Bia actorion occulta Casagrande & Penz

Penz, Carla M., Casagrande, Mirna M., Devries, Phil & Simonsen, Thomas J., 2017, Documenting diversity in the Amazonian butterfly genus Bia (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), Zootaxa 4258 (3), pp. 201-237 : 209-211

Bia actorion occulta Casagrande & Penz , NEW SSP.

( Figs 3 e–f, 10c, 12)

Diagnostic description. Defined by the following combination of characters: (1) MF DFW white apical ocelli medium-small. (2) MF DFW orange band moderately wide and in M orange scales not conspicuously extended along veins. (3) M DFW iridescent band from anal margin to usually more than half of the CuA2 cell, with a scatter of scales reaching CuA2 (one specimen differed, where the band was ca. half of the cell). F DFW blue iridescence well developed but variable; usually extended across the entire DC, diffuse anteriorly; usually visible at the CuA1-CuA2 intersection; below the discal cell, the iridescent area is wide and it spreads towards the tornus. F seems indistinguishable from actorion actorion . (4) M DFW androconial organ on the CuA-CuA1-CuA2 intersection dark brown, matching scale color of surrounding area. (5) DHW discal androconial pad chocolate-brown, comparable in color to the associated hairpencil. (6) M DHW discal hairpencil dark brown. (7) F VFW ripple pattern of the postmedial area similar to that of M.

Etymology. The name occulta originates from the Latin word for hidden, alluding to the fact that this subspecies occupies the southeastern edge of the species’ geographical range.

Type material. Holotype M ( Fig. 3 e), deposited in the DZUP collection, four labels separated by // and transcribed verbatim: HOLOTYPUS // Pará, Acará, Alça Viária Km 20, 23-VII-2006, P.Jauffret leg. // DZ 22.447 // Holotypus Bia actorion occulta Casagrande & Penz, 2017 . Paratypes are listed in Appendix, and Fig. 3 f shows a paratype F.

Distribution and examined specimens. Fig. 12 and Appendix.

Remarks. Male specimens from Brazil, Pará, Caxiuanã have a much reduced male dorsal forewing iridescent band. This band is absent in two specimens from Pará, Carajás and Maranhão, Imperatriz. Inasmuch as these specimens markedly differ from those of other localities, we tentatively assign them to actorion occulta but recognize that this should be re-visited when additional specimens become available. It would be of interest to confirm the existence of a north-south cline within actorion occulta with regard to the size and presence of the male dorsal forewing iridescent band.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Adults in dorsal and ventral views. Taxon names appear below each set. Bia actorion actorion: a, male, Guyana, Kartabo (CMNH); b, female, Guyana, Two Hat Mountain, E Kanukus S Rupununi (USNM). Bia actorion ecuatoria DeVries & Penz, new ssp.: c, male holotype, Ecuador, Sucumbios, Garza Cocha (PJD); d, female paratype, Ecuador, Sucumbios, Garza Cocha (PJD). Bia actorion occulta Casagrande & Penz, new ssp.: e, male holotype, Brazil, Pará, Acará (DZUP); f, female paratype, Brazil, Pará, Sto Antonio do Tauá (DZUP). Intermediate between actorion and decaerulea: g, male, Suriname (RMNH); h, male, Suriname, Coronie (RMNH).

FIGURE 12. Map showing collection localities of Bia species and subspecies (see Appendix). Some close localities are represented by one single dot. Dubious label data, localities that could not be accurately identified or were incomplete (e. g., Brazil, Pará) were not placed on map.