Opharus pallida ( Dognin, 1910 ) Dognin, 1910

Beccacece, Hernán Mario & Zapata, Adriana Inés, 2017, Taxonomic changes of some neotropical species of Arctiini Leach (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4272 (3), pp. 421-429 : 424

Opharus pallida ( Dognin, 1910) comb. n.

( Fig. 5 )

Opharus ochracea Joicey & Talbot, 1918 comb. rev.; syn n. ( Fig. 6 ) Pelochyta fergusoni Watson & Goodger, 1986 syn. n.

Pelochyta pallida Dognin, 1910: 9 was described based on a male holotype from Chanchamayo, Peru, deposited in USNM ( Fig. 5 ). When Watson & Goodger (1986) transferred Halysidota pallida Schaus, 1901: 267 to Pelochyta Hübner [1819] it was necessary to designate a new name for Dognin's species. Therefore, these authors proposed the name Pelochyta fergusoni Watson & Goodger, 1986 as the replacement name for P. pallida Dognin, 1910 . However, the holotype dissected and photographed by Watson (1971) shows that the species described by Dognin (1910) belongs to Opharus Walker, 1855 . For this reason, the replacement name proposed by Watson & Goodger (1986) becomes a junior synonym ( ICZN 1999: article 59.4).

Moreover, Opharus ochracea Joicey & Talbot, 1918: 269 ; pl. 1, f. 12 was described based on two female syntypes from Charape River , Tabaconas , Perú, and then transferred to Phaegoptera by Travassos (1955). A female deposited in NHUK and labeled “ Opharus ochracea type ♀ Joicey”; “ Charape River, Tabaconas, N . Peru, 4000 ft. A. & E. Fratt 1912”; “P.2.5.1917.269, t. i.12 ”; “ Presented by J. J. Joicey Esq. Brit. Mus. 1931-444.”; “ Type H.T ” is here designated lectotype ( Fig. 6 ). It is in moderate to poor condition, since the two antennae are missing and the posterior area of right hindwing is damaged. The lectotype also can be differentiated for other specimens present in the collection for the label “ Type H.T ”. The habitus of the lectotype matches the habitus of O. pallida ( Dognin, 1910) , whose type specimen has faded wings, but has evident fasciae of the forewings. Furthermore, the type localities of both species are very close. For these reasons, the new synonymy is here proposed.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Type specimens of the studied species. 1. Agaraea klagesi (Rothschild, 1909) female lectotype. 2. Agaraea nigrotuberculata Bryk, 1953 male holotype 3. Agaraea nigrostriata (Rothschild, 1909) female holotype. 4. Opharus fasciatus Rothschild, 1909 female holotype. 5. Pelochyta pallida Dognin, 1910 male holotype 6. Opharus ochracea Joicey & Talbot, 1918 female lectotype. 7. Melese paranensis Dognin, 1911 male holotype. 8. Melese flavescens Joicey & Talbot, 1918 male holotype. 9. Tessellota pura Breyer, 1957 male holotype. Scale bar: 10 mm.