Proutiella ilaire (Druce), 1885

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 : 684-685

Proutiella ilaire (Druce) , new combination Figures 284B, 284C , 285 ; plate 26 [EX]

Ephialtias ilaire Druce, 1885a: 147 , pl. 13, fig. 26. TYPE LOCALITY: Panama, Bugabá, 800–

1500 ft. TYPE: Syntype 3, leg. Champion (BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Proutiella ilaire can be distinguished by its iridescent, dark blue-gray ground color in the wings (pl. 26). The blue is usually somewhat more brilliant in the HW than in the FW. Proutiella ilaire shows similarities to P. repetita from Colombia, which differs in being slightly larger and in having a small, light yellow spot at the HW apex (pl. 26). However, morphological study suggests that, within Proutiella , P. ilaire is most closely related to P. latifascia ; the two share the presence of a long, thin process on the costa of the male valva (figs. 285A, 287A).

In Costa Rica, P. ilaire is known almost exclusively from the Osa Peninsula (fig. 4), on the Pacific coast near the border with Panama. That material is undoubtedly conspecific with the P. ilaire type (from northwestern Panama). However, a single specimen (shown here as P. ilaire , pl. 26) was captured by Gunnar Brehm (April 2003) near Puerto Viejo (fig. 4), on the Caribbean side of the Cordillera Central. In lieu of obtaining additional material, I have not performed dissections to determine whether eastern material represents an undescribed species. If previous experience with Costa Rican Dioptinae holds true, the two are distinct.

Hering (1925) described turbida as a subspecies of ilaire , and Bryk (1930) listed that name as an ilaire synonym. I studied the male and female ZMH syntypes of P. turbida —both from northwestern Colombia —and have concluded that this taxon is instead a synonym of P. latifascia Prout (1918) . Proutiella latifascia shows a characteristic purplish iridescence in the otherwise dark brown HW, and the FW band is wider than in P. ilaire . The turbida types show both traits clearly. Furthermore, they were collect- ed in the same habitat as P. latifascia (see below).

DISTRIBUTION: Costa Rica (AMNH, EME, INBio, LACM, SMNS); Panama (BMNH, CAS, USNM, ZMH); Colombia (AMNH, BMNH, USNM) .

DISSECTED: 3, Costa Rica, Golfito , 24 Jul 1957, leg. Truxal & Menke, LACM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1486 , wing slide no. JSM-1666 ) ; 3, [no data], Wm Schaus Collection, USNM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1380 ) ; ♀, Panama, Chiriquí, Wm. Schaus Collection, USNM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1381 ) ; ♀, Panama, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Island , 8 Jan 1945, leg. C. Michener, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1487 ) .

Figures

Fig. 284. Morphology of Proutiella (33). A, head of P. vittula, lateral view; B, head of P. ilaire, lateral view; C, P. ilaire wings (illustration by J.S. Miller).

Fig. 285. Genitalia of Proutiella ilaire (3 JSM-1380, ♀ JSM-1381). A, 3 genitalia; B, aedeagus; C, 3 Tg8; D, 3 St8; E, ♀ genitalia (illustration by A. Trabka).