Athis analibiae ( Espinoza-Sanabria & González, 2005 )

García-Díaz, José De Jesús, Espinoza-Sanabria, Bernardo A., Worthy, Robert, González, Jorge M., Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie, 2024, Synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Costa Rica, Zootaxa 5481 (2), pp. 151-202 : 171

11. Athis analibiae ( Espinoza-Sanabria & González, 2005)

( Figs. 4C, 4D , 10H , 12C )

Imara analibiae Espinoza-Sababria & González, 2005 ; Espinoza-Sanabria & González, 2005. Zootaxa 849 (1), fig. 1.

Athis analibiae ; Moraes & Duarte, 2014. Zoo. Jour. Linn. Soc. 170 (2), p. 29.

General comments. One of the rarest species in the genus, known to us from fewer than eight specimens. It was described as Imara analibiae Espinoza-Sanabria & González, 2005 based on three specimens (1♂, 2♀♀) collected in Finca la Selva, Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica ( Espinoza-Sanabria & González 2005). Moraes & Duarte (2014) included it in Athis .

This species is characterized by having a whitish diagonal band that runs from the costa in the apical region to the middle of the anal margin of the dorsal forewing; while in the hindwing a wide whitish postbasal-discal band runs from the costa to the inner margin; it also has a small marginal band of white spots between veins M 1 -2A. Ventrally, the wing pattern is similar to the dorsal surface, but there is a marginal band of bluish-white spots on the forewing; in the hindwing the basal region is whitish. Females are easily distinguishable because, both dorsally and ventrally, the white band is wider than in males, and it also has a small, curved band, around the subapical region, that runs from the costa towards the central band; the base-color is darker on both wings.

Ecology and behavior. The host plant is unknown. Also, nothing is known about the habits of the species; however, a male was sighted in Resort Shawandha Lodge, Talamanca, Limón, attracted to UV LED light during the early hours of the night (Heiner Ziegler, pers. comm.) ( Fig. 10H ). Likewise, another male, deposited at EMEC, was collected “at lights”. On the other hand, it may be just a matter of coincidence since it’s not rare to find Lepidoptera species of diurnal habits in light traps, most of the time these were probably just perched near where the traps were placed, so these species are attracted by lights and activity around the traps.

Distribution and biogeography. To date, only records from four Costa Rican localities are known: (1) Estación Biológica La Selva, (2) Estación Biológica La Tirimbina, (3) Resort Shawandha Lodge and (4) Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure Park ( Espinoza-Sanabria & González 2005; iNaturalist 2023; Diego Salas, pers. comm.). These localities are located at low altitudes on the Caribbean slope and belong, according to Morrone et al. (2022), to the province of Guatuso-Talamanca. To date it is the only endemic castniid in Costa Rica; however, considering its known distribution, it could be found in Nicaragua or Panama.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A–B: Divana diva diva; A: ♂, San José, P.N. Braulio Carrillo, Fila Carrillo, 700m, 27mayo1984, A. M. Chacón, INBIOCRI001055987 (MNCR); B: ♀, Est. Pitilla, 700m, 9km S. Sta. Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, C. Moraga, Jul 1991, L-N-330200, 380200, INBIOCRI001110192, MNCR-A1110192 (MNCR); C–D: Athis analibiae; C: ♂ Holotype, Heredia, Finca La Selva, I–IV-1983, 55m, leg. I.A. Chacón, INBIOCRI001056116 (MNCR); D: ♀, Prov. Heredia, Sarapiquí, Est. Biol. La Tirimbina, 100–200m, 9 Abril 2013, C. Miranda, Colecta Libre, L_N_266268_523359 #108141, INB0004388061, MNCR-A4388061 (MNCR). Scale bar = 2cm.

FIGURE 10. A–B: Amauta procera; A: ♀, Golfito, Puntarenas, 19-II-2002 (photo: Gernot Kunz); B: ♂, Sarapiquí, Heredia, 06-III-2014 (photo: Matthew Grube); C: ♀, Prometheus zagraea zagraea, Osa, Puntarenas, 02-III-2012 (photo: GringoCurt); D–E: Divana diva diva; D: ♂, Puntarenas, Puntarenas, 27-V-2018 (photo: David Curlis); E: ♀, San Ramón, Alajuela, 27-V- 2010 (photo: John B. Schneider); F–G: Athis palatinus staudingeri; F: ♀, Golfito, Puntarenas, 08-II-2021 (photo: Chatelle Taylor); G: ♂, Aguirre, Puntarenas, 16-I-2020 (photo: Ted Armstrong); H: ♂, Athis analibiae, Talamanca, Limón, 09-V-2023 (photo: Heiner Ziegler); I: ♀, Athis clitarcha, Coto Brus, Puntarenas, 14-III-2020 (photo: Casey Owen); J: ♂, Athis inca inca, Sarapiquí, Heredia, 26-X-2018 (photo: Laurens Halsey).

FIGURE 12. Distribution maps of the genera Amauta (A), Athis (B, C), Corybantes and Mirocastnia (D), Divana (E) and Prometheus (F) in Costa Rica.