Catasticta prioneris parrishi, Bollino, Maurizio & Costa, Mauro, 2007

Bollino, Maurizio & Costa, Mauro, 2007, An illustrated annotated check-list of the species of Catasticta (s. l.) Butler (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) of Venezuela, Zootaxa 1469, pp. 1-42 : 5-6

Catasticta prioneris parrishi ssp. nov.

Holotype: male, Matamula, Tamá, 1900 m., Estado Táchira, Venezuela, 8-VII-2002, col. Costa, in MIZA (fig. 4: j-k)

Description: FW length: 26 mm.

Dorsal surface: FWs with black marginal band as wide as in araguana, and white spots in cells M3-CuA1, CuA1-CuA2 and CuA2-2A merged with submarginal white spots; white discal band occupying outer half of the cell; dark basal area reduced to the base of the wing; HWs with black marginal band thick, nearly absent in anal cells, four white marginal interneural triangular spots

Ventral surface: FWs with white discal band very reduced, composed of separated from each other and marginally dark scaled spots in cells M3-CuA1, CuA1-CuA2 and CuA2-2A; HWs with white discal band highly reduced, nearly only represented by yellow interneural bands.

Allotype: female, vía Chorro del Indio, 1500 m., Estado Táchira, IV-1994, col. F. Rey, in MIZA (fig. 4: l)

Description: FW length: 24 mm.

Dorsal surface: similar to araguana, but with larger submarginal white spots on FWs; HWs with black marginal band larger than in male; ventral surface like in male, but white discal band of HWs with more white.

Ventral surface: as in male.

Diagnostic characters: the new subspecies has white marking extended on dorsal surface, thus approaching ssp. estancia and ssp. araguana, but with a peculiar dark ventral surface highly reminiscent of ssp. hegemon Godman & Salvin, 1889 from Costa Rica, Panama and the northern part of Central Colombian Cordillera.

Paratypes (30 males, 10 females): 1 male, Delicias, Venezuela, Táchira, 7-X-1982, col. G. Borges; 1 male, Venezuela, Táchira, Parque Nacional El Tamá, 27-VII-1980, col. R. Manrique; 1 female, same data, but 23- VII-80; 1 female, Venezuela, Táchira, Carret. Bramón Delicias, 1860 m., 9-11-XII-1980, J. Clavijo A. Chacón Ayala, all in MIZA; 1 male, Venezuela, Táchira, El Reposo (P.N. El Tamá), ~ 7°32’N 72°24’W, m. 2100 – 6.VII.2002, lg. Mauro Costa; 1 male, Venezuela, Táchira, Mata Mula (P.N. El Tamá), ~ 7°38’N 72°26’W, m. 1900-2000 – 7.VII.2002, lg. Mauro Costa; 1 male, 1 female, Venezuela – Táchira, El Chimborazo, ~ 7°43’N 72°12’W, m. 1300 - XII.1988, lg. local collectors, all in MBLI; 1 male, Matamula, Tamá, 1900 m., Estado Táchira, Venezuela, col. Costa, 8-VII-2002; 1 male, 1 female, same data, but 3-I-2002; 1 male, vía Chorro del Indio, 1500 m., Estado Táchira, Venezuela, I-1993, col. Costa; 1 male, vía Delicias, 1900 m., Estado Táchira, Venezuela, 19-I-1993, col. Costa; 1 male, S. Isidro, 1500 m, Estado Barinas, Venezuela, 02-I-2006, col. Costa; 1 male, S. Isidro, 1500 m, Estado Barinas, Venezuela, 04-I-2007, col. Costa, all in MCCV; 2 males, vía Delicias, 1950 m., III-83, C.f.R., Estado Táchira; 1 male, vía Delicias, 1700 m., V-91, C.f.R., Estado Táchira; 2 males, same data, but IV-90; 2 males, same data, but III-90; 1 male, same data, but V-87; 1 female, sama data, but VI-89; 3 males, 1 female, vía Delicias, 1800 m., IV-87, C.f.R., Estado Táchira; 1 male, same data, but VI- 87; 1 male, 1 female, vía Delicias, 1900 m., XII-84, C.f.R., Estado Táchira; 2 males, same data, but V-1986; 1 male, Barinitas, 1400 m., VIII-92, C.f.R., Estado Barinas; 1 female, same data, but II-89, all in FRMV; 1 male, Palo Grande, 1400 m., Municipio Lobatera, Edo. Táchira, VZLA.; 1 female, IX-1990, Hacienda Pánaga, 800 msnm., Mpio San Cristóbal, Táchira, VZLA, all in FRCV; 1 male, Chorro del Indio, 1300 m., Táchira, Venezuela, 10-XII-88, in DSBV; 1 female, El Paramito (Escuque), 1600m (Trujillo), 6-11 Octubre 2001, in PBPF; 1 male, estado Trujillo, arriba de Escuque, El Paramito (la cumbre), 1600 m, 15. IV.2006, T. Pyrcz leg., in MZUJ.

Distribution: C. prioneris parrishi ssp. nov. is known from the Eastern side of El Tamá and the Cordillera de Mérida north to Trujillo. It is generally scarce, and additional field work will be necessary to establish its northern limit.

Etymology: a noun in the genitive case after Chris Parrish (Sewanee, USA), for his contribution to a better knowledge of the ornithological fauna of Venezuela.