Neomaenas edmondsii ( Butler 1881 ) (Argyrophenga)

Matz, Jess & Brower, Andrew V. Z., 2016, The South Temperate Pronophilina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae): a phylogenetic hypothesis, redescriptions and revisionary notes, Zootaxa 4125 (1), pp. 1-108 : 35-36

Neomaenas edmondsii ( Butler 1881) (Argyrophenga)

( Figs. 6 E; 15G–I, 26)

Holotype: (male) BMNH #809630

Type location: Termas de Chillán, Chile

Distribution: Found in Chile in the eastern part of Bío-Bío and Araucanía rovinces from February to March at 650–1600m ( Fig. 26).

Diagnosis. Most similar to N. wallengrenii , but smaller and generally darker with the patterning on the ventral side of the hindwing resembling a series of yellow stripes radiating from the base of the wing. Dorsal side of both wings dark chocolate brown in the males and warm light brown in the females with patches of rust red or rust orange over the discal cells of the forewings and between M2-M3 on the hindwing. Smaller rusty patches appear between M3-CuA1 and CuA1-CuA2 on the hindwing. Ventral side of the hindwing with a strong daffodil yellow stripe that extends from the base of the wing almost to the termen over the discal cell to the cell between M2-M3. Maize yellow postmedian band is edged with white and brown scales at the termen and all but the 1A+2A and anal veins are highlighted with daffodil yellow over the band.

Redescription. Head: Antennae 6–8mm, bearing ivory and medium brown scales on the dorsal side, and terminating in a spatulate club. Eyes oval and sparsely hairy length approximately 1.25 times width. Palps with a longitudinal black stripe along the median with a similar tan stripe parallel and dorsal side to the black stripe. Piliform ventral side scales of the palps medium brown, black and tan in the males and black, tan, and ivory in the females. The dorsal side scales ivory in the females and medium brown or black in the males, terminal segment cylindrical and a little more than 1/ 3X the length of the second segment.

Thorax nearly black in both sexes. The females are covered in ivory and iridescent black scales with the longer piliform scales being ivory and tan and the males are clothed mainly with iridescent black with the piliform scales being a warm medium brown. Male and female foreleg tarsi unsegmented and club-like, the male tarsus slightly longer relative to the tibia. Midlegs and hindlegs with four rows of amber spines, darker amber in the males.

Forewing ( Fig. 6 E): Wingspan 22–30mm. Termen slightly convex. Discal cell U-shaped at the distal end with the distance between M1-M2 slightly shorter than between M2-M3. Dorsal side warm light brown in the females and dark chocolate brown in the males, both with a rust red patch over the discal cell and a small black ocellus between M1-M2 that may have a single pupil in the females. Ventral side dark rust red to rust orange, widely bordered with medium to warm light brown and with a patch of maize yellow at the apex over the radial and median veins. Postmedian band wide and slightly lighter than rust-colored scales covering the discal cell. Ocellus between M1-M2 black, ringed in daffodil yellow with a single white pupil.

Hindwing ( Fig. 6 E): Wing oval, termen slightly convex and barely scalloped between median veins and tornus. Inner margin barely excavated between anal vein and 1A+2A. Dorsal side warm light brown in the females and dark chocolate brown in the males, both with a patch of rust red between M2-M3 that extends to the center of the discal cell and smaller patches between M3-CuA1 and CuA1-CuA2. Piliform scales appearing on both sexes at the base and over the discal cell, extending to the median and toward the inner margin, shorter in the females. Ventral side similar in hue to the dorsal side, black at the base and with a terminal band of white scales. Postmedian band very wide at the costa, the proximal edge extending to the base and then narrowing sharply toward the termen, constricted completely or to a few millimeters between M3 and CuA1, with sharp dentations that peak at CuA1 and CuA2. The pattern of daffodil yellow streaks across the wing may obscure the proximal border of the postmedian band that extends over the breadth of the wing in maize and daffodil yellow. The strongest of these is between M2- M3, extending over the discal cell to the wing base. Two smaller yellow streaks appear close to the base between CuA1-1A+2A and 1A+2A-anal vein. All except the 1A+2A and anal veins are highlighted in daffodil yellow over the postmedian band. Two lenticular black spots with thin daffodil borders appear between Rs-M1 and M3-CuA1.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 15 G–I): Uncus narrow and finger-like, approximately 1.1X the length of the tegumen. Gnathos acute and less than half the length of the uncus, pedunculus short and U-shaped, and saccus truncate and nearly as long as the gnathos. Valvae wide, narrowing to about half the width just past the median toward the distal end, deltoid at the terminus. Aedeagus nearly even in width and truncate at the proximal end.

Remarks. Originally placed by Butler in the New Zealand endemic genus Argyrophenga, Elwes (1903) described it as an Epinephele , and Weymer (1911) finally placed it in Neomaenas . It is a rare species found around scrubby bushes near shady wooded areas on the mountainsides of eastern Araucanía and Bío-Bío provinces. Though it is not a fast flier, it can be difficult to catch, taking short, low flights between bushes.

Etymology. named for its collector, Thomas Edmonds.

Specimens examined. Chile, Bío-Bío Province, (BMNH) Holotype male 809630, (MGCL) 2 males; Chile, Araucanía rovince, (BMNH) 809662, 809663, (MTSU) CL0701-CL0709, (UJ) 9 males, (MGCL) 1 male

Figures

FIGURE 6. Composite habitus images of Neomaenas species. The left side of each specimen is the dorsal surface, the right side is the ventral surface. A, B: Neomaenas servilia Wallengren, 1858 male (A), female dorsal (B) (CUIC); C, D: Neomaenas coenonymphina Butler, 1881 male lectotype (BMNH # 809622) (C), female paralectotype (BMNH # 809623) (D); E: Neomaenas edmondsii (Butler, 1881) male holotype (BMNH # Rh 3862); F – H: Neomaenas fractifascia Butler, 1881 male lectotype (BMNH # 809629) (F), male showing patterning of a fresh specimen (OSU # 93666) (G), female paralectotype (BMNH # 809628) (H).

FIGURE 15. Male genitalia of Neomaenas species. See Fig. 2 for labels of parts. All to the same scale. A – C: Neomaenas servilia Wallengren, 1858 (CUIC); D – F: Neomaenas coenonymphina Butler, 1881 (CH 26 - 1); G – I: Neomaenas edmondsii (Butler, 1881) (CL 0701); J – L: Neomaenas fractifascia Butler, 1881 (CH 25 - 3); M – O: Neomaenas monachus (Blanchard, 1852) (CH 32 - 3).