Philiris bubalisatina Mueller

Mueller, Chris J., 2014, Six new species of Philiris Roeber, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from Papua New Guinea, ZooKeys 395, pp. 33-55 : 38-40

Philiris bubalisatina Mueller sp. n. Figs 13-15, 63

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (Figs 13-15): "Papua New Guinea, Upper Sepik Basin, West Sepik Province, 4°39'S, 141°43'E, 820-1030 m, 7-9 June, 2010, Chris J. Müller, genitalia dissected and held in vial pinned to specimen, (ANIC), Registration: ANIC Database No. 31-023123. Paratypes (2 ♂♂): 1 ♂ labelled "Papua New Guinea, Upper Sepik Basin, West Sepik Province, 560 m, 4°40'S, 141°46'E, 8-12 Feb, 2010, C. J. Müller” (AM); 1 ♂ labelled "Papua New Guinea, Baiyer River, Western Highlands Province, 1190 m, 5°30'S, 144°10'E, 12-18 Nov, 2013, C. J. Müller” (CJMC).

Diagnosis.

Philiris bubalisatina is unlike any known species, its external facies showing affinities with the Philiris marginata (Grose-Smith, 1894), Philiris fulgens (Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1897) and Philiris helena (Snellen, 1887) groups. The wing shape of Philiris bubalisatina is highly acute, with a long pointed forewing and a remarkably elongate hind wing. The forewings are more exaggeratedly pointed than in Philiris vicina (Grose-Smith, 1898), Philiris marginata (holotypes; Figs 18, 19, 77 and 20, 21, 76, respectively) (both Philiris marginata group) and Philiris fulgens (holotype; Figs 22, 23, 78), even ‘subspecies’ septentrionalis Joicey & Talbot, 1916 (holotype; Figs 24, 25, 79). The fore wing upperside is a bright shining lilac-blue, which is more bluish on the hind wing and the dark margins are very broad, while that on the hind wing is of hairline thickness. The underside of Philiris bubalisatina is unique in Philiris , being a pale buff-cream, with a yellowish hue. Unlike other species with non-white undersides (essentially those in the helena group), e.g. Philiris apicalis Tite, 1963 (holotype; Figs 26, 27, 80 and subspecies ginni Müller; Fig. 28), that of Philiris bubalisatina is semi-glossy rather than matt. There is no black spot at the inner margin of the hind wing underside. There appears to be little variation in the type series of Philiris bubalisatina , although one paratype from the Upper Sepik has a slightly shorter fore wing length and the shape of the fore wing is slightly more convex than in the other specimens.

The male genitalia of Philiris bubalisatina is also highly distinctive and does not closely resemble those of any known Philiris . The bulbous valvae with lateral appendages are unusual and are only otherwise shared with Philiris lavendula Tite, 1963 (holotype; Figs 16, 17, 75). However the sociuncus in the male genitalia of the latter species is deeply incised and the valvae are much more acute than in Philiris bubalisatina . Philiris bubalisatina and Philiris lavendula have dissimilar external facies, with the former species having a broad forewing upperside border with a shining lilac-purple ground colour and a buff-coloured underside, whereas Philiris lavendula has a much narrower upperside border, a matt purple ground colour and a white underside. The wing shape of the two taxa also differ markedly.

Description.

♂ (Figs 13, 14): Forewing length 20 mm, antenna 12 mm (holotype). Head, palpus and thorax dark grey dorsally, cream ventrally, abdomen dark grey dorsally, cream-buff ventrally, frons dark grey with white eye ring; antenna shaft black, ringed conspicuously with white between segments, apical half of club brown ventrally; legs cream with black areas on tibiae.

Forewing termen nearly straight, inner margin straight, apex pointed; upperside with ground colour black, a large area of shining purple-lilac extending from base to near end of cell and postmedian area to approximately 2 mm from termen at tornus, cilia black; underside uniformly glossy pale buff-cream with apical area suffused with dark scales, darker basal patch at inner margin, cilia narrowly black.

Hindwing elongated towards tornus, slightly produced near tornus at veins 2, 3 and 4; upperside shining purple-blue (more bluish than fore wing shining area) and narrowly bluish-white nearest to costa, termen narrowly (<1 mm) black, costa light brown above vein 7 and midway between cell and vein 8, merging with dark termen between veins 7 and 6, inner margin broadly brown to vein 1b, cilia black; underside uniformly glossy pale buff-cream with dark brown scaling near termen, cilia narrowly black, broader at tornus and at ends of veins 2, 3, and 4.

Male genitalia (Fig. 63): Vinculum and tegumen ring oval, tapered towards sociuncus, sociuncus rather broad, socii with lateral margin square-shaped, dorsally rounded, socii weakly separated by V-shaped sinus, saccus tapered posteriorly, brachium tapered dorsally and slightly hooked at apex; valva symmetrical, bulbous at base with long appendage stemming from lateral margin; phallus large, with zone of intricate cornuti in post-zonal section, vesica apically flanged.

♀: Unknown.

Etymology.

The name is a combination of the Latin word ‘bubalinus’, for the colour buff, reflecting the unusual pale yellowish-brown hue to the underside, and ‘satina’, which refers to the satin lustre to the underside.

Distribution.

West Sepik and Western Highlands Provinces, Papua New Guinea.

Ecology.

All specimens of Philiris bubalisatina were taken at, or just before, midday as they perched momentarily on foliage overhanging rapid torrents, several metres above the ground. The taxon has a remarkably rapid and robust, wide-ranging flight, which is rather Hesperiid-like.

Remarks.

Since it is difficult to accurately determine, the correct nomenclatural positioning of Philiris bubalisatina would be assisted by information about its life history and larval food plants. Several Philiris larvae were found in the general type locality area and some were reared to adult (e.g. Philiris violetta ( Röber, 1926), Philiris praeclara Tite, 1963 and Philiris harterti ). It is not known if larvae of the new species were present among individuals that were not able to be reared to adult due to time constraints. A molecular phylogeny of the genus Philiris will undoubtedly better resolve its taxonomic position.