Polyptychia hermieri, Miller, 2009

Miller, James S, 2009, Generic Revision Of The Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae) Part 2: Josiini, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (321), pp. 675-1022 : 721-724

Polyptychia hermieri , new species Figures 298–301 , 303 , 304 ; plates 27, 39H

[EX]

DIAGNOSIS: Although Polyptychia hermieri is superficially similar to P. fasciculosa (pl. 27), it is distinguished by its darker wing and body coloring, and its more richly pigmented yellow transverse band. Three other characters are useful for separation: the frontal scales of P. hermieri show a strong, iridescent blue luster when observed from above, whereas in P. fasiculosa the front is brown, with only a faint hint of blue. Second, males differ because the brush of long, bristlelike scales in the central HW androconial patches (figs. 298E, 299) are light brown in P. fasciculosa , but more cream colored in P. hermieri . Finally, the two can often be separated by their size. The FW length of P. hermieri is generally smaller that that of P. fasciculosa (see species key), but overlap exists. When their genitalia are compared (figs. 302, 303), the species are instantly recognizable.

DESCRIPTION: Male. Forewing length 5 18.5–21.0 mm. Head (fig. 298A–D): Lp1 yellow on outer surface, black on inner surface, with a long, loose fringe below, inner black scales of fringe longer than yellow ones; Lp2 tightly scaled with black to dark gray black scales, a few yellow scales near base; Lp3 dark gray black; scales of front blackish brown, with an iridescent blue tinge; occiput blackish brown above, a patch of long, yellow scales below eye; an additional patch of long yellow scales below palpus and above procoxa; vertex blackish brown, with an iridescent blue cast, especially near antennal bases; scape blackish brown; antennal shaft wide, dorsum densely covered with blackish brown scales.

Thorax (fig. 301F): Prothoracic and mesothoracic legs blackish brown on inner surfaces, gray-brown on outer ones; coxa of metathoracic leg covered with long, blackish brown scales; femur and tibia of metathoracic leg covered with short, gray-brown scales on outer surfaces, inner surfaces covered with a dense brush of long, white, hairlike androconia, longest and most conspicuous on posterior surfaces of tibiae; spurs gray to gray-brown; pleuron covered with blackish brown, hairlike scales, having a slight iridescent blue tinge; patagium black to blackish brown; tegula blackish brown, fringed with concolorous long, hairlike scales; dorsum dark brown to blackish brown.

Forewing (fig. 298E; pl. 27): (Dorsal) Ground color dark blackish brown, almost black; a wide, yellow to orange-yellow transverse band beyond DC, band starting behind costa anteriorly and ending slightly short of tornus posteriorly; inner and outer margins of transverse band irregular, lightly irrorated with black scales. (Ventral) Similar to dorsal surface, except ground color lighter, blackish brown to dark chocolate brown; transverse band wider than on dorsal surface, lighter yellow.

Hind wing (figs. 298E, 299, 300, 301A–E; pl. 27): (Dorsal) Ground color blackish brown, slightly lighter in tone than FW, wing surface less densely scaled; anterior (central) androconial organ enclosing brownish-yellow, bat-shaped, deciduous androconia, these covered by coarse bristles; second androconial organ along anal margin edged with a row of extremely long, smoky gray, hairlike scales, pouch enclosing a large packet of white, wooly deciduous scales. (Ventral) Ground color uniformly dark brown; slitlike androconial pouch represented below by a large, irregular fold.

Abdomen: Uniformly dark gray-brown to blackish brown above, with an iridescent blue tinge; color slightly lighter gray-brown on venter.

Terminalia (fig. 303A, 303C–E): Anterolateral apodemes of Tg8 truncate; posterior margin of Tg8 membranous, slightly concave; anterior margin of St8 with a broadly forked mesal apodeme, posterior margin with a shallow, U-shaped excavation; uncus broad, robust, beaklike, laterally compressed above to form a large dorsal crest; socii wide, laterally compressed, with a broad, crestlike flange at base, apices forming wide, scooplike structures; ventral margin of genitalia simple, almost horizontal; distal portion of costa forming a broad, scoop-shaped process, apex itself lightly sclerotized, tapered; arms of transtilla oriented downward; anterior end of aedeagus forming a large rounded knob, apex with a tiny ventral tooth; vesica extremely large, broadly transverse, oriented almost horizontally (more steeply angled in P. fasciculosa ), a transverse band of short, spinelike cornuti on right side near base (not present in P. fasciculosa ).

Female (pl. 27). Forewing length 5 19.0– 21.5 mm. Body characters similar to male except HW with a comma shaped yellow spot below apex; androconia absent.

Terminalia (fig. 303B): Tg8 sclerotized except for a membranous seam along midline; AA long, recurved; DB with a strong fold anteriorly, near base of CB; body of CB roughly ovoid; coriaceous, U-shaped appendix larger and taller than in P. fasciculosa , its dorsal angle more acute; signum with a prominent, external ridge along midline.

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named in honor of Bernard Hermier, from Cayenne, French Guiana. Bernard kindly hosted my visit to French Guiana in 1994, during which we found larvae of Polyptychia hermieri feeding on Passiflora candida in disturbed habitat along the road from Cayenne to Coralie. Bernard’s spectacular Lepidoptera collection contains paratypes of P. hermieri , not to mention untold material of rare and undescribed Lepidoptera from French Guiana. Study of his collection was crucial to completion of this publication.

DISTRIBUTION: My studies reveal that P. hermieri is not restricted to French Guiana, but also occurs in northeastern Brazil (fig. 304). Its distribution extends from French Guiana southeast to the mouth of the Amazon, then west upriver at least as far as Obidos and Santarém. It has also been collected on the Rio Tapajós, which joins the Amazon at Vila Franca and Santarém. Dissections of material from further upriver at São Paulo d’Olivença, on the Rio Solimões, show these to be examples of P. fasciculosa . The latter thus appears to be more western in distribution. A female from Trinidad bears a wing pattern and genital morphology (JSM-1744) suggesting it to be P. hermieri , which extends the species’ range west across the Guyana Shield.

In addition to the material listed below, there are numerous examples of P. hermieri from French Guiana and Brazil in the BMNH collection. Unfortunately, I was not able to obtain label data for those specimens, all of which are relatively ancient.

DISCUSSION: When larvae of P. hermieri were discovered in French Guiana (May 1994), it was my assumption that we had found P. fasciculosa . Over 10 years later (March 2005), it became clear that we had collected a new species, described here as P. hermieri .

Distinctions between the two species first became apparent through comparison of male genitalia, which differ in the shape of St8 (figs. 302B, 303C), as well as the shape of the uncus, socii and valval costa (figs. 302A, 303A). The vesica also differs (figs. 302D, 303D), with that of P. hermieri being oriented nearly horizontal to the aedeagus, but that of P. fasciculosa oriented at a steeper angle. Female differences are less obvious. These involve the configuration of the large, coriaceous sclerite at the base of the corpus bursae (figs. 302E, 303B). Characters of the vestiture useful for separation are noted in the Diagnosis (above).

Adults and larvae of P. hermieri were discussed and figured in Miller (1996), although there they were then unknowingly referred to as P. fasciculosa . The caterpillars (pl. 39H) feed on Passiflora candida (pl. 41B; table 6).

HOLOTYPE: Male (pl. 27). FRENCH GUIANA: Cayenne : Pk 57.5 on road to Coralie, 14 May 1994, leg. J.S. Miller, reared from larva on Passiflora candida , emerged Jun 4 1994. The type is deposited at the AMNH.

PARATYPES: FRENCH GUIANA: Cayenne: 13, Pk 57.5 on road to Coralie , 14 May 1994, leg. J.S. Miller, C. Snyder & L.D. Otero, reared from larva on Passiflora candida , emerged Apr 1994 ( AMNH) ; 13, Kaw, Pk 57, 4 Oct 1996, á vue, leg. J.A. Cerda ( BHC) ; 1♀, Kaw, Pk 37.5, 1 Oct 2000, á vue, leg. J.A. Cerda ( BHC) ; 1♀, Kaw, Pk 37.5, 24 Sep 2000, á vue, leg. J.A. Cerda ( BHC) ; 1♀, Kaw, Pk 38, 12 Oct 1996, leg. M. Duranron ( BHC) ; 13, Fourgassie´, 20 Jan 1985, leg. B. Hermier ( AMNH; genitalia slide no. JSM-715 ) ; 13, Pk 57.5 on road to Coralie , 14 May 1994, leg. J.S. Miller, reared from larva on Passiflora candida , emerged 4

Jun 1994 ( AMNH; genitalia slide no. JSM-1505 , wing slide no. JSM-1669 ) ; 1♀, Piste de Coralie , km 10, 7 Mar 1992, at light, leg. B. Hermier ( AMNH; genitalia slide no. JSM-716 ) .

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: FRENCH GUIANA: Cayenne : 1♀, Cayenne, CAS (genitalia slide no. JSM-1507 ). BRAZIL: Para´: 13, 1♀, Itaituba, Rio Tapajós, Mar, leg. H. Fassl ( BMNH; male genitalia slide no. JSM-1509 ) ; 1♀, Serra Tiracambu, 450 m, Jun 2003, á vue, leg. P. Jauffret ( BHC) ; 1♀, Taperinha, leg. Fassl ( USNM; genitalia slide no. JSM-1360 , wing slide no. JSM-1362 ) ; 233, Obidos, Dognin Collection ( USNM) ; 3♀♀, Santarém, leg. Fassl ( USNM) ; 1♀, Braganza, leg. H.B. Merrill ( USNM) ; 1♀, Barreiras, leg. Fassl ( USNM) ; 233, 1♀, L. de Villafranca ( USNM) ; 13, 1♀, Rio Manes , Dognin Collection ( USNM). Trinidad: 1♀, Holland Collection ( CMNH; genitalia slide no. JSM-1744 ) .

DISSECTED: 433, 3♀♀.

The following has been removed from Polyptychia :

unicolor Hering to Getta Walker

PHAVARAEA WALKER, 1854

Figures

Fig. 298. Morphology of Polyptychia hermieri (3). A, head, lateral view; B, head, frontal view; C, head, posterior view; D, head, lateral view; E, wings (illustration by J.S. Miller).

Fig. 299. Scanning electron micrographs of Polyptychia hermieri (3), HW dorsal surface. A, brush of bristlelike scales covering central androconial pocket; B, base of brush, with a few androconia from central pocket showing below; C, base of brush scales; D, apex of a single brush scale; E, apex of a brush scale; F, surface of a brush scale.

Fig. 300. Scanning electron micrographs of Polyptychia hermieri (3), HW dorsal surface. A, close-up of brush scale surface; B, central androconial pocket, showing bare area where deciduous androconia have been removed; C, deciduous androconia of central pocket; D, apex of deciduous androconium; E, base of deciduous androconium from central pocket; F, close-up of deciduous androconium base.

Fig. 301. Scanning electron micrographs of Polyptychia hermieri (3), HW dorsal surface. A, surface of deciduous androconium from central pocket; B, anal margin, showing hairlike scales covering androconial fold; C, fold of anal margin; D, deciduous wooly scales from androconial fold; E, surface of wooly scale; F, apex of tibial spur, showing serrate margins.

Fig. 303. Genitalia of Polyptychia hermieri, sp. nov. (3 JSM-1505, ♀ JSM-716). A, 3 genitalia; B, ♀ genitalia; C, 3 St8; D, aedeagus; E, 3 Tg8, dorsal view.

Fig. 304. Known distributions of newly described South American Josiini: Josia neblina, Notascea brevispinula, Notascea loxa, Phintia broweri, Polyptychia hermieri, and Scea torrida.