Dyscophellus erythras (Mabille, 1888)

Austin, George T., 2008, Hesperiidae of Rondônia, Brazil: Taxonomic comments on “ night ” skippers, with descriptions of new genera and species (Lepidoptera: Eudaminae), Insecta Mundi 2008 (29), pp. 1-36 : 21

Dyscophellus erythras (Mabille, 1888)

( Fig. 50-55 , 99 , 108 , 127 )

No appreciable variation is seen among males of D. erythras from Rondônia (mean FW length = 24.1 mm [23.7-24.8, n = 4]). Of the two females examined (FW length = 27.2, 29.1 mm), one is pale fulvous and the other is considerably darker red-brown. Genitalia of males from Rondônia ( Fig. 99 ) are as illustrated by Bell (1940, as Discophellus tarquinius Bell, 1940 ), but exhibit a longer and narrower harpe with a shorter dorsal lobe than those illustrated by Evans (1952). From their original descriptions (Mabille 1888, Bell 1940), Telegonus erythras and Discophellus tarquinius seem to be synonymous. The differences in their genitalia as illustrated by Bell (1940) and Evans (1952) apparently are a function of Evans’ diagrammatic figure. Female genitalia ( Fig. 108 ) (based on the two females from Rondônia) are typical overall for the genus. The lamella postvaginalis slopes laterad from a shallow U-shaped central indentation. The lamella antevaginalis is represented by two large lateral plates without serrations or spines and a central portion that is rectangular. The sclerotized antrum narrows abruptly to a membranous tube that has a pair of small and weakly sclerotized plates just before opening into the side of a moderately broad ductus bursae leading to a bulbous corpus bursae.

Dyscophellus erythras is uncommon near Cacaulândia, with records in August, October, and November ( Fig. 127 ). The species is known from northern South America to Peru and western Brazil ( Evans 1952, Lamas 1994).

Figures

Figure 50-61. Dyscophellus (from BRAZIL: Rondônia, unless noted otherwise; dorsum and venter of same specimens). 50, 53) D. erythras male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 17 Aug 1993. 51, 54) D. erythras female, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 19 Nov 1992. 52, 55) D. erythras female, 5 km S of Cacaulândia, 23 Oct 1994. 56, 59) D. porcius porcius male, Fazenda Rancho Grande, 12 Nov 1994. 57, 60) D. porcius porcius female, COSTA RICA: Puntarenas Prov.; Manual Antonio, 20 Sep 1987. 58, 61) D. phraxanor female, ECUADOR: Pichincha Prov.; Hotel Tinalandia, 8 May 1988.

Figure 98-103. Male genitalia of Dyscophellus (from BRAZIL: Rondônia, unless noted otherwise). Structures shown are lateral, dorsal, and ventral views of tegumen, uncus, gnathos, and associated structures; lateral internal view of right valva; lateral view of aedeagus and associated structures; and ventral view of transtilla and juxta. 98) D. porcius porcius (GTA #3419). 99) D. erythras (GTA #1787). 100) D. diaphorus (GTA #3916). 101) D. mielkei (GTA #2879). 102) D. ramon (GTA #3363), COSTA RICA. 103) D. porsena (GTA #3204).

Figure 104-110. Female genitalia (ventral view) of Dyscophellus and Sarmientoia (from BRAZIL: Rondônia, unless noted otherwise). 104) D. phraxanor, ECUADOR (GTA #7210). 105) D. porcius porcius, COSTA RICA (GTA #7201). 106) Dyscophellus sp. (D. sebaldus?), COSTA RICA (GTA #7205). 107) S. similis (GTA #7224). 108) D. erythras (GTA #7206). 109) D. ramon, COSTA RICA (GTA #7208). 110) Dyscophellus sp. (D. diaphorus?), COSTA RICA (GTA #7209).

Figure 125-130. Phenology of some night skippers from central Rondônia, Brazil. 125-126) Bungalotis species. 127) Dyscophellus species. 128) Salatis salatisand Sarmientoia similis. 129) Nicephellus nicephorus and Euriphellus euribates. 130) Pseudonascus paulliniae and Nascus species.