Revisiting the Andean butterfly Eryphanis zolvizora group (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): one or several species?
Author
Blandin, Patrick
F79EECF9-4E10-4826-BA99-01DE1EB0DD0E
Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Entomologie, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France E-mail: patrick. blandin @ yahoo. fr (corresponding author) & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: F 79 EECF 9 - 4 E 10 - 4826 - BA 99 - 01 DE 1 EB 0 DD 0 E
Author
Bristow, Roger
E9AD6AA1-2C47-4358-B606-0A84042D872D
2 Sid Bank, Sid Lane, Sidmouth, Devon EX 10 9 AW, UK E-mail: devonbristows @ btinternet. com & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: E 9 AD 6 AA 1 - 2 C 47 - 4358 - B 606 - 0 A 84042 D 872 D
Author
Neild, Andrew
268E6AD0-5E7A-4073-B530-6CE39D963474
The Natural History Museum, Entomology Department, Cromwell Road, SW 7 5 BD, London, UK E-mails: andrew. neild @ blueyonder. co. uk, B. Huertas @ nhm. ac. uk & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 268 E 6 AD 0 - 5 E 7 A- 4073 - B 530 - 6 CE 39 D 963474
Author
Sousa, Juan Carlos De
68F7180E-1695-4716-B794-1900B02881D8
Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay, Apdo. 4579, Aragua, Venezuela E-mail: mesosemia @ yahoo. com & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 68 F 7180 E- 1695 - 4716 - B 794 - 1900 B 02881 D 8
Author
Gareca, Yuvinka
17D6BF6C-A94B-4057-8057-454C3DF0CEA2
Museo de Historia Natural Alcide d’Orbigny, Entomologia, CP 4324, Av. Potosi N ° 1458 (esq. Av. América), Cochabamba, Bolivia E-mail: yuvinkagar @ yahoo. com & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 17 D 6 BF 6 C-A 94 B- 4057 - 8057 - 454 C 3 DF 0 CEA 2
Author
Huertas, Blanca
268E6AD0-5E7A-4073-B530-6CE39D963474&F96FCD0A-4A22-4782-B077-4588E193134A
The Natural History Museum, Entomology Department, Cromwell Road, SW 7 5 BD, London, UK E-mails: andrew. neild @ blueyonder. co. uk, B. Huertas @ nhm. ac. uk & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 268 E 6 AD 0 - 5 E 7 A- 4073 - B 530 - 6 CE 39 D 963474 & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: F 96 FCD 0 A- 4 A 22 - 4782 - B 077 - 4588 E 193134 A
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2014
71
1
66
journal article
22020
10.5852/ejt.2014.71
376ad5e1-afef-42db-b017-593e1bcd01ac
2118-9773
3834958
F667B43B-86A3-4D7D-9A22-021E52CDA30F
Eryphanis zolvizora isabelae
Neild & De Sousa
ssp. nov.
Figs 6C-D
,
8B
,
14D-F
,
15M-O
Diagnosis
HW projection moderately developed. No orange mark between veins R5-M1. The androconial patch is on average longer (mean:
9 mm
) than in all other subspecies and is pale greyish-brown (
Fig. 6C-D
). The violet iridescence on the FW is generally slightly stronger and distally more extensive than in
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov. The white patch in the VFW cell next to the base of Cu1-Cu2 is larger by 50%-100% than other subspecies (
Fig. 6C-D
). On the VFW, the white Cu2-Cu1 spot in the basalmost angle formed by the cubital vein and Cu2 is relatively large and always present (
Fig. 6C-D
). On the VFW, the black line at the base of cell M3-Cu1 is usually diffuse or poorly-defined in males (
Fig. 6C-D
), and diffuse or nearly absent in females (
Fig. 8B
), a difference with all other subspecies. The valva is regular, without swelling; the ridge bears a row of more than 6 spines, the size of which varies more or less regularly.
Etymology
We name this subspecies in honour of the memory of Isabel Montesino de
Romero
(
1931-2008
). The
Romero
family collected the vast majority of the
type
series of both the Venezuelan subspecies described herein. The late Isabel, and her children Francisco (“Paco”) and María de la Concepción (“Conchita”), very kindly helped us in many ways during our protracted research for this paper, and we use this opportunity to thank them profusely for their great kindness and generosity.
Type material
(
12 specimens
)
Holotype
VENEZUELA
:
♂
, white label handwritten in black ink: //
Choroní
, 1450. [Vía Choroní
1450 m
] [
10°21’N
67°34’W
] II-78 [
Feb. 1978
]. C. f. R. s. [collected by familia
Romero
] // (R, to be donated to MIZA).
Paratypes
VENEZUELA
:
♂
, // Choroní (arbol). [Vía Choroní,
Aragua
] [10°21’N 67°34’W], 6-70. [
Jun. 1970
] C. f. R. // 111-JCSC // (R);
♂
, // Choroní. 1450. [Vía Choroní,
Aragua
,
1450 m
] [10°21’N 67°34’W], 9-71. [
Sep. 1971
] C. flia.
Romero
// 117-JCSC // (MIZA);
♂
, // Choroní 15. [Vía Choroní,
Aragua
] [10°22’N 67°35’W], 10-72. [
Oct. 1972
] C. f. R. // 112-JCSC // (R);
♂
, // Choroní, 1250. [Vía Choroní,
Aragua
,
1250 m
] [10°22’N 67°35’W], 9-76. [
Sep. 1976
] C. f. R. // (R);
♀
, // R. Grande. [Rancho Grande,
Aragua
,
1150 m
] [10°20’N 67°40’W], 8-65. [
Aug. 1965
] C. Eduardo // 118-JCSC // (MIZA);
♀
, // [Choroní 21. [Vía Choroní,
Aragua
] [10°21’N 67°34’W], 8-70. [
Aug. 1970
] C. f. R.
1550 m
. // 113-JCSC // (R);
♀
, // Choroní. 1.400 s. [Vía Choroní,
Aragua
,
1400 m
] [10°22’N 67°35’W], V-79.[
May 1979
] C. f. R. // (R);
♀
, // Choroní 28. [Vía Choroní,
Aragua
] [10°22’N 67°35’W], 28-9-76. [
28 Sep. 1976
] C. f. R.
1150 m
. Cara Norte // 114-JCSC // (R);
♀
, //La Llanada. 1.650 mts. [Parque Nacional el Avila, Distrito Federal] [10°33’N 66°56’W],
29 Oct. 1989
// (MNHN, PBB 2322);
♀
, // Colonia Tovar. 2.100 mts. [10°24’N 67°19’W], IV-93. [
Apr. 1993
] C. F. R. Edo.
Aragua
// (R);
♀
, // Col. Tovar,
2.100 m
, via Capachal. [
Aragua
] [10°24’N 67°19’W],
02-04-2010
[
2 Apr. 2010
] // (MCC).
Other material examined
Included in the measurements but excluded from the
type
series:
♂
, //
Mexico
// Druce Coll. ex Kaden Coll. //
Eryphanis zolvizora
Hew. Godman-Salvin Coll. 1919
.-6. // BMNH (E) #808093 // (BMNH).
Description
Male
The FWL varies from
57 to 66 mm
(mean:
63.3 mm
; n = 6). The
holotype
FWL is
60 mm
. The hindwing projection is developed to an average degree (P = 4.1; n = 5; cf.
Table 3
), similar to specimens from
Colombia
. There is no orange mark between veins R5-M1 (
Fig. 6C-D
). The
holotype
(
Fig. 6C
) and some of the
paratypes
have five submarginal orange spots which meet at the veins (but these are separated from each other by the vein itself, which is dark brown); however, although the form and size of these spots are variable, they are well-developed in all but one of the known specimens; therefore, it is likely that this character falls into the variation observed in populations from the Northern Andes and northern
Peru
. The violet iridescence on the DFW is generally slightly stronger and distally more extensive than in
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov. and
E. z.
opimus
. The length of the DHW androconial patch is on average longer than in all other subspecies, with a mean of 9.0 mm (n = 6; cf.
Table 4
), and the patch is pale greyish-brown (
Fig. 6C-D
), while it is a bright creamy white in all other subspecies, except in some rare individuals. Ground colour of the ventral surface as in other subspecies of the Northern Andes (except some darker specimens in
E. z.
greeneyi
). The white patch on the FWV cell next to the base of Cu1-Cu2 is roughly subtriangular or in the form of an inverted heart-shape; it is distinctly larger (50%-100%) than in any other subspecies (
Fig. 6C-D
). On the VFW, the white Cu2-Cu1 spot in the basalmost angle formed by the cubital vein and Cu2 is relatively large and always present (
Fig. 6C-D
). On the VFW, the black line at the base of cell M3-Cu1 is usually diffuse or poorly defined in males (it is narrow, but well defined, in all other subspecies). On the VFW, the white vertical stripes in cell Cu2-2A are generally connected by a thin black horizontal line (
Fig. 6C-D
). On the VHW, the black designs in the cell and the curved line anterior to the Cu1-Cu2 ocellus are fainter than in
E. z.
opimus
, but almost similar to those of
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov. In most specimens, the anterior VHW ocellus is encircled by an outer pale/ off-white circle, contrasting with the background more than in
E. z.
opimus
; the black ring is complete (
Fig. 6C-D
), being dissimilar to
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov. in which it is usually broken at the costal margin. On average, the VHW Cu1-Cu2 ocellus (Φ average value:
8.7 mm
; n = 5; cf.
Table 5
) is probably similar to that of
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov. and perhaps of
E. z.
greeneyi
, but smaller than in all other subspecies. The valva is regular, without swelling; the ridge bears a row of more than 6 spines, the size of which varies more or less regularly (
Fig. 14D-F
); the gnathos is generally slightly smaller than in
E. z.
opimus
; there is no noticeable difference with
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov.
Female
Female FWL length varies from
63 mm
to
68.5 mm
(n = 6). The dorsal and ventral surfaces show the same diagnostic features as in the male. The violet-blue dorsal iridescence on both the FW and HW is usually a more extensive, lighter and bluer tint than the one observed on
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov. (
Fig. 8B
). The inward projections of the sterigma are narrower than in
E. z.
opimus
and
E. z. reyi
ssp. nov. and the bases of the dorsal branches are widely separated from the internal side of the arch (
Fig. 15M-O
); nevertheless, the extremities of these branches are close to it and clearly cross in 3 of the 4 dissected specimens; in this way,
E. z. isabelae
ssp. nov. possibly differs from other subspecies.
Flight periods
Specimens have been collected in February, April, May, and June, but the majority were taken in August, September and October. With the exception of February, which is usually (but not always!) dry, these months fall within the rainy season.
Distribution
Venezuela
. This taxon appears to be endemic to the Cordillera de la Costa in northern
Venezuela
, where it has been recorded from approximately
1150 m
to at least
2100 m
.