Argyrogrammana halli Dolibaina & Dias

Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Dias, Fernando Maia Silva, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Casagrande, Mirna Martins, 2015, Argyrogrammana Strand (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) from Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, Acre, Brazil, with the description of four new species, Zootaxa 4028 (2), pp. 227-245 : 233-235

Argyrogrammana halli Dolibaina & Dias , sp. nov.

( Figs 13–14 , 52 )

Diagnosis. Argyrogrammana halli sp. nov. is easily distinguished from almost all species belonging the “ amalfreda complex” by the silvery-blue submarginal line bordered proximal and distally by a large orange band on the submarginal area of the forewing underside ( Fig. 14 ). This character is only shared with A. bonita ( Fig. 8 ) and A. physis phyton ( Fig. 12 ), from which it is distinguished by the rounded forewing apex; hind wing laterally projected; underside ground color of both wings dark gray ( Fig. 14 ); dorsal area of valva with a median deep dorsal indentation; dorso-distal projection of valva thin, distally projected and pointed, and the base with an internal process bent to external view ( Fig. 52 ).

Description. Head: vertex pale black; frontoclypeus pale yellow with a large median black band; eye glabrous, brown, with a black median band continuous to the frontoclypeus black band; antenna black, with two rows of cream spots covering almost all both lateral areas of each segment; club black, tip reddish; labial palpus short, pale yellow, third segment black.

Thorax: dorsally orange and ventrally pale yellow; legs pale yellow with three black stripes on each tibia.

Forewing upperside: length 12.7–13.1mm (12.7mm on the holotype); apex rounded; ground color black, covering almost all wing after near the end discal cell, from basal area to near end discal cell and from costal margin to anal margin extending near tornus; light blue subapical patch in R4–M3 ellipsoid; thin silvery-blue submarginal line broken on the veins, with the anterior half of M1–M2 proximally inclined; outer margin black, orange in R4–M1 and CuA2–2A; fringe black, white in R4–M1, M1–M2, M2–M3, M3–CuA1 and CuA2–2A.

Forewing underside: ground color dark gray; four black circular spots on discal cell surrounded by thin light gray scales; end discal cell covered by a black and thin spot surrounded proximal and distally by a gray line; postbasal area with a rounded black spot below the mid of discal cell, proximally to the origin of CuA2; discal black band continuous from a discal cell black spot to 2A, crossing distally the origin of CuA2; postdiscal black band from R2 to 2A, wider in CuA1–2A, sometimes proximally and distally surrounded by irregular orange marks; all marginal and submarginal areas covered by a large orange band from R4 to 2A, distally surrounded by a black band; silvery-blue submarginal line discontinuous and inserted in the middle of the orange band, larger than in upperside and surrounded by black circular spots; fringe as in upperside.

Hind wing upperside: apex rounded; laterally projected; ground color orange; black postdiscal line from costal margin to anal margin, continuous until CuA1, absent in CuA1–CuA2, then discontinuous; thin black submarginal line from M2–CuA1 and a thinner, short and disjoint line in the anterior half of CuA1–CuA2; silvery-gray submarginal line continuous from apex to tornus, proximal and distally surrounded by a thin and continuous black line; fringe black, white in M1–M2, M3–CuA1 and 2A–3A.

Hind wing underside: ground color dark gray; discal cell crossed by three black spots surrounded proximally and distally by a thin gray line; end discal cell covered by a black spot also surrounded by a thin gray line; from the base of the discal cell to 2A gray; two black and circular spots in CuA2–2A below the discal cell surrounded by a thin gray line; above the discal cell proximal to origin of Rs a black circular spot surrounded by a gray line; postdiscal black band from Sc+R1 to 3A, distally surrounded by gray scales in CuA1–3A; M1–M2 submarginal area black with two proximal and distal thin orange lines; silvery-blue submarginal line present only in M3–3A; fringe as in upperside.

Abdomen: dorsally orange except by the tergum VII black; intersegmental area black; pleura black; sterna black with lateral pale yellow spots on the distal margin of each segment.

Genitalia: tegumen dorsally squared and laterally triangular; tegumen ventral arms evenly narrow and fusing with the saccus dorsal arms, also evenly narrow; anterior projection of saccus narrow, as long as tegumen and proximally thinned; lateral membranous areas between tegumen and uncus thin and triangular; uncus as long as tegumen, laterally narrow, with the distal margin with a slight median indentation; gnathos thinned with spatulate tip; valvae longer than large, distally thinned, with a dorsal median wide indentation and a dorso-distal thin projection with an internal process at the base bent to external view, tip pointed and distally upturned; fultura inferior linked to base of valvae and laterally inserted to left on aedeagus; aedeagus thick, less than three times longer than valvae, with innumerous thin and long cornuti.

Types. Holotype male with the following labels: / HOLOTYPUS / 23–30-VIII-2014, RIO MOA, P[AR]Q[UE]. NAC[IONAL DA]. SERRA DO DIVISOR (SEDE), MÂNCIO LIMA, ACRE, BRASIL, MIELKE, CASAGRANDE, CARNEIRO, DIAS, DOLIBAINA, SIEWERT & SALIK LEG 7º 26’ 52” S, 73º 39’ 55” [W] / DZ 31.020 / Holotypus Argyrogrammana halli Dolibaina & Dias det. 2015 / DZUP.

Paratype: 1 male with the same data of the holotype (DZ 30.923, DZUP).

Etymology. This species is named after Dr. Jason P. W. Hall, to honor his extensive contribution in the taxonomy, systematic, phylogeny, evolution, biogeography and ecology of Riodinidae .

Ethology. Two males were collected in 2014 exhibiting the hilltoping behavior about two meters from the ground around 10:00h.

Distribution. This new species is currently known only from PNSD, northwest of Acre, a typical lowland Amazon area on the border between Brazil and Peru.

Comments. This new species was apparently never mentioned in previous studies. The presence of a large submarginal orange band on forewing underside allied with a small blue iridescent spot on forewing upperside is shared with A. physis phyton . Additionally, the two males of A. halli sp. nov. were collected while they were flying during the morning, a behavior also observed in males of A. physis phyton . On the other hand, the rounded forewing apex, the projected hind wing, the pattern of coloration in both wings upperside and the morphological aspects of the male genitalia clearly define A. halli sp. nov. as a new and distinct species probably related to A. physis phyton .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 22. Species of Argyrogrammana collected at the PNSD. 1 – 2. A. alstonii. 3 – 4. A. nurtia ludibunda. 5 – 6. A. pulchra. 7 – 8. A. bonita. 9 – 10. A. amalfreda. 11 – 12. A. physis phyton. 13 – 14. A. halli sp. nov. holotype. 15 – 16. A. celata. 17 – 20. A. gallardi sp. nov. 17 – 18. Male holotype. 19 – 20. Female (tentative determination). 21 – 22. A. aparamilla. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 46 – 55. Male genitalia of species of Argyrogrammana collected at the PNSD. 46. A. alstonii. 47. A. nurtia ludibunda. 48. A. pulchra. 49. A. bonita. 50. A. amalfreda. 51. A. physis phyton. 52. A. halli sp. nov. paratype. 53. A. celata. 54. A. gallardi sp. nov. paratype from PNSD. 55. A. aparamilla. Left to right: dorsal view of uncus, lateral view of tegumen, saccus, uncus, gnathos, valva and aedeagus, and ventral view of valva. Scale bar = 1 mm.