Proutiella tegyra (Druce), 1899

Miller, James S, 2009, Generic Revision Of The Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae) Part 2: Josiini, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (321), pp. 675-1022 : 691

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1206/321.1-1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FF87E0-FFA5-9E51-BCFC-16FFFB504B86
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Proutiella tegyra (Druce)
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Proutiella tegyra (Druce) View in CoL , new combination Figure 288 View Fig ; plate 26 [EX]

Josia tegyra Druce, 1899: 298 View in CoL .

TYPE LOCALITY: ‘‘Ecuador’’.

TYPE: Syntype ♀, leg. Whitely ( BMNH).

Josia (Phintia) tessmanni Hering, 1925: 525 View in CoL , fig. 70g. New synonymy.

TYPE LOCALITY: Peru, Río Pachitea.

TYPE: Syntype 3/ ♀ ( ZMH).

DISCUSSION: Numerous small Proutiella species show a narrow yellow transverse FW band and a white HW central area (pl. 26). Bryk (1930) listed five— esoterica Prout (1918) , jordani Hering (1925) , simplex Walker (1856) , tegyra Druce (1899) , and tessmanni Hering (1925) . In an attempt to make taxonomic sense of this situation, I dissected material from sites across the Amazon Basin. Genitalia comparisons confirm my suspicion that fewer valid species exist than had heretofore been recognized. However, I took a conservative approach, sinking only one of the five names; tessmanni is now a junior synonym of tegyra .

According to my concept, P. tegyra exhibits slight intraspecific differences in the size and shape of the yellow FW band, as well as in the shape of the white HW area, but these are not correlated with differences in genital morphology. Proutiella tegyra is the smallest member of this species complex, being significantly smaller than P. esoterica and P. simplex , but only slightly smaller than P. jordani . I did not dissect the types of tegyra, esoterica , or jordani , and there remains a strong possibility that even fewer valid species are involved. Resolution of that issue will require revisionary work.

Specimens of P. tegyra can be found in most major collections, but usually only a few examples exist at each. The species appears to occur throughout lowland forests of the Upper Amazon Basin. It has not been recorded in the lower Amazon, home to P. simplex .

DISTRIBUTION: Ecuador (AMNH, BMNH); Peru (AMNH, CMNH, ZMH); French Guiana (JCC); Brazil (AMNH, BMNH, CMNH, USNM).

DISSECTED: 3, Peru, Middle Río Ucayali, 20 Sep 1923, H. Bassler Collection, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-282 ) ; 3, Brazil, São Paulo de Olivença, Sep 1935, leg. S. Waehner, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-317 ) ; 3, Peru, Río Pachitea , leg. G. Tessmann, ZMH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1422 ) ; 3, Peru, Achinamiza , 25 Dec 1925, F6001, H. Bassler Collection, Acc. 33591, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1727 ) ; 3, Peru, Yurimaguas, Río Huallaga , 3 Apr 1920, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1726 ) ; ♀, Ecuador, Sucumbíos, Yasuní, Garzacocha , 6 Aug 1992, leg. P. DeVries, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1725 ) ; ♀, Peru, Achinamiza , 11 Oct 1927, H. Bassler Collection, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-283 ) ; ♀, Brazil, Amazonas, Bates Collection , BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-318 ) .