Philiris hindenburgensis Mueller

Mueller, Chris J., 2014, Six new species of Philiris Roeber, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from Papua New Guinea, ZooKeys 395, pp. 33-55 : 44-45

Philiris hindenburgensis Mueller sp. n. Figs 47-49, 72

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (Figs 47-49): Papua New Guinea, Hindenburg Wall, Western Province, 1800 m (5°07'S, 141°15'E), 9-12 Feb, 2013, Chris J. Müller (ANIC), Registration: ANIC Database No. 31-023126. No Paratypes.

Diagnosis.

Philiris hindenburgensis is a small species with rounded wings that is unique among those species in the genus with predominantly purple-blue uppersides to the males, in bearing a very broad dark border to the costa and inner margin of the hindwing upperside where the purple-blue is essentially restricted between veins 2 and 6. The broad forewing border that is parallel to the termen is also a feature of the males of Philiris satis Tite, 1963 (Holotype; Figs 50, 51, 81), Philiris oreas Tite, 1963 (Holotype; Figs 52, 53, 82) and Philiris albihumerata Tite, 1963 (Holotype; Figs 54, 55, 83). However, these taxa all have glossy white undersides with a large, prominent black spot on the inner margin of the hindwing underside. In Philiris hindenburgensis , the underside is a light grey-white and the spot on the inner margin is merely represented as a barely recognisable brown smear.

The male genitalia of Philiris hindenburgensis are highly distinctive and do not resemble those of any known Philiris species. The sociuncus is long and tapered such that the socii are not obviously separated and the lateral margin of the socii is concave. The valvae in Philiris hindenburgensis are most unusual, with long, slightly asymmetric appendages stemming from the lateral margin of the bulbous base.

Description.

♂ (Figs 47-48): Forewing length 15.5 mm, antenna 8.5 mm (holotype). Head, palpus and thorax dark grey dorsally, light grey ventrally, abdomen dark grey dorsally, light grey ventrally, frons dark grey with white eye ring; legs light grey with black areas on tibiae; antenna shaft black, ringed conspicuously with white between segments, apex of club brown.

Fore wing termen slightly convex, inner margin very slightly bowed in middle, apex slightly rounded; upperside dull frosty purple-blue, termen broadly dark brown-black and of even width (1.5 mm wide), cilia dark brown black; underside uniformly light grey-white, a small dark brown basal patch near inner margin, cilia light grey but dark brown-black at vein ends.

Hind wing rounded; upperside dull frosty purple-blue, costa and inner margin very broadly dark brown so that purple area is, with the exception of a few bordering purple scales, restricted between veins 2 and 6, termen broadly dark brown (approximately 1.5 mm wide), cilia light grey-white but dark brown at vein ends; underside uniformly light grey-white, a very obscure small brown spot between veins 1a and 1b approximately one third the distance from the base to the tornus, cilia light grey-white, dark brown-black at vein ends.

Male genitalia (Fig. 72): Vinculum and tegumen ring long, tapered posteriorly towards sociuncus, sociuncus narrow and rounded, socii with lateral margin pointed apically, concave in middle, dorsally socii unseparated by sinus, saccus tapered posteriorly, brachium long and tapered dorsally; valva slightly asymmetrical, with left valva longer than right valva, valva bulbous at base, with a long appendage stemming from lateral margin and tapering apically; phallus with large median zone of intricate cornuti, vesica with dorsal flange apically.

♀. Unknown.

Etymology.

This species is named after the type locality, the monumental Hindenburg Wall.

Distribution.

Western Province, Papua New Guinea.

Remarks.

Few species of Philiris occur at high altitude and in the Hindenburg Wall area at 1800 m (Fig. 85) and above, the only species recorded by the author, besides Philiris hindenburgensis , were Philiris biplaga Sands, 1981 and Philiris montigena Tite, 1963, all of which were recorded proximal to streams during rare periods of strong sunshine.