice as broad as deep. Corpus bursae transversely wrinkled caudad, lightly or more prominently wrinkled longitudinally, no signa.

Distribution and richness. Buzyges , here considered to include four species, occurs from west-central (Jalisco) to southwestern (Oaxaca) Mexico as well as in Costa Rica and Panama. Species occur in montane forested habitats from at least 1150 m to over 1800 m.

Further discussion and diagnosis of the genus is deferred until after its component species are characterized.