Eryphanis aesacus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1850)

Penz, Carla M., 2008, Phylogenetic Revision of Eryphanis Boisduval, with a Description of a New Species from Ecuador (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), Insecta Mundi 2008 (35), pp. 1-25 : 11-12

Eryphanis aesacus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1850)

( Fig. 1E , 2E , 4E , 5E , 6E )

Type locality. Mexico .

Diagnosis. Males similar to E. bubocula , but distinguished from this species by the smaller size, the reduced dorsal iridescent patch of the FW, and by the HW iridescent patch that extends toward the medial area around the anterior edge of the black androconial patch. Males have square-shaped gnathos, narrower valva in ventral view, and constricted tegumen in dorsal view. Females easily distinguished from E. bubocula by their smaller size, well defined dorsal purple iridescent patches on FW and HD, and sterigma with a narrower posterior ridge and smaller midline keel.

Annotated redescription. Male. FW length 47-50 mm (n=4). Dorsal FW and HW with conspicuous and localized mid-night blue to purple iridescent patches. Iridescent patch extends from medial to postmedial areas of the FW, occupying the distal one-third of the FW discal cell. HW iridescent patch extends around the anterior edge of the black androconial patch toward the medial area, and also along the wing margin. Dorsal FW submarginal line usually faint (but can be well defined in some specimens), diffuse, continuous. HW edge rounded with a vestigial marginal outline dorsally. Dorsal HW with a large broad patch of black androconial scales above tornus. Androconial patch generally occupying a smaller space inside cell M2 than E. bubocula . Ventral FW and HW main color light brown. Ventral HW with a welldeveloped white postmedial transverse band. HW ventral eyespot in cell Cu1 large, expanding to cell Cu2. Uncus elongate and slender, valva narrow, gnathos square-shaped.

Female. FW length 53-58 mm (n=5). Dorsal FW and HW with conspicuous and localized purple iridescent patches extended across discal cell of the FW and between submedial and medial areas of the HW. Dorsal FW orange submarginal line well developed, continuous. Submarginal and postmedial branches of submarginal line start slightly above M1. Dorsal HW marginal outline diffuse. HW edge rounded and slightly undulated. Ventral FW and HW as in male. Sterigma with a narrow posterior ridge and narrow projections.

Distribution. Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua ( Frühstorfer 1912), extended here to El Salvador (Appendix 1). Based on collection labels, this species seem to occur from 500- 1,800 m (Appendix 1).

Remarks. In male specimens from Nicaragua and El Salvador the dorsal FW submarginal line is stronger than in Mexican specimens, but can still be considered ‘faded’ in comparison with males in the zolzivora-group where this band is well defined and vividly colored. I have not seen specimens from either Honduras or Nicaragua.

Figures

Figure 1. Eryphanis adult males, dorsal side on the left, ventral side on the right. Scale bar next to A = 1cm. A) E. automedon, Colombia, Cali. B) E. lycomedon, Colombia, Cali. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo. E) E. aesacus, [Mexico], Catemaco. F) E. gerhardi, Bolivia. G) E. zolzivora, Bolivia. H) E. greeneyi, Ecuador, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, HOLOTYPE. I) E. opimus, Colombia, Cali.

Figure 2. Eryphanis adult females, dorsal side on the left, ventral side on the right. Scale bar next to A = 1cm. A) E. automedon, Paraguay, Pedro Juan Caballero. B) E. lycomedon, Colombia, Cali. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Cartago, Tapanti. E) E. aesacus, Mexico, Oaxaca, Tuxtepec.F) E. gerhardi,Brazil, Rondonia, Jaru.G) E.zolzivora, Bolivia, Cochabamba. H) E. greeneyi,Ecuador, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, PARATYPE.

Figure 4. Eryphanis male genitalia in lateral view, with separate drawings of the phallus. Scale bar next to A = 1mm. Note that the phallus was not removed from the genitalic capsule, and the drawing angles are thus not homogeneous across species. A) E. automedon, Colombia, Cali. B) E. lycomedon, Colombia, Cali. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo. E) E. aesacus, Mexico, San Luis Potosi. F) E. gerhardi, Bolivia, Cochabamba. G) E. zolzivora, Bolivia, Cochabamba. H) E. greeneyi, Ecuador, near Baños, PARATYPE. I) E. opimus, Colombia, Cali.

Figure 5. Eryphanis male genitalia in ventral view, with separate drawings of the juxta and dorsal view of tegumen+uncus. Scale bar next to A = 1mm. A) E. automedon, Colombia, Cali. B) E. lycomedon, Colombia, Cali. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Rio San Lorenzo. E) E. aesacus, Mexico, San Luis Potosi. F) E. gerhardi, Bolivia, Cochabamba. G) E. zolzivora, Bolivia, Cochabamba. H) E. greeneyi, Ecuador, near Baños, PARATYPE. I) E. opimus, Colombia, Cali.

Figure 6. Eryphanis female sterigma and corpus bursa. Ribs of the intersegmental sac were omitted. Scale bars next to F = 1mm, note that sterigma and corpus bursa are in different magnifications. A) E. automedon, Peru, Puerto Maldonado. B) E. lycomedon, Costa Rica, Puntarenas. C) E. reevesii, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal. D) E. bubocula, Costa Rica, Cartago, Tapanti. E) E. aesacus,Mexico. F) E. gerhardi, Brazil, Rondonia, Jaru. G) E. zolzivora, Bolivia, Cochabamba. H) E. greeneyi, Ecuador, Napo, Yanayacu Biological Station, PARATYPE.