Roelofa narga ( Schaus, 1905 )

St Laurent, Ryan A., Herbin, Daniel & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2020, Revision of Roelofa Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonidae, Roelofinae) with a description of a new species, Zootaxa 4877 (3), pp. 505-538 : 514-518

Roelofa narga ( Schaus, 1905)

( Figs 4, 6–8 , 14, 15 , 20 )

Cicinnus narga Schaus, 1905: 329

Roelofa narga ; Schaus 1928: 640, fig. 87c

Roelofa narga ; Gaede 1931

Roelofa narga ; Becker 1996

Roelofa narga ; Herbin & Mielke 2014

Roelofa narga ; St Laurent et al. 2018

Roelofa narga ; St Laurent and Kawahara 2019

Roelofa narga ; St Laurent et al. 2020

Type material: HOLOTYPE ♀. SURINAME: 60 mi. up Maroni River / Collection Wm Schaus/ Perophora narga type Schaus/ USNM-Mimal: 1018/ Type No. 8899 U.S.N.M./ ( USNM, examined) . No paratypes.

Additional material examined: (55 ♂, 4 ♀ total) COLOMBIA: 1 ♂: Eastern Colombia, Rio Negro [likely in Meta]: Fassl leg., Joicey Coll. Brit. Mus. 1925-157, NHMUK010890555 (NHMUK). VENEZUELA: Bolivar: 1 ♂, Road El Dorado to Santa Elena km 120, 5°58’12”N 61°24’14”W, 1310 m: 19.XII.1987, P. Bleuzen leg., BC-Her2807 (CDH). GUYANA: 1 ♂, Tumatumari, Rio Potaro (CUIC). SURINAME: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Aroewarwa Creek, Marowym Valley: IV.1905 (1 ♂), VI.1905 (1 ♀), S.M. Klages [leg.], Rothschild Bequest BM 1939-1, NHMUK010890546, 010890547 (NHMUK). 1 ♂, Moengo, Boven Cottica River (CUIC). 1 ♂, Kabo [Creek]: 18–19.IX.1979 (RMNH). 1 ♂, Sipalawini District, Thibiti area, Kabo Creek: 8.V.1989, partly swampy, primary forest on hilly slopes ca. 2 k from river, J. Beerlink leg. (RMNH). FRENCH GUIANA: 1 ♀, RN2 PK46: 11.VIII.1985, J. Haxaire leg. (CDH). 1 ♀, Piste Paul Isnard, 5°13’07.32”N 53°57’39.88”W, 116 m: 7.X.2015, D. Herbin, M.Laguerre leg. (CDH). 2 ♂, Grand Santi, 4°17’5.1”N 54°21’6.7”W: 14–18.X.2017, J. Barbut leg. (CDH). 1 ♂, Route Sainte Elie Km18, 5°17.874’N, 53°09.018’W: 1.III.2006, D. Herbin, M.Laguerre leg., BC-Her2763 (CDH). 1 ♂, Piste Belizon, PK7, 4°19’28.24’’, 52°20’7.64’’W, 67 m: 10.X.2015, D. Herbin and M. Laguerre leg. (CDH). 3 ♂, Piste de Nancibo, Km 30: 11.IX.1990, F. Bénéluz leg. BMNH(E) 2008-107, NHMUK010587988, 010587991 (NHMUK). 5 ♂, Moy- en Oyapock, Camopi, 100 m: 21.II.1990, 25.II.1990, 27.II.1990 (4 ♂), 15.II.1991 (1 ♂) BMNH(E) 2008-107, NHMUK010587987, 010588079, 010587993, 010587985, 010587995 (NHMUK). 1 ♂, Route Nationale 2, km 44: 6.IX.1991, F. Bénéluz, BMNH(E) 2008-107, NHMUK010587963 (NHMUK). 1 ♂, St Jean du Maroni: E. Le Moult [leg.], Rothschild Bequest BM 1939-1, NHMUK010890548 (NHMUK). 1 ♂, Roura, Coralie, Aub. Orpailleurs, 6 m: 28.VII.2014, J.B. Heppner leg. (MGCL). 1 ♂, Piste de Kaw Km32, 3–5.III.2006, D. Herbin, M.Laguerre leg., BC-Her2760 (CDH) 1 ♂, Piste de Kaw Km36, 24.III.1996, M. Laguerre leg. (CDH). 1 ♂, Kaw, Camp Amazone, Kaw Mtn., 307 m: 1–5.III.2016, J.B. Heppner leg. (MGCL). 1 ♂, vic. of Amazone Nature Lodge, 30 km SE Roura on Kaw Rd., 300 m: 4–15.I.2016, J. Eger, R. Morris, J. Wappes leg. (MGCL). 1 ♂, Nouveau Chantier: Collection Le Moult, Dognin Collection, USNM-Mimal: 1293 (USNM). 1 ♂, Kaw, Patawa Camp, Kaw Mtn., 190 m: 16– 20.I.2013, J.B. Heppner leg. (MGCL). 1 ♂, Cayenne Dept, Roura, 40 km E. R. de Patawa: 4.VIII.1999, at MV light, W.H. Russell leg., 8457, UF FLMNH MGCL 1032604, St Laurent dissection: 11-30-18:1 (MGCL). 1 ♂, Kaw Mtns, 60 mi S Cayenne – Relais de Patawa hotel, 950 ft: 10–13.X.1999, Jeffrey Smith leg. (BME). 1 ♂, 36 km SE Roura, Camp Patawa: 29–30.XI.2008, Lukasz Przybylowicz leg. (ISEZ). BRAZIL: Amazonas: 1 ♂, Manaus: IX.1906, M. de Mathan leg., Rothschild Bequest BM 1939-1, NHMUK010890553 (NHMUK). 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Reserva Ducke, km 26, Manaus-Itacoatiara Highway: E.G., I. & E.A. Munroe (2 ♂, CUIC); 14.IV.1972, St Laurent dissection: 12-4-18:1 (1 ♀), 17.V.1972 (1 ♂), 18.V.1972 (1 ♂) (2 ♂, 1 ♀ CNC). Pará: 1 ♂, “Upper Amazon:” A.M. Moss [leg.], Rothschild Bequest BM 1939-1, NHMUK010890552 (NHMUK). 3 ♂, no additional locality data:A.M. Moss [leg.], Rothschild Bequest BM 1939-1, NHMUK010890549–010890551 (NHMUK). Maranhão: 2 ♂, Feira Nova do Maranhão, Re- tiro, 07°00’31’’S, 46°26’41’’W, 480 m: 16–17.II.2013, C. Mielke leg. (1 ♂, CGCM); 20–27.I.2012, H. Thöny leg. (1 ♂, MWM). Rondônia: 1 ♂, Caucaulandia: 1–5.IX.1997, Furtado & Moser leg. (CLAM). PERU: 1 ♂, Yahuas Terr. [Yaguas territory, specific location in NE Peru unknown]: Joicey Coll. Brit. Mus. 1925-157, NHMUK010890554 (NHMUK). Madre de Dios: 1 ♂, 55 km 254° [WSW] from Puerto Maldonado, 12°44.5’S, 69°38.8’W, 280 m: 5.XII.2010, Viktor & Svetlana Sinjaev(a) leg., coll. Dr. Ronald Brechlin (MWM). 1 ♂, Salvacion, Rio Alto, Manu Park, 400 m: X–XI.1998, via R. Marx, ex. coll. Schintlmeister (MWM). 2 ♂, Salvacion, Rio Alto de Madre de Dios, Manu – Park, ca. 500 m: XII.1996, local people leg., UF FLMNH MGCL 1032581, 1032640, St Laurent dissection: 12-4-18:3 (MGCL). Huánuco: 1 ♂, Yuyapichis, ACP Panguana, 9°36’S, 74°56’W, 220 m: VIII.2013, H. Thöny leg. (MWM). Junín: 1 ♂, Satipo, District Pampa Hermosa, Santa Ana, Membrillo, 11°22’01.38”S, 74°44’48.60”W, 1053 m: 15.X.2017, D. Herbin leg. (CDH). BOLIVIA: Beni: 2 ♂, 1km [before] Yucumo, 15°10’19”S 67°02’00”W, 275 m: 18.VII.1994 [BC-Her2764], 19.VII.1994 [BC-Her2758], D.Herbin, J.Haxaire leg. (CDH). Santa Cruz: 1 ♂, Ñuflo de Chavez, [La] Esperanza, 1926–1929, B.M. 1934-167, genitalia prep. NHMUK010402323 (NHMUK). La Paz: 1 ♂, Río Songo [ recte Río Zongo], 750 m: Fassl leg., genitalia prep. NHRS-TOBI 000001955 (NHRS).

Literature records: ECUADOR: Orellana: 1 ♂, Yasuní, 350 m: 22.II.1999, G. Onore [leg.] (Piñas 1998).

Diagnosis. Unlike all Roelofa (except see R. maera below), R. narga bears distinct black spots at vein intersections in the lighter submarginal area along the outer margin of the postmedial line. The discal region of R. narga (and R. maera ) does not have a singular discal spot as in the other Roelofa species, but instead this region of the wing is covered in a pale-yellow mosaic splotch that variously fills the interveinal regions of the discal cell between CuA 1 and CuA 2 proximal to the discal cell. These yellow splotches surround a white comma-shaped discal mark outlined by darker scales. Male genitalia are recognized by the well-sclerotized, apically spined baseo-mesal valvae lobes. These lobes are not unlike those of R. maricia and R. elyanae , but in those species the lobes are broader than in R. narga . Furthermore, R. narga and R. maera are the only Roelofa species with basally widened gnathos arms. Female genitalia are unlike those of other Roelofa species in the presence of a well-defined sclerotized region (ostium bursae) below the lamella antevaginalis. The setae filled pouch observed in R. elyanae is absent, but apparent male-derived setae are present in a different pouch which circumscribes the ventrum of the intersegmental region between segments VIII and IX.

Description. Male. Head: Coloration reddish salmon-brown, structure as for genus; antenna coloration as for genus, about basal half of antenna bipectinate, pectinations becoming longer then dramatically shortening near halfway point along antenna, after which antenna finely serrate appearing nearly filiform. Thorax: Coloration deep reddish salmon brown with purplish pink undertone. Legs: Coloration as for thorax though tibia and tarsus lighter. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 12–15 mm, avg.: 12.8 mm, n = 15, wingspan: 24–29 mm. Triangular, outer margin smooth and concave below apex, becoming more convex mesally; apex falcate. Antemedial and medial ground color deep salmon pink, appearing purple-brown in life, overall lightly speckled with dark brown petiolate scales; postmedially very light khaki, particularly contrasting against darker remainder of wing, veins interrupted by small black spots submarginally along outer margin of postmedial line. Costal coloration only slightly darker than remainder of wing. Antemedial line essentially absent, dark brown postmedial line well-defined, widest along anal margin, becoming finer as it approaches apex, line preapical, angled toward costa at Rs 3, although this angle largely unapparent due to suffusion with dark streak of shading spanning from costa to Rs 3, reaching apex. Discal mark comma shaped, centrally off-white but outlined with dark brown. Interveinular region of discal cell suffused with pale yellow, yellow suffusion also present proximal to anal margin of discal cell between CuA 1 and CuA 3. Forewing ventrum: Essentially identical to forewing dorsum, although coloration appearing more washed out, submarginal black spots at vein intersections much reduced, almost absent in some specimens. Hindwing dorsum: Following similar patterning to forewing dorsum, discal spot and discal yellow patch absent. Hindwing ventrum: Following same pattern as forewing ventrum. Abdomen: Extending beyond anal hindwing margin, coloration as for thorax. Vestiture thick, compact, distal tip of abdomen with pair of elongated, dark-brown tipped scale tufts that heavily contrast against remainder of abdomen. Genitalia: ( Figs 14, 15 ) n = 5. Vinculum ovoid. Diaphragm with four sets of organized setae, one pair of setal bunches denser, longer, originate from farther back in body cavity, left and right pairs crisscross each other mesally, longer set of setae are more permanent, originate from just below more heavily sclerotized region of valvae, below phallus exists a dense clump of deciduous setae. Uncus simple, triangular, apically narrowed but blunt. Gnathos robust, proximally rectangular, with broad, dual mesal extensions that are fused together basally, mesal extensions broadest basally, narrowing for much of length, but becoming broadened, flattened, truncated at termini, length of distal arms longer than that of proximal portion of gnathos, but not longer than mid-uncus length. Valvae narrowed distally, rounded apically, mostly simple except for inner mesal base, which is extended, well-sclerotized, and modified as upturned apically spined lobe-like protrusion which curve back over valvae, basal portion of these protrusions covered in setae, protrusions more heavily sclerotized than valvae; base of valvae notched on inner margin. Juxta partially fused to ventrum of phallus, dorsally juxta with small upwardly curved sclerotized process, additional pair of thin membranous processes (each about half length of phallus) attach to diaphragm and do not attach well to phallus (thus not excised with phallus in genitalia preparations as in other Roelofa species). Phallus simple, pistol-shaped with curving coecum angled perpendicularly below phallus, phallus distally with variable number of spines on left side (when viewed from dorsal aspect) (spines occasionally absent, apparently due to their being deciduous). Dorsal base of phallus with minute sclerotization attachment point. Vesica tubular, becoming narrowed distally. Female. Head: As for male but antenna finely serrate, appearing almost entirely filiform; labial palpus slightly thinner overall, but still not extending beyond frons. Thorax: As for male. Legs: As for male. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 15–17 mm, avg: 16 mm, n = 2, wingspan: 31.0–34.5 mm. As for male, but broader overall, apex less falcate. Forewing ventrum: Similar to forewing dorsum, but coloration paler overall. Hindwing dorsum: Following similar patterning to forewing dorsum, but discal spot absent. Hindwing ventrum: Following same pattern as forewing ventrum. Abdomen: As for male but more robust overall, distal tip of abdomen lacking paired elongated scale tufts, but distal tip of abdomen with singular darker scaled tuft. Genitalia: ( Fig. 20 ) n = 1. Segment VIII weakly distended such that smoothly sclerotized, slightly posteriorly projected dorsal tergite situated immediately above papillae anales with laterally extending region that flank either side of papillae anales, lateral components irregularly edged, lined with fewer than 10 elongate setae on either side, ventrally segment VIII extends anteriorly perpendicular to papillae anales (appearing to extend “downward” when viewing genitalia from ventral aspect) by narrow sclerotization which becomes thicker and more heavily sclerotized (lamella postvaginalis), lamella antevaginalis a simple arching band of sclerotization spanning lamella postvaginalis immediately parallel to and slightly wider than it. Ostium bursae as small sclerotized region, posterior to sclerotized region of ostium, occupying membranous intersegmental region between VIII and IX is a narrow pouch that nearly encircles the genitalia, pouch filled with tangled mess of setae, apparently derived from male. Posteriorly to tangled setae two pairs of organized, horse-tail crisscrossing elongate setae bunches present which curve inward mesally crossing over below papillae anales. Apophyses anteriores vestigial or apparently absent, apophyses posteriores weakly sclerotized, not extending to lower portion of VIII, termini of apophyses anteriores less well-sclerotized and irregular. Ductus bursae thin tube leading to simple bag-like corpus bursae (not well-preserved in single available dissection). Papillae anales somewhat irregularly shaped, projected outward.

Distribution. ( Fig. 22 ) Roelofa narga is a widespread species in northern South America, found throughout the Amazon rainforest at low elevations, and at or below 500 m along the eastern slopes of the Andes. Records exist from Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Records from the northern Cerrado (Maranhão) apparently belong to this species (see remarks).

Remarks. Despite being such a widespread species, R. narga has little geographic variation in external or genital morphology. Records from the periphery, outside the more typical Amazonian rainforest, namely Maranhão, Brazil and Santa Cruz, Bolivia show some minor differences from Amazonian populations, particularly so in the single examined specimen from Santa Cruz. This specimen has narrower, more elongated wings than any other R. narga (or R. maera ) specimens, very pale coloration and oddly tipped baseo-mesal valvae projections. However, valvae and phallic structure are consistent with Amazonian R. narga and thus this unusual specimen is treated here as R. narga and not R. maera , nor a new species. Additional material from this locality and nearby, however, would certainly be of interest. Little phylogenetic structure was found in 12 COI barcodes from across the distribution of this species (see Fig. 1 ).

Schaus (1905) described this species from an unstated number of specimens, but explicitly referred to a “type” which we located in the USNM with a corresponding catalogue number. Therefore, we consider this the holotype. Schaus did not mention the sex, but the holotype is female. The male was later described and figured in Schaus (1928), though this description was based on R. maera as well. Here we present the genitalia of both sexes and figures of the adult female for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maximum likelihood (ML) tree of Roelofa inferred with IQ-TREE which was based on the mitochondrial COI “barcoding” gene, rooted to Zaphanta fraterna Schaus (Zaphantinae, sister lineage to all other Mimallonidae). Black circles indicate SH-aLRT ≥ 80 and UFBoot ≥ 95. The scale bar represents expected number of nucleotide substitutions per site. See Supplementary File 1 for all nodal support values.

FIGURE 22. Map of collecting localities for Roelofa elyanae, R. narga, and R. maera examined in this work.

FIGURES 2–12. Roelofa specimens, a = dorsal, b = ventral. 2. R. elyanae holotype male, Brazil, Maranhão, Feira Nova do Maranhão, Retiro, 480 m (DZUP). 3. R. elyanae paratype male, locality as for Fig. 2 (CGCM). 4. R. narga male, Bolivia, Ñuflo de Chávez, Esperanza, photo courtesy A. Giusti (NHMUK). 5. R. elyanae female, locality as for Fig. 2. (CGCM). 6. R. narga male, French Guiana, Piste Belizon, PK 7, 67 m [image edited in Photoshop] (CDH). 7. R. narga female, French Guiana [photo R. Lahousse] (MNHN). 8. R. narga holotype female, Suriname, Maroni River (USNM). 9. R. maera lectotype male, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Joinville (USNM). 10. R. maera male, Brazil, Santa Catarina (MNHU). 11. R. maera male, Brazil, Espírito Santo, Santa Leopoldina, Boqueirão, ca. 600 m, photo courtesy N. Ignatev (MWM). 12. R. maera female, Brazil, Espírito Santo, Santa Leopoldina, Biriricas, ca. 700 m, photo courtesy N. Ignatev (MWM). Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 13–18. Roelofa male genitalia, a = ventral, b = lateral, c = phallus [note dorsal juxtal projections only attached to phallus in Fig. 13]. 13. R. elyanae, Brazil, Distrito Federal, Estação Florestal, Cabeça do Veado, 1100 m, St Laurent dissection: 5-7-18:5 (CNC). 14. R. narga, French Guiana, Cayenne, Roura, 40 km E. R. de Patawa, St Laurent dissection: 11-30-18:1 (MGCL). 15. R. narga, Bolivia, La Paz, Río Zongo, 750 m, genitalia prep. NHRS-TOBI 000001955 (NHRS). 16. R. maera, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Barreira, Teresópolis, 400 m, St Laurent dissection: 11-30-18:2 (USNM). 17. R. maera, Brazil, Espírito Santo, Santa Leopoldina, Boqueirão, ca. 600 m, MWM genitalia prep. 35.542, photo courtesy N. Ignatev (MWM). 18. R. maera, Brazil, Espírito Santo, Santa Leopoldina, Biriricas, 700 m, MWM genitalia prep. 35.543, photo courtesy N. Ignatev (MWM). Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 19–21. Roelofa female genitalia, ventral view. 19. R. elyanae, Brazil, Distrito Federal, Estação Florestal, Cabeça do Veado, 1100 m, St Laurent dissection: LEP61991 (CNC). 20. R. narga, Brazil, Amazonas, Reserva Ducke, km 26, Manaus-Itacoatiara Highway, St Laurent dissection: 12-4-18:1 (CNC). 21. R. maera, Brazil, Espírito Santo, Santa Leopoldina, Biriricas, ca. 700 m, MWM genitalia prep. 35.541 [note slide mounted, flattened, photo courtesy N. Ignatev] (MWM). Scale bar = 1 mm.