Telchin syphax syphax ( Fabricius 1775 ) Fabricius, 1775

González, Jorge M. & Cock, Matthew J. W., 2004, A synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad and Tobago, Zootaxa 762, pp. 1-19 : 13

Telchin syphax syphax ( Fabricius 1775) , comb. nov. (Fig. 11)

This is a widely distributed species in the Guianas and lower Amazon but has not been reported from north of the Orinoco River in Venezuela ( González 1999), so the Trinidad record presented here is now the northernmost report known. Miller (1986) included this species, together with licus , in the subgenus Leucocastnia of Castniomera noting that there are no significant differences in genitalia to warrant separation at the generic level. JMG has studied genitalia from both genera recently and agrees with Miller (1986) that these species are congeneric. However, Miller (1995) and Lamas (1995) placed syphax in Erythrocastnia , and Lamas (1995) assigned licus to Telchin . We therefore revert to Miller (1986) in treating licus and syphax as congeneric, but now place syphax in Telchin as the appropriate genus. Erythrocastnia Houlbert , with syphax its only species, is therefore a subjective synonym of Telchin Hübner , syn. nov.

The only Trinidad records we know are specimens in the Admiral Bourke collection (HEC) and the AME (ex coll. W.J. Kaye). There seems no reason to doubt the specimens’ authenticity, yet although W.J. Kaye put an identification label on Bourke’s in 1923 (det. Castnia harmodius Cr. = syphax F.) he did not include it in Kaye & Lamont (1927).

Material examined: ST. ANDREWS: 1ɗ, Cunapo, F. Birch (AME); TRINIDAD: 1Ψ, Apr–May 1902, Admiral E. Bourke collection (HEC).