Eretris neocycla Pyrcz & Viloria

Viloria, Angel L., Pyrcz, Tomasz W. & Orellana, Andrés, 2010, A survey of the Neotropical montane butterflies of the subtribe Pronophilina (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Venezuelan Cordillera de la Costa, Zootaxa 2622, pp. 1-41 : 9-10

Eretris neocycla Pyrcz & Viloria , n. sp.

( Figs. 47, 48 , 55)

Diagnosis: This species closely resembles in color pattern several congeners, including E. calisto , E. agata and E. encycla . The HWV pattern of E. neocycla resembles most closely E. encycla , particularly in the shape of postmedian crimson red bands, which is a character recognized as playing an important role in the generic taxonomy of Eretris ( Adams, 1986; Pyrcz, 2004; Pyrcz & Gareca, 2009). E. neocycla is consistently larger in size than E. encycla , it has larger HWV submarginal ocelli, and a yellow HWD anal suffusion, which is a character not found in any subspecies of E. encycla .

Description: MALE ( Fig. 45 ): Head: eyes chocolate brown, lustrous; palpi grey with rather long, dark brown hair; antennae reaching one third the length of costa, dorsally and ventrally orangish, club dark brown. Thorax: dorsally and ventrally blackish brown; legs dirty yellow. Abdomen: dorsally and laterally blackish brown, ventrally lighter, dull brown. FWD (length: 24–26 mm; mean: 25.4 mm, n=7; E. encycla encycla : 19– 21 mm; mean: 19.8 mm, n=36) dark brown, slightly lighter and lustrous in distal third; a faint, nearly straight darker brown submarginal line, and a barely noticeable dark brown marginal line. HWD dark brown, same as the FW; a faint undulated darker brown submarginal line and a barely noticeable dark brown marginal line. FWV dark brown, a shade lighter than on the upperside; a thin, arched postbasal darker brown band; a dark brown postmedian band, undulated between vein Cu1 and anal margin; a thin, nearly straight wavy submarginal darker brown band; a thin yellow brown marginal band. HWV dark brown, same as on the FW; an arched, dark brown postbasal band; a crimson red postmedian band, slightly wavy from costa to vein Cu1, zigzagging from vein Cu1 to anal margin, sprinkled along basal edge from vein Cu1 to anal margin with dirty yellow scales; a row of six submarginal black, medium sized or big ocelli with white pupils and yellow rings, each in every cell, the Cu1-C2 slightly bigger than others, the remaining five roughly of the same size, the one in Cu2-1A on submarginal band; a thin red brown undulated submarginal band; a thin brownish yellow marginal band; the area between postmedian band and outer margin steely grey. Male genitalia (Fig. 55): As compared to the nominate subspecies of E. encycla , it differs by a shorter subuncus, deeper saccus, slightly thicker valvae, and larger, more noticeably flattened aedeagus.

FEMALE ( Fig. 46 ): Head, thorax and abdomen as in male. FW length: 24–25 mm, mean: 25.5 mm, n=5. FWD: medium brown, distal third, beyond a faint darker brown postmedian band, lighter and duller; faint, nearly straight darker brown submarginal line; thin yellowish marginal band. HWD: medium brown; faint, undulated postmedian crimson red band with dark brown edge; faint sinuate dark brown submarginal line; thin yellow marginal band; three black submarginal ocellus ringed with orange in M3-Cu1, Cu1-Cu2 and Cu2-1A, the middle one slightly bigger than the other two. FWV: medium brown, shade lighter than on the upperside, outer one third, band light brown; thin, arched postbasal dark brown band; dark, nearly straight brown postmedian band; submarginal dark brown band parallel to outer margin; thin brownish yellow marginal band. HWV: medium brown, same as on the upperside; thin arched, dark brown postbasal band; irregular crimson red postmedian band with dark brown distal edge, zigzagging between vein Cu1 and anal margin; row of six submarginal black, medium sized ocelli, roughly similar in size, one in each cell, with white pupils and yellow-orange rings; thin undulated red brown submarginal band; thin brownish yellow marginal band. Female genitalia: not examined.

Etymology: The name of this taxon is a derivation from the epithet of the closely related E. encycla .

Types: Holotype (male): Venezuela, Aragua, Colonia Tovar, Cuesta de Puerto Maya (La Cumbre), 2100– 2150 m, 23.IV.2006, T. Pyrcz leg., to be deposited in MIZA; Allotype (female): same data as the holotype, MZUJ; Paratypes (13 males and 9 females): ARAGUA: 1 male: Colonia Tovar, Los Colonos-Naranjal, north slopes, 2000 m, 19.II.2004, T. Pyrcz leg. MZUJ; 4 males and 1 female: Colonia Tovar, Cuesta de Puerto Maya (La Cumbre), 2100–2150 m, 23.IV.2006, T. Pyrcz leg., TWP; 1 female: Colonia Tovar, Los Colonos, 2100– 2150 m, 25. II.2007. T. Pyrcz leg., MZUJ; 1 male: Colonia Tovar, Los Colonos, 2100 m, 22.II.2010, T. Pyrcz leg. MZUJ; 2 females: Colonia Tovar, Capachal, 2000 m, 22.II.2010, T. Pyrcz leg., MZUJ; 1 female: Colonia Tovar, Los Colonos, 2100 m, 03.III.2010, T. Pyrcz leg., MZUJ; 2 males: Colonia Tovar, 2100 m, 11.XI.1997, P. Bo ye r leg., PBF; 2 males: Colonia Tovar, 2000 m, 01.X.1997, P. Boyer leg., PBF; 1 female: Colonia Tovar, vía Naranjal, 2150 m, 04.VII.2004, M. Costa leg., MCC; 2 females: same data but 07.III.2004, MCC; 2 males: same data but 14.III.2004, MCC; 1 male and 1 female: Colonia Tovar, 2100 m, IV.1993, F. Romero leg., FRR.

Geographic range: SL, northern slopes.

Altitudinal range: 2100–> 2400 m.

Remarks: This species occurs apparently only on the northern slopes of the Cordillera del Litoral. It is generally parapatric with E. encycla , and in most cases it was observed flying at slightly higher elevations. Along the main ridge of the range their ranges locally overlap, and the two species can be observed occurring together at 2100–2200 m. Such a situation takes place north of Colonia Tovar. E. neocycla is less common than the second local congener. Most individuals have been observed during particularly warm and sunny days, flying in skipping action low above the ground, and occasionally setting on humid soil. E. neocycla is easily identified in flight from E. encycla due to its considerably larger size.

Figures

FIGURES 45 – 54. Adult satyrine butterflies from the Cordillera de La Costa, Venezuela (left: dorsal, right: ventral); 45. Eretris encycla encycla (C. & R. Felder) (male, vía Capachal); 46. E. encycla encycla (C. & R. Felder) (female, vía Capachal); 47. Eretris neocycla Pyrcz & Viloria n. sp., HOLOTYPE (male, vía Naranjal); 48. E. neocycla Pyrcz & Viloria n. sp., PARATYPE (female, Cuesta Puerto Maya); 49. Lymanopoda obsoleta (Westwood) (male, Colonia Tovar); 50. L. obsoleta (Westwood) (female, Colonia Tovar); 51. Lymanopoda caucana Weymer (male, Cerro San Isidro); 52. L. caucana Weymer (female, Cerro San Isidro); 53. Steroma bega bega Westwood (male, Colonia Tovar); 54. S. bega bega Westwood (female, Colonia Tovar).