Philiris radicala Mueller

Mueller, Chris J., 2014, Six new species of Philiris Roeber, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from Papua New Guinea, ZooKeys 395, pp. 33-55 : 42-43

Philiris radicala Mueller sp. n. Figs 38-43, 67, 68

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (Figs 38-40): "Papua New Guinea, Hindenburg Range, Western Province, 1000 m, 5°13'S, 141°14'E, 13-17 Feb, 2013, Chris J. Müller, genitalia dissected and held in vial pinned to specimen, (ANIC), Registration: ANIC Database No. 31-023125. Paratypes (7 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀): labelled the same as the holotype (1 ♂ AM, 1 ♂ BMNH, 1 ♂ NARI, 4 ♂♂ CJMC, 1 ♀ ANIC, 1 ♀ AM).

Diagnosis.

Philiris radicala is unique within Philiris , with its very unusual colouration in the male upperside and matt white underside ground colour and dark border to the underside termen in both sexes. The taxon shows some relationship to Philiris intensa (Butler, 1876) (Holotype; Figs 44, 45 and female; Fig. 46), with which it flies in the Hindenburg Range, although the latter species is more commonly encountered below 500 m, while Philiris radicala flies between 700-1100 m. The male upperside of Philiris intensa is a deep, bright, shining sky blue, whereas that in Philiris radicala is an iridescent turquoise (green-blue). The dark border to both wings on the upperside of the male Philiris radicala is much broader than in Philiris intensa and the border of the forewing is straight, forming a line between the postmedian section of the costa and the tornus, while this border is curved in Philiris intensa . The female upperside of Philiris radicala bears very large white median patches on both wings, unlike Philiris intensa and the discocellulars of Philiris radicala are distinctly dark brown. On the underside of both sexes the ground colour is an unusual powdery matt white, the termen of both wings is heavily blackened, particularly at the vein ends, and dark scaling occurs in the subterminal area. These features are not present in Philiris intensa .

The male genitalia of Philiris radicala corroborates a relationship with Philiris intensa , with both possessing laterally pointed socii (more so in the latter species than in Philiris radicala , see Figs 69, 70) and similar aedeagi. Both taxa also bear triangular-shaped valvae, which are approximately equilateral in Philiris radicala but much longer and apically tapered in Philiris intensa . The valvae are slightly asymmetrical in Philiris radicala but symmetrical in the latter species.

Description.

♂ (Figs 38-40): Forewing length 17 mm, antenna 9 mm (holotype). Head, palpus and thorax dark grey dorsally, white ventrally, abdomen dark grey dorsally, white ventrally, frons dark grey with white eye ring; legs white with black areas on tibiae; antenna shaft black, ringed conspicuously with white between segments, apex of club tipped with brown.

Fore wing termen slightly convex, inner margin very slightly bowed near base, apex slightly rounded; upperside bright shining turquoise, costa and termen broadly black, 2 mm wide at tornus but up to 5 mm wide at apex, the boundary between the dark border and shining turquoise area is straight between veins 2 and 8, cilia white but broadly black at vein ends, giving chequered appearance; underside matt white with apical area suffused with black scales, termen and vein ends distinctly black, cilia as in upperside.

Hind wing rounded; upperside bright shining turquoise, termen broadly black (2 mm wide), between inner margin and vein 1a dark brown-black, grading to light grey-brown basally, apex broadly black, costa broadly light grey, basally grey-brown, cilia white but broadly black at vein ends, giving chequered appearance; underside matt white, subterminal area narrowly suffused with black scales, termen and vein ends distinctly black, cilia as in upperside.

Male genitalia (Figs 67, 68): Vinculum and tegumen ring oval, enlarged towards sociuncus, sociuncus broad, socii with lateral margin pointed apically, dorsally sub-rounded, socii separated by slightly protruding sinus, saccus tapered posteriorly, brachium tapered dorsally and slightly hooked at apex; valva slightly asymmetrical, with left valva longer than left valva, valva equilateral triangle-shaped; phallus slender, with zone of intricate cornuti in post-zonal section, vesica with central ‘tongue’ apically.

♀ (Figs 41, 42): Forewing length (17 mm), antenna length (9 mm), antenna, head, palpus, thorax, legs and abdomen similar to male.

Fore wing termen slightly convex, inner margin very slightly bowed near base, apex slightly rounded; upperside dark brown-black, large area of white extending from base along inner margin to postmedian area and occupying about two-thirds of cell, margins of this pale patch suffused with powder blue, costal half of discocellulars heavily brown-black, intruding into pale area, cilia as in male; underside as in male.

Hind wing rounded; upperside dark brown-black, apical area broadly grey-white, cell and basal area along vein 1b grey-white with powder blue suffusion, inner margin and basal part of costa light grey-brown, discocellulars heavily brown-black, intruding into pale area, cilia as in male; underside as in male.

Etymology.

The name ‘radicala’ reflects the extraordinary colouration of the male upperside and overall divergent morphology of this species.

Distribution.

Western Province, Papua New Guinea.

Ecology.

Males of Philiris radicala were taken around midday and early afternoon as they settled at the tops of tall saplings, between 8-10 metres above the ground, in small clearings created by tree falls in very steep terrain. Females were recorded in similar areas, where they fed at the small white flowers of an unidentified tree. Conversely, males of Philiris intensa , flying at the same localities but generally at a lower altitude, were always seen to fly within 2-3 metres above the ground in areas of regrowth proximal to streams.