Enosis matheri H. Freeman, 1969

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui & Grishin, Nick V., 2022, Taxonomic changes suggested by the genomic analysis of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera), Insecta Mundi 2022 (921), pp. 1-135 : 78-81

Enosis matheri H. Freeman, 1969 is a junior subjective synonym of Metiscus atheas Godman, 1900

Genomic sequencing of the holotype of Enosis matheri H. Freeman, 1969 (type locality Mexico: Veracruz, Catemaco) and two topotypical paralectotypes of Metiscus atheas Godman, 1900 (type locality Mexico: Tabasco, Teapa) among other specimens, including one from Colombia, reveals their close clustering together without any separation ( Fig. 15 ). COI barcodes of the E. matheri holotype (NVG-18026C08) and one of the M. atheas topotypical paralectotypes (NVG-21013E09) are identical, and differ by only one base pair from the other paralectotype (NVG-21013E08). Combined with morphological similarities and proximity of their type localities, our data suggest th a t Enosis matheri H. Freeman, 1969 is a junior subjective synonym of Metiscus atheas Godman, 1900 .

Mnasalcas amatala Schaus, 1902 is a junior objective synonym of Hesperia infuscata Plötz, 1882 , confirmed as a junior subjective synonym of Mnaseas derasa derasa (Herrich-Schäffer, 1870) , new combination

The name Hesperia infuscata Plötz, 1882 (type locality Brazil) was proposed in the same work with Hesperia achelous Plötz, 1882 and Hesperia paria Plötz, 1882 (see discussion above) and placed in the identification key between these two species ( Plötz 1882a). The only species-specific information given for H. infuscata was: “Distal half of the wings below gray-brown. ♂ with stigma”, in addition to the forewing length of 17 mm and the unpublished drawing number 265 (original likely lost), which was not included among Godman’s copies of Plötz’s drawings (now in the Natural History Museum, London, inspected by N.V.G.), because Godman assumed that he found a specimen closely matching it in the Godman and Salvin collection ( Godman 1907).

First, Godman concluded that the Plötz’s drawing of H. infuscata did not match his previous identification of this species as published in Godman and Salvin (1900b). This Godman’s misidentification was based on the male specimen in the Staudinger collection (now in ZMHB) identified by Möschler as H. infuscata ( Godman and Salvin 1900b). In all likelihood, it was the specimen that in addition to the “B.C.A.Lep.Rhop.” label routinely placed by Godman on specimens used in the book, gained the “Origin” label (Godman did not mention this specimen was a type) and was later designated as the lectotype of H. infuscata ( Mielke and Casagrande 2002) . This specimen (NVG-15035E11), from Suriname, not from Brazil as per H. infuscata description, does not agree with either of the species-specific statements of the original description. First, distal half of its wings below is nearly the same color as the basal half (not gray brown). Second, it is a male that lacks a stigma. According to Godman (1907), this specimen did not match the original Plötz drawing of H. infuscata .

Although the drawing no. 265 was not among the Godman’s copies, it is likely that many of the Plötz’s original drawings served as prototypes for illustrations in Draudt (1923b). This is because some of the Draudt illustrations appear more similar to Godman’s copies of Plötz drawing than to actual specimens of these species. Draudt considered H. infuscata to be possibly synonymous with Metiscus atheas Godman, 1900 . The illustration of M. atheas ventral aspect (plate 187, row f, image no. 8), while not agreeing with the specimens from M. atheas type series, agrees well with the original description of H. infuscata : “Distal half of the wings below gray-brown.” It is possible that this illustration might have been a copy of the (now lost) Plötz’s drawing and can give an idea about how this species looks like. It is clear that Möschler’s specimen NVG-15035E11 or a species it represents, cannot possibly be approximated by this drawing. For all these reasons, this Möschler’s specimen is not a syntype of H. infuscata , despite the “Origin” label on its pin. Therefore, it cannot be a lectotype and should not be a used to define the name H. infuscata .

Second, Godman (1907: 137) noted that the Plötz’s drawing 265 depicted a stigma “formed of two narrow elongate streaks” that looked somewhat similar to that of M. atheas . The only South American specimens ( H. infuscata is from Brazil) identified by Evans as Enosis achelous (he considered M. atheas to be its synonym) were from Ecuador. They possess atheas -styled stigma and their ventral aspect shows darker basal half of wings, mostly confined to discal cell on forewing, and paler-brown marginal areas. However the pattern is not as sharply two-toned as the Draudt illustration, which Evans described as “very exaggerated” for his “ E. achelous ”, but this pattern could be just right for some other species. Furthermore, the forewing is 17 mm in H. infuscata and is larger than 18 mm in the BMNH specimens from Ecuador. For these reasons, H. infuscata was a species different from M. atheas or E. achelous . Next, we searched for possible syntypes of H. infuscata in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany (ZMHB) and the Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Germany (ZSMC), where primary types of many taxa authored by Plötz are deposited: N.V.G. inspected all Hesperiidae drawers in the first two collections and failed to find any syntypes. We studied photographs of the drawers with Plötz types in the collection of the Universität Greifswald (EMAU) and found no H. infuscata syntypes. Therefore, we believe that the syntypes are no longer extant, and we proceed with a neotype designation. There is an exceptional need to designate neotype of H. infuscata , because a specimen that is not a syntype was designated as its lectotype previously ( Mielke and Casagrande 2002), introducing confusion about application of this name and requiring the identity of this taxon to be objectively established in agreement with its original description to facilitate future research on Hesperiidae .

Translating from the original description of H. infuscata given as a key ( Plötz 1882a), the following characters differentiate this taxon: antenna is nearly always longer than half of forewing, wings are without hyaline spots, dorsal and ventral sides of wings are almost equally dark, without markings, distal half of ventral wings is gray-brown, ♂ with stigma, forewing length 17 mm; augmented with Godman’s comments ( Godman 1907) that H. infuscata , as drawn by Plötz, “has a brand formed of two narrow elongate streaks” and “comes very near Metiscus atheas Godm. ” Among Brazilian Hesperiidae , we found a specimen that is an excellent match to the original description of H. infuscata , Draudt’s illustration of “ Metiscus atheas ” ( Draudt 1921 –1924), and Godman’s comments. This specimen is a syntype of Mnasalcas amatala Schaus, 1902 , the only one from the known specimens of the syntypic series that has the word “type” on the identification label handwritten by Schaus. N.V.G. designates this specimen as the neotype of Hesperia infuscata Plötz, 1882 (see label data of this specimen below). This male from Brazil with dark-brown unspotted wings has forewing length 17 mm, antenna 0.53 of the forewing length, well-defined brand of two elongate streaks, distal half of both wings ventral side paler than basal half, and the darker forewing area nearly rectangular, shaped as in the Draudt’s illustration.

Our neotype of H. infuscata satisfies all requirements set forth by ICZN Article 75.3, namely: 75.3.1. It is designated to clarify the taxonomic identity of Hesperia infuscata Plötz, 1882 , which has been inconsistent with its original description; 75.3.2. The characters for the taxon have been given in its original description by Plötz (1882a: 319), detailed by Godman (1907: 137) and are discussed above; 75.3.3. The neotype specimen, which N.V.G. also designates as the lectotype of Mnasalcas amatala Schaus, 1902 to stabilize nomenclature, bears the following labels: || Nova Friburgo, | Brazil. || Collection | W. Schaus || Mnasalcas | amatala | type Sch. || Type | No. 6031 | U.S. N.M. ||, additionally recognized by the head tilted to the left, left antenna stretched out anteriad, and the tip of right hindwing tornus bent dorsad; 75.3.4. Our search for the syntypes is described above, it was not successful, and we consider that the specimens composing the type series of H. infuscata are lost; 75.3.5. As detailed above, the neotype is consistent with the original description and all additional information known about this taxon; 75.3.6. The neotype is from Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo, and the type locality given for H. infuscata in the original description is “ Brasilien ”; 75.3.7. The neotype is in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA (USNM).

Genomic analysis of the H. infuscata / M. amatala neotype / lectotype (NVG-18111C07) places it together with a syntype of Pamphila gagatina Mabille, 1891 in the ZMHB (NVG-15034H04) and among other specimens from Brazil that we identified as Mnaseas derasa derasa (Herrich-Schäffer, 1870) , new combination (type locality Brazil) ( Fig. 11 ), thus confirming that the three former taxa are junior subjective synonyms of the latter.

Finally, Evans attributed the name H. infuscata to a species closely related to Metiscus angularis (Möschler, 1877) (type locality Suriname). However, this species is smaller: forewing length less than 16 mm in males (vs. 17 mm in H. infuscata ) and has petite stigma, not similar to that of M. atheas . Therefore, Evans misidentified H. infuscata , and the taxon he identified as Enosis angularis infuscata does not have a name. It is therefore new, described as a species below.

Figures

Figure 11. Genomic tree of Hesperiina and relatives. See Fig. 1 legend for notations.

Figure 15. Genomic tree of Moncina, part 3. See Fig. 1 legend for notations.