Libythea myrrha rama Moore 1872

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 : 39

Libythea myrrha rama Moore 1872

( Figs. 135, 136 )

Libythea rama Moore 1872: 556 .

Libythea myrrha f. rama Hampson 1888: 355 .

Libythea myrrha rama: Fruhstorfer 1898: 170 .

Libythea (Libythea) myrrha var. rama: Pagenstecher 1901: 6 .

Libythea myrrha var. rama: Bell 1910: 325 .

Libythea myrrha carma Fruhstorfer 1914: 770 [new synonymy].

Dichora myrrha rama: Hering 1921: 289 .

Libythea myrrah [sic] carma Satyamurti 1994: 10.

Libythia murrha [sic] carma Satyamurti 1994: pl. 24, Fig. 6 .

Diagnosis. Libythea myrrha rama is similar to L. m. sanguinalis by sharing a falcate forewing apex, but it can be distinguished from the latter subspecies by having a white-yellow forewing apical band between Rs 1 and M 1, which is offset and disconnected from band between M 1 and M 3.

Type Specimens Examined. Libythea rama Moore 1872 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, Ceylon [ Sri Lanka], Colombo ( BMNH). Libythea myrrha carma Fruhstorfer 1914 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, India: Shembaganur, A. Heyne ( BMNH) . Libythea myrrha sanguinalis Fruhstorfer 1898 , HOLOTYPE: ♂, Chasseurs Indigènes: 1894, R. P. Bertauden ( BMNH) .

Other Specimens Examined. (41♂, 15♀): INDIA: Kerala: Travancore, Kalai : 1♀, 15-VII-1891 ( CMNH) ; Trivandrum : 1♂ ( USNM) . Tamil Nadu: Kodai [kanal], 30 mi [52.8 km] west of Madurai , 4500 ft [1372 m] : 1♂, 13- VII-1957, J. P. Donahue ( MSUC) ; Salem Plains , 900 ft [274 m] , 1♂, X-1924, H. Latham ( BMNH) ; Nilgiris : 1♂, 1♀, 10-31-I-1891, Fergueson ( CMNH) ; Kallar , 1♂, X-1926, J. Florence ( BMNH) ; Kanara , Karowar , 2♂, [1889] ( BMNH) ; Karnataka, Mysore Plateu, Hosur, Nr. Bangalore , 3000 ft [914 m], 1♂, VIII-1924, H. Latham ( BMNH) ; Nilgiris , 1♂, [1880] ( BMNH) ; 1♂, Davidson ( BMNH) ; 1♂, X-1888, Watson ( BMNH) ; Coonoor , 1♂ ( BMNH) ; Travancore , 3♂, H. G. Place ( BMNH) . SRI LANKA: 1♀ ( AMNH) ; 4♂, 2♀ ( BMNH) ; 1♂, 1889, H. Fruhstorfer ( BMNH) ; 3♂ ( CAS) . Colombo : 2♂ ( AMNH) ; 1♂ ( BMNH) ; 2♀ ( USNM) . Eliya [Diwulwewa] , 1♂, N. Manders ( BMNH) . Haldummulla : 1♂, J. Doll ( AMNH) ; 1♂, VIII, F. M. Bailey ( AMNH) ; 2000-4000 ft, [610-1220 m], 4♂ ( BMNH) . Kandy , 1♂ ( BMNH) ; 1♀, 1899 ( BMNH) ; 1♀, IV-1915 ( BMNH) ; 1♂, IV-1916, F. M. Mackwood ( BMNH) ; 1♀, VIII-1921, W. Ormiston ( BMNH) ; Pundaloya , 1♀, [1902] ( BMNH) ; Uva Province, Haputale , 3000- 6000 ft, [914-1829 m] , 1♀ ( BMNH) ; 4500 ft [1372 m], 1♂, VI-1922, W. Ormiston ( BMNH) ; 1♂, 8-VI-1892 ( BMNH) ; Wellawaya , 1♀, IV-1915, F. M. Mackwood ( BMNH) . Uncertain country : 1♂, 1♀ ( AMNH) ; 1♂ ( CMNH) ; 1♂, 1-I-1944 ( CMNH) ; 1♂, 25-I-1945 ( CMNH) ; 1♀, 1952 ( CMNH) .

Distribution. India and Sri Lanka.

Remarks. Fruhstorfer (1914: 770) described carma and compared it to rama . He stated that carma has ‘almost purely white subapical spots … broader and lighter discal spots of the forewings ... [and] more extensive and … [a] lighter median band of the hindwings.’ After examining holotype specimens of rama and carma, it is clear that both have white subapical marks and the lighter orange color of carma is due to many scales on the wings of the holotype have been rubbed. It appears that carma was described from a worn specimen of rama , and the former is treated as a synonym of the latter.

Figures

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 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.