Catasticta troezene miza, 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 : 9

Catasticta troezene miza ssp. nov.

Holotype: male, vía Delicias 1700 m, Estado Táchira, Venezuela 2-I-2002 Col. Costa, in MIZA (fig. 7: a-b)

Description: FW length: 25 mm.

Dorsal surface: ground color brownish black. FW with discal band and submarginal spots of whitish color, with strong suffusion of dark scales. HW with discal band of the same color, the anal portion being the lighter in color. Five small triangular submarginal spots strongly suffused by dark scales.

Ventral surface: as in nominotypical subspecies.

Diagnostic characters: the new subspecies is characterized in both sexes by having DFW discal bands and submarginal spots with a strong suffusion of dark scales, and DHW submarginal spots small and with black suffusion. DHW submarginal spot in cell CuA1-CuA2 is always separated by the discal band. In C. troezene troezene males have corresponding bands and spots brownish yellow in color, with DHW submarginal spot in cell CuA1-CuA2 always merged with discal band; females with light yellow markings and DHW submarginal spots very large.

Paratypes (8 males, 2 females): 2 males, Venezuela – Táchira, Junín, Fundo Piedras Blancas, ~ 7°32’N 72°23’W, m. 2300–2400 - I.2004, lg. local collectors, in MBLI; 1 male, vía Delicias 1700 m Estado Táchira Venezuela 15-X-1990 Col. Costa; 2 males, La Revancha 2300 m Estado Táchira Venezuela 20-III-2004 Col. F. Rey; 1 female, same data but 10-XII-1997; all in MCCV; 1 male, vía Delicias 1800 m (Matamula) IV-87 C.F. Romero, Estado Táchira, in FRMV; 1 male, 10-IV-1996 Fundo Piedra Blanca (F.P.B.) San Vicente de la Revancha 2.300 msnm., Táchira, Vzla.; 1 male, Matamula, vía Delicias, Municipio Junín, 1.900 msnm. Táchira, Vzla; 1 female, 26-IV-96 Matamula, vía Delicias, Municipio Junín, 1.900 m, Táchira, Venezuela, all in FRSV.

Distribution: The new subspecies occurs only on the Venezuelan side of El Tamá, where it is rare, although it may also occur on nearby Colombian slopes of the same range.

Etymology: a noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition after MIZA (Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola, Maracay, Venezuela) for the great cooperation we received from its staff.