Yagra dalmannii ( Gray, 1838 )

Moraes, Simeão S., Duarte, Marcelo & Miller, Jacqueline Y., 2011, Revision of the Neotropical genus Yagra Oiticica (Lepidoptera: Castniidae), Journal of Natural History 45 (25 - 26), pp. 1511-1531 : 1515-1521

Yagra dalmannii ( Gray, 1838)

( Figures 1A–D , 2A, B , 3 , 4 , 7A )

Castnia dalmannii Gray, 1838: 145 , lectotype ♂, BRAZIL, (BMNH), designated by Butler (1877) [male photograph examined]; Walker 1854: 26 (checklist); Westwood, 1877: 171, pl. 30, fig. 5 (taxonomy); Butler, 1877: 5, pl. 2, fig. 3 (taxonomy); Kirby, 1892: 3 (checklist); Rothschild, 1919: 11 (taxonomy).

Castnia grayi Boisduval, [1875] : 498 (taxonomy), syntype ♂, BRAZIL, “ex museo Dr Boisduval”, (MNHN) [photograph examined]; Westwood, 1877: 171 (synonym); Kirby, 1892: 3 (citation); Strand, 1913: 8 (citation); Dalla Torre, 1913: 15 (citation); Lamas, 1995: 77 (citation) Miller, 1995: 134 (citation).

Castnia amazona [nom. nud.] Buchecker, [1880]: pl. 4 (taxonomy).

Graya dalmannii ; Houlbert, 1918: 284, figs 92, 98, 99 (taxonomy).

Castnia dalmani [sic]; Dalla Torre, 1913: 6 (checklist).

Castnia dalmanni [sic]; Strand, 1913: 8 (taxonomy).

Yagra dalmannii ; Oiticica, 1955: 158 (taxonomy); Miller, 1995: 134 (checklist); Lamas, 1995: 77 (checklist); Moraes et al., 2010: 23 (citation).

History

Gray (1838) described Castnia dalmannii based on a specimen deposited in the collection of Mr Children (BMNH), type locality Brazil.

Boisduval (1875) described Castnia grayi based on an unknown number of specimens collected by Becker. However, only a single male from this collection has been located thus far. This species was named in honour of George Robert Gray.

Butler (1877) designated a lectotype for Castnia dalmannii , by explicitly selecting the specimen illustrated.

Buchecker (1880: pl. 4) illustrated a figure of Castnia dalmannii Gray, 1838 with the caption of Castnia amazona Buchecker, [1880] – a nomen nudum as stated by Lamas (1995). In plate 7 of the same work, Buchecker added a figure of Lapaeumides zerynthia ( Gray, 1838) with the same caption as on plate 4.

Houlbert (1918) placed Castnia dalmannii in Graya (nec Buchecker, [1880]).

Oiticica (1955) resolved the homonyms and misapplication of names related to Graya Buchecker, [1880] , and proposed the name Yagra as a replacement name of Graya, Houlbert 1918 .

Diagnosis

Fore wing with a white oblique postmedian band. Hind wing white in discal cell. Upper margin of valva moderately convex beyond the region of the costa, projection in the inner surface, wider than long.

Redescription (male and female)

Head, antenna dark brown; vertex with ferruginous iridescent scales. Labial palpi with basal segment and dorsal surface of remaining segments yellowish; ventral surface of median and distal segments beige.

Thoracic segments: dorsal brown, ventral ferruginous, including legs. Fore wing subtriangular, outer margin rectilinear. Average wing length 50 mm in males and 61 mm in females. Dorsal surface dark ferruginous brown; postmedian band white, extending from costal margin to inner margin with two oval spots on the white band, between R 3 and R 4 and R 4 and R 5; white spot across end discal cell, between M 1 and M 2, more obvious in females. Ventral surface beige on apex and paler brown along outer margin, the remaining regions ferruginous; three oval spots along submarginal region, between M 3 and CuA 1, CuA 2 and CuP, and CuP and 2A, the two former also visible on the dorsal surface of females. Dorsal hind wing reddish orange on costal and outer margins, discal cell area white with bluish grey scales along posterior margin from M 3 -CuA 1 to inner margin; piliform grey scales on hind wing base; submarginal band comprising blackish brown spots well-marked in males from Sc + R 1 and Rs to CuA 2 and in females from Sc + R 1 and Rs to 2A; veins Rs to CuA 2 delineated in black beyond submarginal band. Ventral surface similar to dorsal surface, but beige on outer margin and white on discal cell area; diffuse ferruginous angular marking extending from the mid-costa to the discal cell.

Wing venation ( Figures 2A, B ): typical of the genus.

Abdominal segments whitish with tergites A1–A3 brown; ventral surface of all segments yellowish, darker end segments with ferruginous hair tuft at the end of the abdomen.

Male genitalia ( Figure 3 ): tegumen rectangular, anterior half wider than the posterior one. Uncus with three lobes, lateral lobes wider than medial one. Gnathos excavate posteriorly, dorsal and ventral arms sclerotized and fused anteriorly. Valva aquiline;

C D

inner surface with tooth-like projection serrated, wider than long; upper margin moderately convex beyond the costa; inferior margin excavate. Vinculum rectangular. Subscaphium moderately sclerotized. Sacculus weakly developed, consisting of a fold on the inner surface of the valva, oriented anteriorly. Saccus developed, with anterior projections rounded apically and curved. Juxta apparently absent. Penis recurved and contorted; spines located in a sclerotized plate at the distal region; vesica lacking cornuti. Coecum developed, longer than the maximum diameter of the ejaculatory bulb foramen, usually entirely ornamented with ridges.

Female genitalia ( Figure 4 ): eighth tergum with anterior margin concave; central band weakly sclerotized, extending beyond the middle portion, but never reaching the posterior margin, posterior half subtriangular, slightly rounded, with lateral margins sinuous. Lamella antevaginalis weakly sclerotized. Lamella postvaginalis absent. Anterior and posterior apophyses well-developed, the former two-fifths the length of the latter. Papillae anales sclerotized and setose. Antrum sclerotized, longer than wide. Ductus bursae with a distinct region spirally twisted near corpus bursae. Corpus bursae with signa symmetrical, nearly circular. Bulla seminalis longer than wide, setose internally.

Etology / ecology

Barely known. There are some records of individuals flying 10 to 15 m above ground between 10 a.m. and 3 p. m. in Alto da Boa Vista , state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (O. Mielke pers. comm.) .

Distribution ( Figure 7A )

Restricted to the state of Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil.

Etymology

The specific epithet is attributed to the Swedish doctor and naturalist Johan Wilhelm Dalman, who was recognized for his studies in botany and entomology.

Comments

The females of Y. dalmannii are very similar to the females of Hista hegemon (Kollar, 1839) , but they may be readily distinguished by a postmedian band on the fore wing of Y. dalmannii and by genitalic characters. This species is rare in collections, possibly due to its association with very specific microhabitats that have not been systematically surveyed thus far (O. Mielke pers. comm.).

Material examined

BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Cachoeiras de Macacu, Boca do Mato , Serra dos Órgãos, February 1935, one male ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca , estrada das Paineiras, January 1919, three males ( MNRJ) ; idem, 29 January 1936, one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, January 1917, 3 males ( MNRJ) ; idem, November 1924, one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, January 1926, one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, January 1927, three males ( MNRJ) ; idem, 31 [no month] 1932, one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, [no date], one female ( MNRJ) ; idem, 8 January 1946, two males ( MNRJ) ; idem, [no date], one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, 18 February 1957, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, [no date], four males ( MNRJ) , three males ( MZSP) ; idem, 500m, 5 February 1958, two males ( DZUP) ; Floresta da Tijuca , estrada Sumaré, January 1918, one female ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca , Mirante Silvestre, [no date], one male ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Gávea, [no date], one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, [no date], one male ( MGCL) ; Rio de Janeiro, [no date], one female, one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, January 1939, one male ( DZUP) ; idem, [no date], one male ( DZUP) ; idem, [no date], one female ( BMNH) ; [no locality, no date], two females, one male ( MNRJ) ; idem, no date, one male ( USNM) .

Figures

Figure 1. Adults of Yagra Oiticica. (A), (B) Male of Yagra dalmannii (Gray), without locality (USNM), dorsal and ventral views, respectively; (C), (D) female of Yagra dalmannii (Gray), Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ), dorsal and ventral views, respectively; (E), (F) male of Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), Rio de Janeiro (USNM), dorsal and ventral views, respectively; (G), (H) female of Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), Rio de Janeiro (MZSP), dorsal and ventral views, respectively. Scales 1 cm.

Figure 2. Wing venation. (A), (B) Yagra dalmannii (Gray), without locality (MZSP), fore wing and hind wing respectively; (C), (D) Yagra fonscolombe (Godart), without locality (MZSP), fore wing and hind wing respectively. Scales 1 cm.

Figure 3. Male genitalia of Yagra dalmannii (Gray), Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro (MZSP). (A) Penis, lateral view; (B) genital capsule, lateral view; (C) genital capsule without valva, lateral view; (D) tegumen and uncus, dorsal view; (E) valva, internal view; (F) genital capsule, posterior view; (G) saccus, ventral view. Scales 1 mm.

Figure 4. Female genitalia of Yagra dalmannii (Gray), Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). (A) Dorsal view; (B) ventral view; (C) lateral view. Scales 1 mm.

Figure 7. Distribution of the species included in Yagra Oiticica. (A) Yagra dalmannii (Gray); (B) Yagra fonscolombe (Godart).