Catasticta chrysolopha beatrizae, Bollino, Maurizio & Costa, Mauro, 2007

Bollino, Maurizio & Costa, Mauro, 2007, An illustrated annotated check-list of the species of Catasticta (s. l.) Butler (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) of Venezuela, Zootaxa 1469, pp. 1-42 : 13

Catasticta chrysolopha beatrizae ssp. nov.

Holotype: male, Vía Sanare – Caspo, 1900 m., Edo. Lara, Venezuela, 15-II-2004, Col. Juan C. De Sousa C., presently in DSBV, will be deposited in MIZA (fig. 9: g-h)

Description: FW length: 22 mm.

Dorsal surface: black ground color. FW discal band with four spots: the anal one whitish with dark suffusion, those in cells CuA1-CuA2 and CuA2-2A whitish with strong orange suffusion, that in cell M3-CuA1 faintly marked. Submarginal spots nearly obsolete. HW with discal band as in other subspecies, but costal white spots dashed by dark scales. Submarginal spots nearly obsolete.

Ventral surface: FW with greyish discal band; premarginal series uncomplete, composed by four small spots in cells R3-R4/R5, R4/R5-M1, M1-M2 and M2-M3; submarginal spots small and subtriangular, those in cells R4/R5-M1, M1-M2 and M2-M3 mostly yellow, the remnants greyish. HW the same as in other subspecies, but postdiscal black band heavily marked and large; submarginal portion of cells greyish.

Diagnostic characters: the new subspecies is characterized by its large size and melanistic appearance of both wing surfaces. Orange suffusion of FW discal spots in cells CuA1-CuA2 and CuA2-2A was not observed in long series of other subspecies.

Paratypes (6 males, 1 female): 2 males, same data as holotype; 1 male, same data as holotype, but 23-I- 2000, all in DSBV; 1 male, same data as holotype, in MCCV; 1 male, same data as holotype, in FRSV; 1 male, same data as holotype, in MBLI; 1 female, Vía Sanare–Caspo, 1900 m., Edo. Lara, Venezuela, 26-XII-1999, Col. Andrés M. Orellana, in AOMV

Distribution: To the best of our knowledge, the new subspecies is restricted to the vicinity of its type locality.

Etymology: a noun in the genitive case after Mrs. Beatriz Coelho De Sousa, mother of Juan Carlos De Sousa who collected most of type series.