Opsiphanes mexicana Bristow, 1991

Piovesan, Mônica, Casagrande, Mirna Martins & Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik, 2022, Systematics of Opsiphanes Doubleday, [1849] (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Brassolini): an integrative approach, Zootaxa 5216 (1), pp. 1-278 : 75-80

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5216.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F9C92B91-42CF-4D2D-B315-14FF801815D4
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4F391911-FFE7-FF8F-C3EF-F884B9A54E54
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Opsiphanes mexicana Bristow, 1991
status	stat. nov.

Treatment

Opsiphanes mexicana Bristow, 1991 stat. nov.

( Figs 54–58 View FIGURE 54 View FIGURE 55 View FIGURE 56 View FIGURE 57 View FIGURE 58 )

Opsiphanes cassiae castaneus [misidentification]; Ross, 1976. Jour. Res. Lep. 14 (2): 58; biol.—R. F. de la Maza R., 1987. Marip. Mexicanas, p. 96, pl. 26, fig. 6 (male d).—R. G. de la Maza E. et al., 1989. Rev. Soc. Mex. Lep. 12 (2): 61.—LuisMartínez et al., 1991. Publ. esp. Mus. Zool., Mexico, 3: 91.

Opsiphanes cassiae subsp.; D’Abrera, 1987 (Bristow Ms). Butt. Neotrop. Reg. 3, p. 415 (fig. male d, v); Mexico.

Opsiphanes cassiae mexicana Bristow, 1991 . Zool. Jour. Linn. Soc. 101 (3): 218, figs 6a (male d, v), 6b (female d, v); holotype male, T[i]erra Caliente [Michoacán, Guerrero], Mexico; NHMUK.—R. G. de la Maza E. & J. de la Maza E., 1993. Marip. Chiapas, p. 183.— Casagrande, 2004. Brassolini View in CoL , in Lamas (ed.) Checklist: Part 4A, Hesperioidea-Papilionoidea, in Heppner (ed.). Atlas Neotrop. Lep. 5A, p. 204.— Vargas-Fernández et al., 2008. Nymph. Mexico 2, p. 62, 185, pl. 19, figs 4, 5 (female d, v), 8, 9 (male d, v).

Type material. Opsiphanes cassiae mexicana Bristow, 1991 was described based on the holotype male, illustrated by D’Abrera (1987) and deposited at the NHMUK, with the following labels: / Holotype / Mexico T[i]erra Caliente [Michoacán, Guerrero], [Bilimek]/ bogotanus mexicana Bristow / FELDER COLLN./ Rothschild Bequest B. M. 1939-1./ ( Fig. 58 View FIGURE 58 ).

Diagnosis. Opsiphanes mexicana stat. nov. differs from Opsiphanes bogotanus , a closely related species, in having the DFW oblique band usually wider and with a smooth distal margin; differs from Opsiphanes cassiae , another closely related species, in the VHW with a rounded eyespot between Sc+R 1 and M 1 that usually reaches or exceeds M 1, and a dark-brown band extends from the base of the wing to this eyespot ( Fig. 54a View FIGURE 54 ). Molecular analyses recovered Opsiphanes mexicana stat. nov. as closely related to Opsiphanes bogotanus and Opsiphanes cassiae ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ) (genetic distance 1.5–1.7% and 2.0–2.5%, respectively).

Male genitalia. Tegumen in dorsal view with anterior margin with a slight concavity in the median region and as wide as the posterior margin; anterior projection of saccus in lateral view twice as long as dorsal arms of saccus, in ventral view with a dilated anterior region; fultura inferior wider in the median portion ( Fig. 55 View FIGURE 55 ).

Female genitalia. Lamella antevaginalis membranous medially and sclerotized laterally; lamella postvaginalis cone-shaped medially; ostium membranous ( Fig. 56 View FIGURE 56 ).

Variation. FW, length: male: 42–43 mm (n=2), female: 51–54 mm (n=2). DFW, the width and color of the oblique band. DHW, the marginal band from faint to absent in males, and well marked in females. HW, the crenulation of the outer margin. VFW, the width and color of the oblique band; in females, the portion of this band on CuA 2 -2A tends to be more yellowish than the rest of the band. VHW, the size of the eyespot between Sc+R 1 and M 1, and the widht of its dark-brown ring; and the shape of the eyespot between M 3 and CuA 2 ( Fig. 54 View FIGURE 54 ).

Natural history. Common in pastures ( Ross 1976) or evergreen forest in Oaxaca (Metates, Palomares) (Maza R. 1987). Scent organs on the DHW and abdomen produce a sweet odor ( Ross 1976).

Geographic distribution. Mexico (Oaxaca, Veracruz, Chiapas) ( Fig. 57 View FIGURE 57 ). It occurs at altitudes between 100 and 1,000 m (R. G. de la Maza E. & J. de la Maza E. 1993) .

Temporal distribution. May, July–September (R. F. de la Maza R. 1987), October.

Etymology. Reference to Mexico.

Specimens examined. Photos of the holotypus of Opsiphanes mexicana Bristow, 1991 stat. nov., and the following specimens: MEXICO: Oaxaca — San José Chiltepec , 100 m, 14-V-1996, 1 male, G. Nogueira leg., DZ 41.492 ( DZUP) ; Santiago Comaltepec, ( Metates ), IX-1987, 1 male, 31-X-1987, 1 female, J. Llorente & A. Luis leg., DZ 41.496, 41.497 ( DZUP), (Puerto Elijio) GoogleMaps , VIII-1967, 1 male, T. Escalante leg., UFFLMNH MGCL 1092338 ( MGCL) ; Sierra de Juárez , 850 m, 14-V-1996, 1 male, G. Nogueira leg., DZ 41.493 ( DZUP) , 25-VII-10–VIII- 1977, 1 male, Natives leg., UFFLMNH MGCL 1092339 ( MGCL) . Veracruz — Misantla , 10-IX, 1 male, R. Muller leg., USNMENT01590874 ( USNM) . Chiapas — Comitán ( Santa Rosa ), IX-1962, 1 female, Cris leg., UFFLMNH MGCL 1092322 ( MGCL) ; Boca del Chajul , 100 m, 18-VIII-1987, 2 males, G. Nogueira leg., DZ 41.494, 41.495 ( DZUP) GoogleMaps ; Pichucalco , IX-1941, 1 male, T. Escalante leg., UFFLMNH MGCL 1092337 ( MGCL) .

“ quiteria group”

Diagnosis. The “ quiteria group” was divided into seven subgroups: “ boisduvallii ”, “ camena ”, “ zelotes ”, “ sallei ”, “ quiteria ”, “ fabricii ”, and “ invirae ”, and comprises 20 species, distinguished by the following characters: known larvae feed on Arecaceae ; in the last instar, they have four pairs of smaller scoli, the lateral and lateroventral pairs practically imperceptible compared to the “ cassiae group”, and have “whiskers” (set of setae near stemmata 1–4, present from the second instar on) ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ); DHW with submarginal band in some species ( Fig. 74b View FIGURE 74 ), without band ( Opsiphanes blythekitzmillerae , Opsiphanes boisduvallii , males of Opsiphanes zelotes and Opsiphanes zelus stat. nov.), or with a marginal and a submarginal band ( Opsiphanes camena ) ( Fig. 66a View FIGURE 66 ); aedeagus with spines on its surface ( Fig. 76f View FIGURE 76 ). Adults of nearly all species in the group have a dark-brown ground color, except for Opsiphanes blythekitzmillerae and Opsiphanes boisduvallii which have orange ground color. The “ quiteria group” was recovered as monophyletic for species that have available molecular data (SH-aLRT 100 / UFBoot 98).

1. “ boisduvallii subgroup”

Species included:

4. Opsiphanes blythekitzmillerae Austin & A. Warren, 2007

5. Opsiphanes boisduvallii Doubleday, [1849]

Caligo meropis Westwood, 1851 nom. nud.

Opsiphanes boisduvalii [sic] f. olivochroa C. C. Hoffmann, 1940 nom. nud.

Diagnosis. Species of the “ boisduvallii subgroup” are easily distinguished by their orange ground color and lack of bands on DFW and DHW. They have an abdominal scent organ in A4, on the upper half of the pleura, as a sub-oval plate with golden-yellow scales ( Fig. 62a View FIGURE 62 ). Molecular analyses recovered the “ boisduvallii subgroup” (SH-aLRT 100 / UFBoot 100) ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ).