Guaianaza Freitas & Peña, 2006

Freitas, André Victor Lucci & Peña, Carlos, 2006, Description of Genus Guaianaza for “ Euptychia ” pronophila (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) with a description of the immature stages, Zootaxa 1163, pp. 49-59 : 51-55

Guaianaza Freitas & Peña , New Genus

( Figs. 1–4 )

Type species: Euptychia pronophila Butler, 1867: 105 .

Diagnosis

Peña & Lamas (in prep.) suggested that G. pronophila belongs to a group of genera containing Forsterinaria , Harjesia and Taygetomorpha , based on their distinctive combination of characters: (1) brown colored wings on both surfaces; lack of markings on upperside surfaces (with exception of a diffuse dark brown line on the margin of FW upperside); (2) relatively thin dark brown discal, postdiscal and marginal lines on underside wing surfaces as opposed to P. albinotata (figured in D’Abrera 1988: 755 as Taygetis albinotata ); and (3) rather simple ocelli on underside wing surfaces, consisting of a light colored (white or yellowish) dot always present, circled by up to three concentric rings of different colors, never two light color dots as pupils, as in Megeuptychia antonoe (see Peña & Lamas 2005). Based on the above study, the genus Taygetis does not belong to this group, since its type species, T. virgilia (Cramer, 1776) (figured in Uehara­Prado et al. 2004: 13), possesses conspicuous orange marginal areas on the hindwing upperside.

Morphological characters of the male genitalia, particularly shape of the penis and remarkably small gnathos, the relatively long body setae and light head capsule in the first instar, and the short scoli in the last instar larvae suggest that Guaianaza is closely related to Forsterinaria . However, Guaianaza does not possess the elongated valva shape of Forsterinaria . It also does not have the square­cut posterior valva tip of Taygetomorpha ( Forster 1964: 68, fig. 18) or the well developed gnathos of Harjesia ( Forster 1964:78, figs. 43, 44). The lack of shared synapomorphies and the presence of several autapomorphic traits (i.e. a parallelogram­shaped valva with a deep dorsal posterior concavity, a very short uncus, and the particular “N”­shaped appendices angulares, make it difficult to place G. pronophila with confidence in an established genus.

Superficially, Guaianaza most closely resembles species of Forsterinaria and Harjesia blanda , although it is distinguished by its smaller size, lack of white scales on the FW underside, and possessing light brown ocelli with a white center on the HW underside spaces M 2 ­M 3 and M 3 ­Cu 1. The male genitalia of Guaianaza ( Figs. 2H, I ) differs from the above cited taxa (see figures in Peña & Lamas 2005 for Forsterinaria and Forster 1964, fig. 43 for H. blanda ).

Guaianaza is distinguished from Forsterinaria by having HW underside ocelli 2 and 3 light brown with a white dot in the center. In Forsterinaria these ocelli are either simple white dots (in most species) or, at least in one species ( F. pyrczi Peña & Lamas 2005 ), black with a white dot in the center. In G. pronophila the white area on the HW underside is distal to the postdiscal line. When white scales occur on the HW underside of Forsteri­ naria species, such as F. boliviana (Godman, 1905) , they occur in the discal area, proximal to the postdiscal line.

Although it might be premature to identify unique apomorphies for Guaianaza , given our current poor knowledge of the subtribe Euptychiina , the following are distinctive characters: (1) valvae parallelogram­shaped; (2) valvae with deep dorsal posterior concavity, and; (3) appendices angulares “N”­shaped.

Description. Eyes hairy, dark reddish brown. Palpus one and a half times as long as head, brown with light brown hairs. Antenna (7–9 mm) up to 0.4 times the length of the forewing costa; shaft dark brown dorsally, orange brown ventrally, sparse dorsal scaling; club dark brown, not conspicuously developed, including 11–12 segments. Wing venation similar to Forsterinaria and most Euptychiina ( Fig. 2A ).

Male ( Fig. 1A ). Forewing length 19–21 mm, hindwing length 15–17 mm, antenna length 7–8 mm (n = 9). Body dark brown, abdomen ventrally light brown. Upperside wings ground color medium brown, without marks; margins of both wings dark brown. Underside wings ground color brown. FW underside with two transverse lines; a marginal scalloped line and a medial irregular oblique line 60% out from base; internal area lighter, delimited by these two lines; with four minute white dots in spaces R 5 ­M 1, M 1 ­M 2, M 2 ­M 3 and M 3 ­Cu 1. HW underside background color darker than FW; with three transverse lines, a marginal scalloped line, a medial oblique line 60% out from base, and a basal irregular inconspicuous line 30% out from wing base; internal area delimited by marginal and medial lines lighter in color, with a large white contrasting area, expanding from costa to anal region in a triangular shape, and extending through anal region in a diffuse marbled pattern; four ocelli usually present in pale internal area in spaces M 1 ­M 2 (1), M 2 ­M 3 (2), M 3 ­Cu 1 (3) and Cu 1 ­Cu 2 (4); ocelli numbers 1 and 4 black with white center, ocelli numbers 2 and 3 light brown with white center.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 2H, I ). Saccus short; weakly developed tegumen with very small gnathos, appendices angulares “N”­shaped; very short pointed uncus; valvae parallelogram­shaped in lateral aspect, with deep dorsal posterior concavity, with one small dorsal process; penis slightly curved upwards; cornuti absent. Additional characters (legs and palpi) are illustrated ( Figs. 2 B­D).

Female ( Fig. 1B ). Forewing length 21–22 mm, hindwing length 17–18 mm, antenna length 8 ­ 9 mm (n = 3). Body dark brown; ventral abdomen light brown. Wing shape more rounded than in males; background color and pattern very similar to that of males, but in general lighter; white area on hindwing usually diffuse and not contrasting; basal irregular line usually conspicuously marked; ocelli smaller and more inconspicuous than those of males; hindwing ocelli 1 and 4 conspicuous, ocelli 2 and 3 almost lacking.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 2J, K ). Corpus bursae ovoid, signa long, formed by two rows of tiny teeth; ductus bursae not sclerotized; sterigma heavily sclerotized, somewhat rounded, with two marginal and two internal teeth; papillae anales semicircular. Additional characters (legs and palpi) are shown ( Figs. 2 E–G).

Variation. Based on our sample, pattern variation on the upperside surface of wings is minor. Most wing pattern variation occurs on the underside. The size of the ocelli on the hindwings is variable in both sexes; in some individuals only ocelli 1 and 4 are easily visible without magnification. The size and intensity of the white area is also variable, being strongly contrasting in some individuals and weakly marked in others. In some females the white area is as dark and contrasting as in males, and a few males are pale, similar to the usual female pattern.

Description of early stages. The following descriptions are based on immatures reared from Paranapiacaba (eggs and first instar) and Serra do Japi (molting antepenultimate through last instar). Females did not oviposit readily in plastic bags, and with this method two females from Paranapiacaba yielded one egg each. Egg and first instar descriptions are based on these two eggs, while penultimate and last instar description are based on larvae collected in the field at Serra do Japi.

Egg ( Fig. 3a ). Spherical, bright yellow, marked with many small depressions visible under the stereomicroscope. Mean height 1.08 mm (n = 2), mean diameter 1.04 mm (n = 2). Duration: 8 days (n = 2).

First instar ( Figs. 3b, c , 4 ). Head capsule pale yellow, with long setae and bearing a pair of very short scoli on vertex, each with two long narrow setae ending in a fine point. Third stemmata larger than the other stemmata. Head capsule width 0.62–0.70 mm (n = 2); scoli 0.02 mm (n = 2). Body light yellow with long setae and a pair of short caudal filaments. Setae light yellow, except those on T1 and A8–A10 that are black; setae relatively long (prothoracic seta D1 measured as 0.34 mm); body chaetotaxy illustrated in Fig. 4 . Both larvae died before completing the first instar.

Penultimate instar. Head green with a pair of very short scoli. Head capsule width 1.58 mm (n = 1); scoli 0.26 mm (n = 1). Body emerald green, with many thin longitudinal yellow and light green stripes; caudae short. Maximum length 16 mm. Duration: 8 days (n = 1).

Last Instar ( Figs. 3 d–f). Head the same as in previous instar. Head capsule width 2.40 –2.44 mm (n = 2); scoli 0.42–0.44 mm (n = 2). Body color similar to previous instar, but with two conspicuous yellow sublateral stripes. Maximum length 25 mm. Duration: 8 days (n = 2).

Pupa ( Figs. 3 g­i). Short and stubby, with short ocular caps. Ground color beige, with dark brown lines and patches producing a marbled pattern. Total length 8 mm (n = 1). Duration: 12 days (n = 1).

Biology. Adults are frequently found in large bamboo patches above 900 m high in the Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira, in both primary and secondary forests. Both sexes can fly from near the ground up to the canopy surrounding bamboo patches. Oviposition behavior was not observed in the field, and field collected larvae were found feeding on a species of Chusquea bamboo ( Poaceae ). Larvae feed isolated on the underside of mature leaves, far from the shoot tips. They are cryptic and difficult to find on the hostplant.

Etymology. The name is masculine and derived from Guaianazes, a tribe of Native Americans that inhabited the region where this species occurs.

Figures

FIGURE 1. de Campos do handsides, respectively.

FIGURE 2. Morphological characters of Guaianaza pronophila; A, male wing venation ­ forewing above and hindwing below (forewing length 20 mm); B, male midleg (femur length 3.1 mm); C, male foreleg (femur length 0.7 mm); D, male palpus (third segment length 0.7 mm); E, female midleg (femur length 3.1 mm; F, female foreleg (femur length 1.3 mm); G, female palpus (third segment length 0.7 mm); H, male genitalia, dorsal view above, lateral view below (saccus length 0.7 mm); I, penis, lateral view above, dorsal view below (length 1.6 mm); J, female genitalia, posterior view (papilla anales length 0.8 mm); K, female corpus bursae, lateral view (signa length 0.8 mm); sa = saccus, va = valva, pe = penis, un = uncus, gn = gnathos, te = tegumen, aa = appendices angulares, st = sterigma, bu = corpus bursae, si = signa, pa = papillae anales.

FIGURE 3. Immatures of Guaianaza pronophila; a, egg; b, c, first instar; d–f, last instar; g–i, pupa (lateral, ventral, dorsal).

FIGURE 4. Body chaetotaxy of the first instar of Guaianaza pronophila.