Libytheana fulvescens ( Lathy 1904 )

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 : 55-56

Libytheana fulvescens ( Lathy 1904)

( Figs. 11 , 23 36, 48, 66, 145–148)

Libythea fulvescens Lathy 1904: 19 .

Libythea (Hypatus) carinenta fulvescens Pagenstecher 1911: 11 .

Hypatus carinenta fulvescens: Hering 1921: 284 .

Hypatus fulvescens Hering 1921: 284 .

Libytheana fulvecena [sic] Motono 1993: 45.

Libytheana fulresens [sic] Motono 1993: 51.

Diagnosis. Libytheana fulvescens is most similar to L. carinenta by sharing a hindwing CuA 2 vein that does not extend beyond 1A + 2A, or if so, by less than 1 mm. Libythea fulvescens can be distinguished from L. carinenta by having forewing apical marks that dark orange, which are white in L. carinenta .

Type Examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂, Dominica, Lathy ( BMNH).

Other Specimens Examined. (12♂, 3♀): DOMINICA: Copt Hall : 1♀, 11-X-1966, E. L. Todd ( USNM) . Hillsborough : 1♂, VI-1898, 1♂, VII-1898, W. J. Kaye ( MGCL) . 1–2 km north of Colihaut , 10-30 m: 1♂, 11-IX- 1992, 1♂, 21-IX-1992, L. D. and J. Y. Miller ( MGCL) . 1 km north of Colihaut , 10 m: 2♂, 12-13-XI-1993, L. D. and J. Y. Miller ( CMNH) ; 2♂, 1♀, 13-IX-1993, 1♂, 11-XI-1993, 1♂, 1♀, 12-XI-1993, L. D. & J. Y. Miller ( MGCL) . East Side of Castle Comfort , 20 m: 1♂, 14-XI-1993, L. D. & J. Y. Miller ( MGCL) . 1–2 km S. Pointe Michael : 1♂, 19-IX-1992, L. D. & J. Y. Miller ( MGCL) .

Distribution. Restricted to the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles.

Biology. The life history of this species remains unknown, but Celtis iguanea (Jacq.) Sarg. (Celtidaceae) is a probable larval host plant ( Smith et al. 1994). The general behavior is similar to L. carinenta , but adults are not known to migrate. See Kawahara (2006b) for additional information on the biology of L. fulvescens .

Remarks. This species is similar to Libytheana carinenta larvata , but the color of the forewing apical marks on the dorsal surface are dark orange in L. fulvescens . Phylogenetically, L. fulvescens is sister to L. carinenta because both share the presence of a single, wide band across hindwing cells M 1 -M 3 (Kawahara 2009). This species may eventually be treated as a subspecies, but not many samples could be examined in this study. Thus, the species status of fulvescens is retained until additional specimens can be examined.

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.