Cithaerias pyropina (Salvin & Godman)

Penz, Carla M., 2021, Revised species definitions and nomenclature of the blue and purple / rose Cithaerias butterflies (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), Zootaxa 4963 (2), pp. 293-316 : 306-308

Cithaerias pyropina (Salvin & Godman)

( Figs 5a–i , 8a–b , 9e–f , 10 )

Callitaera pyrpina Salvin & Godman, 1868 ; On some new species of diurnal Lepidoptera from South America. Annals and Magazine of natural History (4)2(8): 141–152.

Type locality of the nominal subspecies: Peru .

Type material: The male lectotype of C. pyropina pyropina from the Godman-Salvin Collection is deposited in The Natural History Museum, UK. The male holotype of C. pyropina julia is deposited in Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Ecuador (formerly Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales).

Distribution. Southern Ecuador to southern Peru. See map ( Fig. 10 ) for localities of examined specimens.

Diagnosis. This species is defined based on the following combination of characters (numbered in Fig. 5a–i ): (1) male HW submarginal and marginal bands separated and thin; (2) male HW postmedial band proximal to the ocellus below M 1 thin, complete or fragmented; (3) male HW postmedial band broad and widely separated from the submarginal bands; (4) male HW scale cover deep violet to blue, glossy, dense and limited to the tornus, covering the postmedial band and enclosing medium-small to large spots colored pale purplish pink or moderate purplish pink (nominal subspecies), to white or extremely pale pink (subspecies julia ), which are flanked by elongate marginal spots of the same color; (5) female similar to male but with wider HW brown bands, a continuous postmedial band including the portion outlining the ocellus below M 1, less dense deep violet scaling at tornus enclosing larger pink spots than those of males of the same locality. Male genitalia ( Fig. 8a–b ): in lateral view, uncus slightly curved; in dorsal view, the uncus and tegument form a dome-shaped outline and enclose a large fenestra. In lateral view, valva notably tall and short; in ventral view, valva broad and with a rounded indentation near the apex (smaller and better defined than in songoana ), inner base of valva notably sclerotized and extended towards the sub-anal plate. In ventral view, saccus narrow anteriorly. Phallus straight, shorter than the genitalic capsule; vesica adorned with minute spines that extend slightly onto the shaft; phallobase wide, triangular. Sub-anal plate triangular or rectangular (varying between subspecies), adjacent area well sclerotized, seemingly fused to inner base of the valvae, and bearing large microtrichia. Female genitalia ( Fig. 9e–f ): sterigma forming a broad and deep concave “cup” that is somewhat U-shaped, ostium bursae wide ( pyropina ) or narrow ( julia ). Post-sterigmal area moderately sclerotized, rounded, and bearing microtrichia. Antrum short and highly ( pyropina ) to moderately sclerotized ( julia ); ductus bursae short. Corpus bursae lacks signa.

Variation in wing pattern ( Fig. 5a–i ). The size of the dorsal HW pink spots varies between sexes (females have larger spots than males) and also subspecies as currently defined, with C. pyropina julia ( Fig. 5h–i ) having the smallest and palest dorsal HW spots within the species. The male C. pyropina pyropina in Fig. 5a is a good match to the worn male lectotype from [Rio] Huallaga, Peru (http://butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ih/n_cithaerias0043_i.htm, last accessed December 2020). Three phenotypes can be identified within the range of C. pyropina in Peru: the “typical” pyropina pyropina ( Fig. 5a ), the phenotype described by Langer (1944) as variety rosacea ( Fig. 5e–f ), and what seems to be a local phenotype from the Chanchamayo area ( Fig. 5c–d ) that has more intense blue iridescence, smaller and paler pink spots than the “typical” pyropina pyropina . While these differences are clear to the naked eye, they do not show well in digital photographs, especially when taken individually. Therefore, in an attempt to show nuances of color, multiple specimens exposed to the same light were photographed next to each other ( Fig. 5g ). Examination of a series from Tingo María (13M and 6F) revealed that some fit the “typical” pyropina pyropina color pattern ( Fig. 5a ), others match the rosacea phenotype ( Fig. 5e–f ), and some were intermediates.

Subspecies. The nominal C. pyropina pyropina and C. pyropina julia , but the wing color variation described above warrants further investigation and might reveal local races perhaps worthy of recognition (i.e., specimens from Chanchamayo).

Remarks. Willmott (2015) noted that the FMNH collection contains a single male C. pyropyna pyropina labeled ‘Mera’ ( Ecuador, Pastaza; elevation ~ 1,000 m), which fits the color pattern of the nominal subspecies. He called the label data into question, noting that there were no records of C. pyropina for Northern Peru (G. Lamas pers. comm.) or for Ecuador until the discovery and description of C. julia (as C. pyropina julia ). Nonetheless, Brown (1942) reported a C. pyropina specimen from Ecuador, Macas (elevation ~ 1,000 m; Fig. 5i ) deposited at the Reading Public Museum collection ( US, Pennsylvania), which is the female examined here. Assuming that the label data is correct, this is the only female specimen available for subspecies julia , and it differs from the male type series in having larger spots on the HW tornus, which are faintly pink instead of white as in the males. This is not particularly surprising inasmuch as females tend to have more conserved wing color patterns than males within Cithaerias (e.g., larger spots and wider brown bands on the HW membrane). Dissection of the female genitalia showed some level of divergence between C. pyropina pyropina and the putative C. pyropina julia female, which warrants further investigation when additional specimens become available. Finally, photographs of the female holotype of C. pyropina roquensis (http://butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ih/n_cithaerias0049_i.htm, last accessed December 2020) match the original description of C. pyropina var. rosacea by Langer (1944), and also photographs of the female lectotype of this variety (http://butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ih/n_cithaerias0045_i.htm, last accessed December 2020).

Material examined: C. pyropina pyropina . MALE: 1M, Peru, Junín, Satipo , Sep 1987 ( FMNH) ; 2M, Peru, Junín, Apr 1988 ( FMNH) ; 3M, Peru, Tingo María, Leoncio Prado , 23 Jun 1982, two from 24 Jun 1982 ( FMNH) ; 1♂, Peru, Tingo María, Rio Huallaga , May 1985, 13-21 Dissected by CM Penz ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Tingo María, Rio Huallaga , May 1985 ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Tingo María, Rio Huallaga , Jan 1979 ( FMNH) ; 6M, Peru, Tingo María , Apr 1973 ( FMNH) ; 1♂, Peru, Tingo María , 1974, 19-17 Dissected by CM Penz ( USNM) ; 1M, Peru, upper Huallaga valley, Dec 1989 ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Caudalosa , Ayacucho, 1300 m, 16 Jun 1941 ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Junín, Chanchamayo, La Merced ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Madre de Dios, Cerro Pantiacola, Shintuya , 960–1030 m, 24 Jul 1980 ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Cuzco, Kosipata, Pilcopata , 1100 m, 12 Nov 1989 ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Perené ( FMNH) ; 1♂, Peru, 19-19 Dissected by CM Penz ( FMNH) ; 1M, Peru, Chanchamayo ( USNM) ; 1M, Peru, Junín, Satipo , Dec 1983 ( USNM) ; 1M, Ecuador, Mera , 15 Dec 1926 ( FMNH, possibly mislabeled) . FEMALE: 1F, Peru, Junín, Satipo , Sep 1987 ( FMNH) ; 2F, Peru, Junín, Sep 1986, Apr 1988 ( FMNH) ; 1F, Peru, Huanuco, Tingo María, Spring 1991 ( FMNH) ; 1♀ Peru, Tingo María , Apr 1973, 13-31 Dissected by CM Penz ( FMNH) ; 3F, Peru, Tingo María , all Apr 1973 ( FMNH) ; 1F, Peru, Huanuco, Tingo María , Leoncio Prado, 24 Jun 1982 ; 1F, Peru, Ayacucho, Caudalosa , 1300 m, 6 Jun 1941 ( FMNH) ; 2F, Peru, Ayacucho, Caudalosa , 1300 m, 7 Jun 1941 ( FMNH) ; 1♀, Peru, Chanchamayo , 19- 18 Dissected by CM Penz ( USNM) ; 1F, Peru, vicinity of San Pedro, 900 m, 15–19 May 1935 ( FMNH) . C. pyropina julia . MALE: 1♂, Ecuador, Morona-Santiago, Yakunk-Cutucu Trail, Lower ridge 1340–1400 m, 5 Dec 2003, K. Willmott PARATYPE, 19-12 Dissected by CM Penz ( FMNH, reference number 19-02) . FEMALE: 1♀, Ecuador, El Oriente, Macas , Jan 1926, 19-16 Dissected by CM Penz ( RPM) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. a–d, C. pyropina pyropina; e–f, C. pyropina pyropina, “rosacea” phenotype; g, comparison among phenotypes (top row: male, Peru, Satipo; female, Chanchamayo; bottom row: male and female from Tingo María); h–i, C. pyropina julia; j–k, C. songoana; dorsal view on the left, ventral on the right. Collecting localities and genitalia dissection codes appear below each specimen. Collection labels of the C. songoana female indicate that it was examined and photographed by G. Langer. Rodolphe Rougerie provided the photograph of one of the C. songoana female (k), and granted permission for its use here.

FIGURE 8. Male genitalia in lateral and ventral views, tegumen and uncus in dorsal view, phallus in lateral view, and subscaphium in ventral view. Valva setae shown on one side only. Given that the two parts of the subscaphium (subanal plate and adjacent area containing microtrichia) rest on the diaphragma, the variation in the shape of the subanal plate might include slight preparation artifacts. Scale bar 1 mm for all images. a, C. pyropina pyropina (Peru, Tingo María) dissection CMP 13-21; b, C. pyropina julia (Ecuador, Morona-Santiago, Yakunk-Cutucu Trail) dissection CMP 19-12; c, C. azurina (Bolivia, Chaparé) dissection CMP 14-05.

FIGURE 9. Female genitalia in ventral view, including schematic representation of papilla anales and abdomen outline (scale patches, general scaling, and setae excluded). Scale bar 1 mm for all images. a, C. andromeda (British Guiana, Potaro River) dissection CMP 13–32; b, C. esmeralda (Brazil, Pará) dissection CMP 19-04; c, C. bandusia (Brazil, Pará, Santarém) dissection CMP 14-11; d, C. azurina ([Brazil, Amazonas] Rio Papori (sic)) dissection CMP 19-15; e, C. pyropina pyropina (Peru, Tingo María) dissection CMP 13-31; f, C. pyropina julia (Ecuador, Macas) dissection CMP 19-16; g, C. songoana (Bolivia, Rio Songo (sic)) dissection CMP 20-17. The arrow in e shows a separate drawing of the sclerotized post-sterigmal plate (folded behind the sterigma in the prepared specimen, and also in f and g). This structure is present in all species examined, and all have microtrichia, which vary in size between species.

FIGURE 10. Map showing the collecting localities of examined specimens (excluding dubious localities). Circles marked with a white dot represent specimens examined from photographs.