Opoptera syme

Penz, Carla M., 2009, The phylogeny of Opoptera butterflies, and an assessment of the systematic position of O. staudingeri (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), Zootaxa 1985, pp. 1-20 : 9

syme -group

The name of this group is maintained from the original classification by Stichel (1902). Opoptera syme (typespecies of the genus), O. sulcius and O. fruhstorferi form a monophyletic group supported by the following unambiguous character changes ( Fig. 3 C): presence of a thin hairpencil inside HW discal cell (character 12:1, also present in O. bracteolata ; Fig. 1 I); mid- and hindlegs, color of the distal edge of each segment and subsegment similar to the color of the segments themselves (17:0, unique); setose portion of valva tip flattened, palmate (26:1, unique; Fig. 4 A).

Male genitalia are very similar within the syme-group. All species have long, narrow valvae that extend nearly to, or beyond the uncus tip in lateral view ( Fig. 4 A–C). Opoptera syme and O. sulcius share the presence of a spine-like expansion on the proximal region of the gnathos (30:1, Fig. 4 A), and the palmate valva tip is more strongly projected ventrally in lateral view than in O. fruhstorferi (27:0; Fig. 4 A–C). Although O. sulcius and O. fruhstorferi share a broad proximal arm of the FW postmedial band, the grouping of these two species as sister taxa increases tree length by one step.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Opoptera adult males, dorsal side on the left, ventral side on the right. Scale bar next to A = 1 cm. (A) syme, Brazil, São Paulo. (B) sulcius, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Taió. (C) fruhstorferi, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Taió. (D) aorsa, Brazil, Paraná, Toledo. (E) hilaris, Middle Ecuador. (F) staudingeri, Costa Rica, Heredia, Puerto Viejo. (G) arsippe, Peru, Chuchurras. (H) bracteolata, Bolivia. Schematic representation and photographic detail of the HW discal cell region showing male sent organs. Venation terminology is given in I. Dashed lines represent the scent-pocket next to vein Cu 2. (I) sulcius, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Taió; note thin hairpencil inserted into scent-pocket. (J) hilaris, Bolivia; note the three hairbrushes. (K) staudingeri, note the broad hairbrush inside discal cell. (L) arsippe, Peru, Chuchurras; note the open scent organ and long HW discal cell hairbrush.

FIGURE 3. (A) Tree derived from Stichel (1904) classification showing Sections and Groups. (B) (C) Two most parsimonious trees from the analysis of 37 characters. (C) Most parsimonious tree from the analysis of structural characters only (excluding color characters 3 – 8, 11), where all character changes were traced. Character numbers correspond to list in Appendix 2. Legend for character status follows MacClade 4. Gray numbers below branches are jackknife values for the analysis of the complete matrix, and black numbers are support values for the analysis of structural characters only.

FIGURE 4. Opoptera male genitalia in lateral view. Scale bar next to A = 1 mm. (A) syme, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo, 01 - 43 Dissected by C. M. Penz. (B) sulcius, Brazil, São Paulo, Pinhal, 06 - 12 Dissected by C. M. Penz. (C) fruhstorferi, South Brazil, 01 - 60 Dissected by C. M. Penz. (D) aorsa, Brazil, Paraná, Toledo, 08 - 17 Dissected by C. M. Penz. (E) hilaris Ecuador, Oriente, 08 - 34 Dissected by C. M. Penz. (F) staudingeri, Costa Rica, Heredia, Puerto Viejo, 01 - 57 Dissected by C. M. Penz. (G) arsippe, Peru, Chuchurras, 06 - 22 Dissected by C. M. Penz. (H) bracteolata, Bolivia, 01 - 59 Dissected by C. M. Penz. Detail of the valva apex in lateral view, localities same as in F, G and H. Setae omitted. Scale bar next to H = 1 mm. I, staudingeri. J, arsippe. K, bracteolata.