Eryphanis bubocula (Butler, 1872)

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 : 12-13

Eryphanis bubocula (Butler, 1872) , status revised

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

Type locality. Costa Rica .

Diagnosis. Males similar to E. aesacus , but distinguished from this species by the larger size, the larger dorsal FW iridescent patch, and by the reduced size of the dorsal HW iridescent patch, which usually does not extend toward the medial area. Males have rounded gnathos, and wider valva in ventral view. Females distinguished from E. aesacus by their larger size, pale grayish blue dorsal iridescent sheen from basal to medial areas of both wings, and sterigma with a broader posterior ridge and larger midline keel.

Annotated redescription. Male. FW length 60 mm (n=1). Dorsal FW and HW with conspicuous and localized mid-night blue to purple iridescent patches extended from medial to postmedial areas of the FW, occupying half the length of the FW discal cell. Iridescent patches restricted to the postmedial area of the HW. Dorsal FW submarginal line faint, 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 usually occupying a larger space of cell M2 than E. aesacus , taking up approximately one-third of the length of the cell. Ventral FW and HW main color brown. Ventral HW white postmedial transverse band well developed. HW ventral eyespot in cell Cu1 large, expanding to cell Cu2. Uncus elongate and slender, valva narrow, and gnathos rounded.

Female. FW length 67 mm (n=2). Dorsal FW and HW with pale grayish blue iridescent sheen extended from basal to postmedial areas of the FW, stronger below Cu2, and from basal to medial areas of the HW, slightly more intense than in the FW. Dorsal FW orange submarginal line well developed, continuous, fading in cell Cu2. Submarginal branch of FW submarginal line starts above M1, and postmedial branch starts at wing margin or below the R stem. Dorsal HW marginal outline absent. HW edge rounded and slightly undulated. Ventral FW and HW as in male. Sterigma with a broad posterior ridge and narrow projections.

Distribution. Costa Rica to Colombia and the Amazon basin ( Godman and Salvin 1879, Frühstorfer 1912, Appendix 1). In Costa Rica it is reported from 500 to 1,800 m on both slopes ( Cubero 1985, DeVries 1987).

Species status. Eryphanis bubocula differs from E. aesacus in wing pattern and genitalia. Godman and Salvin (1879) considered these taxa separate species, and pointed to diagnostic differences in wing length and color for both sexes. Their characters were confirmed here, and additional diagnostic characters are also provided for both taxa (see diagnoses). It is worth noting that E. bubocula females resemble Caligo illioneus oberon Butler, 1870 (see DeVries 1987 for illustrations) while those of E. aesacus assume a more ordinary Eryphanis female pattern (compare Fig. 2D and E ). In concert, differences in both wing characters and genitalia support the reinstatement of species status of E. bubocula .

Remarks. It would be interesting to compare specimens from higher elevations with those from the Amazon Basin (possibly from the subspecies juruana Frühstorfer, 1912), which were unavailable to me for examination. The life history of E. bubocula was described and illustrated by Cubero (1985) from Costa Rica, including observations on adult behavior.

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.