Libythea myrrha Godart 1819

Kawahara, Akito Y., 2013, <strong> Systematic revision and review of the extant and fossil snout butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Libytheinae) </ strong>, Zootaxa 3631 (1), pp. 1-74 : 36

Libythea myrrha Godart 1819

( Figs. 8 , 20,32, 45, 60, 129–140)

Libythea myrrha Godart 1819: 171 .

Hecaerge myrrha Hübner 1832: 40 , Figs. 789, 790.

Libythea (Libythea) myrrha: Pagenstecher 1901: 5 .

Libythaea [sic] lepita lepita: Gupta & Shukla 1988 : pl. 19, Figs. 147, 148 . [misidentification].

Diagnosis. This species does not look much like any other species of Libythea . It has a straight orange band that arises from its wing base towards outer wing margin of cell CuA 1, forming a distinct club-shaped mark.

Type Specimens Examined. Libythea myrrha borneensis Fruhstorfer 1914 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, J. B. Borneo : H. Fruhstorfer ( BMNH). Libythea myrrha iwanagai Hayashi 1976 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, Philippines: Palawan, Taot- Daram , 4-VIII-1968, Y. Honda; PARATYPE: ♀, Philippines: Palawan, Quizon , 16-IV-1967, Y. Honda. Libythea myrrha myrrhina Fruhstorfer 1909 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, Indonesia: Sumatra, Padang ( BMNH) . Libythea myrrha sanguinalis Fruhstorfer 1898 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, Chasseurs Indigènes : 1894, R. P. Bertauden ( BMNH) . L. myrrha yawa Fruhstorfer 1914 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, Indonesia: Ost [West] Java, H. Fruhstorfer ( BMNH) .

Distribution. India to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Biology. According to Bell (1901, 1910), the larva feeds on Celtis tetranda Roxb. ( Celtidaceae ).

Remarks. The orange club mark on the forewing is characteristic of this species, and has been used to separate subspecies. Shields (1984a) listed nine subspecies, while Okano (1987) noted eleven. I recognize four because many subspecies believed to be unique lack delimiting characteristics. Libythea myrrha is sister to L. celtis + L. lepita ; the latter two share a gradually incrassate antenna, which is abruptly clubbed L. myrrha and all other species of Libythea (Kawahara 2009) .

Key to subspecies of Libythea myrrha

1. White or yellow marks between Rs 1 and M 3 of forewing ( Fig. 135 ); southern India and Sri Lanka..... Libythea myrrha rama

– Orange marks between Rs 1 and M 3 of forewing ( Figs. 129, 131 , 133 ); northern India to Southeast Asia.................. 2

2. Wing sharply pointed at junction of forewing M 2 and outer wing margin ( Figs. 137-140 ); Bhutan, southern China, Myanmar, Nepal, northern India, Thailand.................................................... Libythea myrrha sanguinalis

– Wing weakly pointed at junction of forewing M 2 and outer wing margin ( Figs. 129-134 )............................. 3

3. Forewing orange marks between Rs 1 and M 1 separated from marks between M 1 and M 3 ( Figs. 129, 131 ); Indonesia (excluding Borneo).......................................................................... Libythea myrrha myrrha

– Forewing orange marks between Rs 1 and M 1 fused with marks between M 1 and M 3 ( Fig. 133 ); Borneo, Malaysia, Philippines (Palawan)......................................................................... Libythea myrrha hecura

Figures

FIGURES 2−13. Lateral view of the male eighth abdominal tergum of Libythea and Libytheana with scales and hairs removed. 2. Libythea celtis; 3. Libythea collenettei; 4. Libythea geoffroyi; 5. Libythea labdaca; 6. Libythea laius; 7. Libythea lepita; 8. Libythea myrrha; 9. Libythea narina; 10. Libytheana carinenta; 11. Libytheana fulvescens; 12. Libytheana motya; 13. Libytheana terena.

FIGURES 133−148. Right dorsal and ventral wing surfaces of Libythea and Libytheana. The second image of each specimen shows the ventral surface of the wings. 133, 134. Libythea myrrha hecura Fruhstorfer: ♂, Borneo (BMNH); 135, 136. Libythea myrrha rama Moore: ♂, Holotype, Sri Lanka, Colombo (BMNH); 137, 138. Libythea myrrha sanguinalis Fruhstorfer: ♂, India, Assam (USNM); 139, 140. Libythea myrrha sanguinalis Fruhstorfer: ♀, India, Assam, Naga Hills (BMNH); 141, 142. Libythea narina Godart: ♂, Myanmar, Tenasserim, Ataran Valley (BMNH); 143, 144. Libythea narina Godart: ♀, Philippines, Palawan (BMNH); 145, 146. Libytheana fulvescens (Lathy): ♂, Dominica, 1−2 km north of Colihaut (MCLB); 147, 148. Libytheana fulvescens (Lathy): ♀, Dominica, Copt Hall (USNM).

FIGURES 117−132. Right dorsal and ventral wing surfaces of Libythea. The second image of each specimen shows the ventral surface of the wings. 117, 118. Libythea laius lepitoides Moore: ♂, India, Nilgiris, Conoor (BMNH); 119, 120. Libythea lepita formosana Fruhstorfer: Holotype ♂, Taiwan (BMNH); 121, 122. Libythea lepita amamiana Shirôzu: ♂, Japan, Okinawa, Nago (MTC); 123, 124. Libythea lepita amamiana Shirôzu: ♀, Japan, Okinawa, Shimajiri, Kitadaito−mura (TFC); 125, 126. Libythea lepita lepita Moore: ♂, Japan, Yamanashi, Hinoharu (AYK); 127, 128. Libythea lepita lepita Moore: ♀, Japan (BMNH); 129, 130. Libythea myrrha myrrha Godart: ♂, Indonesia, Java (BMNH); 131, 132. Libythea myrrha myrrha Godart: ♀, Indonesia, West Java (BMNH).