Telchin diva (Butler, 1870)

Berghe, Eric Den, 2020, Synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) from Honduras and Nicaragua, Central America, Zootaxa 4895 (2), pp. 272-284 : 277

Telchin diva (Butler, 1870)

( Fig. 1E )

Castnia Diva Butler, 1870:46 , lam.17, figs. 1-2 [ Nicaragua].

Castnia diva Butler ; Westwood, 1877:187.

Castnia diva Butler ; Druce, 1883:27, lam. IV, fig. 3.

Divana diva (Butker) , Miller, 1995:136.

Divana diva diva (Butler) ; Lamas, 1995:83.

Divana diva ssp. diva (Butler) ; Maes, 1995:1237.

Divana diva, Chacón & Montero, 2007 : pl 24.

Divana diva diva (Butler) , Miller et al., 2012: 10.

Divana diva (Butler) ; González & Hernández-Baz, 2012:147.

Telchin diva (Butler) ; González & Domagała, 2019:14.

The species is distributed in eastern Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America ( Colombia) ( Miller 1986; Strand 1913; Vinciguerra 2010). Even though many specimens can be found in collections worldwide, very little is known about their biology ( Vinciguerra 2010, González et al. 2013, González & Domagała 2019). Even though we are currently following Moraes & Duarte (2014) by placing the species in the genus Telchin . Ongoing research (Worthy, Zilli & González, in prep.) is pointing to revalidate the genus Divana .

Material examined: HONDURAS: 1 Ƌ, Atlántida, La Ceiba, Río bonito CURLA camp 8km W, 5 km S., 150m, 6. VI.1995, col. R. Lehman, 15°42´6”N 86°50´49”W, CURLALep04153 ( CURLA); 1 Ƌ, 4. VI.1996, CUR-LALep04154 ( CURLA); 1 Ƌ, 10. VI.1996, CURLALep04155 ( CURLA); 1 Ƌ, 2. VI.1997, CURLALep04156 ( CURLA); 1 Ƌ, 4. VI.1997, CURLALep04157 ( CURLA); 1 Ƌ, 21. VI.1999, CURLALep04158 ( CURLA); NICA-RAGUA: 1 Ƌ, Type, Chontales, [Janson], C. diva Butl. Type, 70: 55, Chontales, diva, Butler (NHMUK) ; 2 Ƌ, 1 ♀, Nueva Segovia, Cerro Jesus, 13°57’47.12”N, 86°10´17.51”W, 988m, 15. V.2018 leg. E. van den Berghe, active at noon, perching on stems of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) and Heliconius (Heliconiaceae) in shade ( EVDB); 1 Ƌ, Managua: Las Nubes: Hotel Bosque; 19.IX.2004, col. Vern Covlin ( VCC); 1 Ƌ, Managua: Ticuantepe: Montibelli; 12.021389°N, 86.232190° W, alt. 400 m, 19.VII.2017, col. K. Gauthier ( MEL); 1 Ƌ, Masaya: La Concha: RSP El Nisperal, 11.950969 N, 86.239660 W, 700 m, 20.VII.2017, col. Kevin Gauthier ( MEL); 5 Ƌ, 3 ♀, Carazo, San Mar-cos vic. Finca las Orquídeas, 11°54´49.74”N, 86°10´59.33”W, 487m, 12.VIII.2013, leg. E. van den Berghe, active at noon, perching on stems of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) and Heliconius (Heliconiaceae) in shade ( EVDB); 1 Ƌ, 2 ♀, Carazo, San Marcos vic. Cruz Negra, 11°55´15.69”N, 86°10´45.46”W, 448m, 15.VIII.2010, leg. E. van den Berghe, active at noon, perching on stems of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) and Heliconius (Heliconiaceae) in shade ( EVDB); 2 Ƌ, 2 ♀, Carazo, San Marcos vic. Cruz Negra, 11°55´15.69”N, 86°10´45.46”W, 448m, 2.VIII.2004, leg. E. van den Berghe, active at noon, perching on stems of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) and Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) under shade ( EVDB).

Figures

FIGURE 1: Giant butterfly-moths (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) from Honduras and Nicaragua. A. Ƌ, Telchin cacica procera (Boisduval, [1875]), Morazán, Honduras (UNAH, Honduras); B. Ƌ, Telchin atymnius drucei (Schaus, 1911), Honduras (Streck- er Collection, FMNH, Chicago, USA); C. ♀, Telchin atymnius futilis (Walker, 1856), Atlántida, Honduras (CURLA, Honduras); D. Ƌ, Telchin evalthe viryi (Boisduval, [1875]), Honduras (Strecker Collection, FMNH, Chicago, USA); E. Ƌ, Telchin diva diva (Butler, 1870), Carazo, Nicaragua (MEL, Nicaragua); F. Ƌ, Telchin licus microsticta (Rothschild, 1919), Atlántida, Honduras (CURLA); G. Ƌ, (Type), Athis inca inca Walker, 1854, Honduras (NHMUK, London); H. Ƌ, Athis clitarcha (Westwood, 1877), Atlántida, Honduras (CURLA); I. ♀, Prometheus zagraea salvina (Westwood, 1877), Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua (EVDB). Scale: 10 mm.