Tarmia greeneyi Warren, Medeiros, Dolibaina & Mielke, 2019

Medeiros, Adalberto Dantas De, Warren, Andrew D., Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Carneiro, Eduardo, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Casagrande, Mirna Martins, 2019, Taxonomic revision of the genus Tarmia Lindsey, 1925 stat. rev. (Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae: Hesperiini: Moncina) with the description of a new species from the Andes, Zootaxa 4674 (2), pp. 215-224 : 217-222

Tarmia greeneyi Warren, Medeiros, Dolibaina & Mielke sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 7–10 , 12, 14 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F7C62051-609D-47B6-B7F4-8A3D753D4D46

Diagnosis. Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from T. monastica by the iridescent blue frons ( Fig. 2 ). Additionally, other characters are unique to this species, including the ventral wing surfaces, with a row of violet submarginal spots ( Figs 8, 10 ); valva distally narrow and slightly projected upward ( Fig. 16e ); and lamella postvaginalis without lateral flaps ( Fig. 18b ).

Description. Male ( Figs 7–8 ) and female ( Figs 9–10 ): forewing length 17–18 mm.

HEAD: dorsally dark brown, with yellow, elongate scales behind eyes and at transfrontal and frontoclypeal sutures; frons iridescent blue; gena pale yellow. Antenna about 2/3 length of costa, dorsally black, ventrally yellowish at base of the shaft segments, under apiculus, and base of club; nudum black, with 12 segments in male, 11–12 in female, restricted to apiculus. Labial palpi mixed with brown and yellow scales; second segment quadrate; third segment short, thin and conical.

THORAX: dorsally brown, ventrally pale brown mixed with long, rufous to yellow scales. Legs dark brown dorsad, with some yellowish to rufous brown scales ventrad; foretibia with epiphysis; midtibia spined, with a single pair of spurs; hind tibia spined, with two pairs of spurs.

DFW ( Figs 7, 9 ): ground color dark brown, with sparse ochreous scales, denser at apex and along marginal area; a black sagittate brand near base of CuA 1 –CuA 2, proximal half longer than wide; three faint yellow spots represented by a single or few scales (absent in one female and four male paratypes), as follows: two apical, in the middle of R 3 –R 4, R 4 –R 5, in a line directed toward mid outer margin; one discal, at the end of the proximal half of M 3 –CuA 1; marginal line black; fringe greyish brown.

DHW ( Figs 7, 9 ): ground color dark brown, unmarked; marginal line and fringe as on DFW.

VFW ( Figs 8, 10 ): ground color dark brown, somewhat paler under CuA 2, with sparse rufous scales along costa, densely concentrated along veins at apex; three purple, opaque spots as follows: two subapical (the largest) at the middle of R 3 –R 4 and R 4 –R 5, in a line toward mid outer margin; another discal (the smallest) in M 3 –CuA 1 (some specimens have an additional spot in CuA 1 –CuA 2); eight bluish to purple submarginal spots between R 4 –2A, rectangular in R 4 –R 5 and R 5 –M 1, triangular between M 1 –2A, smaller and paler in CuA 2 –2A; internally to the submarginal spots, between R 4 –CuA 1, with five rectangular dark shadows; and distally to the submarginal spots, from R 4 to the tornus, a dark brown submarginal band, distally bordered by an ochreous thin marginal line; fringe as on DFW.

VHW ( Figs 8, 10 ): ground color dark brown, somewhat paler in 2A–3A, with sparse ochreous scales, denser towards submarginal area; discal cell of female with very small purple spot at distal end, sometimes represented by a few scales (this spot present in 3 male paratypes as a single scale); five purple, quadrate to rectangular spots in a curved postdiscal band, between Sc+R 1 –2A, larger in Rs–M 1, smaller in M 1 –M 2; distally to all postdiscal spots, there are conspicuous dark spots, more developed in Rs–M 1, reduced in M 1 –M 2, faint in M 1 –M 2; seven submarginal, triangular, purple spots between Rs–2A, the posterior spot in CuA 1 –2A pale yellow; submarginal band, marginal line and fringes as on VFW.

ABDOMEN: dorsally dark brown, ventrally yellow, with a central dark brown stripe.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 16 ): tegumen rectangular, with a long and relatively wide distal projection ( Fig. 16a ). Saccus as long as tegumen+uncus, proximally narrowed ( Fig. 16b ). Uncus tapered, shallowly bifid, triangular in lateral view ( Figs 16a, c ). Gnathos as long as tegumen, arms arched in ventral view ( Fig. 16d ). Valva long and narrow; sacculus triangular; costa narrow, fused with ampulla; ampulla concave; harpe distally narrow, forming with ampulla a projection with nearly dorsad orientation ( Fig. 16e ). Aedeagus longer than valva, narrow and twisted in the middle ( Figs 16 f–i); proximal end left curved; distal end with a projection on right side; cornuti as several small, thin spine-like structures, broadly dispersed on vesica ( Fig. 16g ). Fultura inferior dorsally disjointed, with a thin and short ventral projection ( Fig. 16j ).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 18 ): tergum VIII triangular, with small, complete spiracular opening at its dorsal margin ( Fig. 18a ). Sterigma broad, with a pair of corrugated lateral plates at its proximal margin; lamella antevaginalis short; lamella postvaginalis without lateral flaps (present in T. monastica ), distally bifid and densely covered with setae. Ostium at central portion of sterigma. Bursa copulatrix long and narrow; ductus bursae folded and slightly sclerotized with two lateral lines of signa; corpus bursae rounded ( Fig. 18b ). Papilla analis wider than long ( Fig. 18a ).

Distribution and Phenology. Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov. is known from a few specimens taken at approximately 1300 m in Peru (San Martin) and 1275 m in Ecuador (Napo) ( Fig. 20 ). Material in the MGCL collected by Lafebre is known to include some specimens with questionable locality or elevational data, so the occurrence of T. greeneyi sp. n. as low as 500 m, as indicated on the specimen label, remains to be confirmed, as does its occurrence in El Oro or Tungurahua provinces. Additionally, a single male specimen was photographed by Gottfried Siebel in Bolivia, near Caranavi (15º59’4.703” S 67º36’54.926” W) ( Fig. 19 ). There are records of T. greeneyi sp. nov. from April, August, October and December.

Etymology. This species is named after our friend Harold F. Greeney, an extraordinary Lepidopterist, who has discovered several new species of Hesperiidae , and has revealed the life history secrets of many butterfly taxa for the first time.

Type material. Holotype male deposited at the DZUP with the following labels: / HOLOTYPUS / Peru, San Martin, Rioja, El Afluente , VIII.2016, 5°39’48” S, 77°41’41” W 1320m, J. Pintado leg. / OM 81.351 / Holotypus Tarmia greeneyi Warren, Medeiros, Dolibaina & Mielke det. /.

Allotype female deposited at the DZUP with the following labels: / ALLOTYPUS / Peru, San Martin, Rioja, El Afluente , VIII.2016 5°39’48” S, 77°41’41” W 1320m, J. Pintado leg. / OM 81.551 / Allotypus Tarmia greeneyi Warren, Medeiros, Dolibaina & Mielke det. /.

Paratypes (8 males and 7 females): no collecting data, 1 female, OM 14.843 ( OM). ECUADOR— El Oro: (Bellavista), 550 m, 1 male, V.1971, R. de Lafebre leg., ( MGCL). Napo: (Narupa–Loreto Rd., km 13), 1275 m, 1 female, 24.VIII.2000, Harold Greeneyi leg., ( ADW). Tungurahua: Banos , Rio Topo , 1 male, X.1964, R. de Lafebre leg., ( MGCL). PERU— San Martin: Rioja ( El Afluente , 5°39’48” S, 77°41’41” W), 1300 m, 3 females, IV.2017, J. Pintado leg., OM 83.613 , OM 86.078 , ( OM (2), MUSM (1)), 1320 m, 6 males, 2 females, VIII.2016, J. Pintado leg. OM 81.109 , OM 81.331 , OM 81.771 , OM 81.491 , OM 81.341 , OM 81.511 , OM 81.541 ( OM (6), MUSM (1)) .

Figures

FIGURE 19. Male of Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov. photographed by Gottfried Siebel in Bolivia, near Caranavi.

FIGURE 20. Geographic distribution of Tarmia species. The asterisk represents questionable locality.

FIGURES 1–2. Head of Tarmia species in antero-dorsal view, showing the frons and labial palpi. 1: Tarmia monastica. 2: Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov..

FIGURES 3–10. Tarmia species in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) views. 3–6: T. monastica: 3–4: male from Mina Pichita, San Ramón, Junín, Peru (OM 22.030); 5–6: female from Florestal, Yungas, Bolivia (OM 12.039). 7–10: Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov.; 7–8: holotype male, 9–10; allotype female.

FIGURES 11–14. Male forewing showing the recurrent vein (11–12) and brand (13–14) of Tarmia monastica (11, 13) and Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov. (12, 14). The arrows point to the recurrent vein described by Lindsey (1925).

FIGURES 15–16. Male genitalia of Tarmia species. 15: Tarmia monastica from Caminho Inca, Machu Picchu, Peru (OM 56.191). 16: Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov. paratype from El Afluente, Rioja, San Martin, Peru (OM 81.771). a) dorsal view of tegumen and uncus. b) ventral view of saccus. c) lateral view of tegumen, uncus, gnathos and saccus. d) ventral view of uncus and gnathos. e) left view of right valva. f) dorsal view of right valva. G) dorsal view of aedeagus. h) left lateral view of aedeagus and vesica. i) ventral view of aedeagus. j) right lateral view of aedeagus. k) posterior view of fultura inferior.

FIGURES 17–18. Female genitalia of Tarmia species. 17: Tarmia monastica from Yungas, Bolivia (OM 12.039). 18: Tarmia greeneyi sp. nov. paratype from El Afluente, Rioja, San Martin, Peru (OM 83.613). a) lateral view of tergum VIII, sterigma and papilla analis; b) ventral view of sterigma and bursa copulatrix.