Johnsonita subcunicula Bálint, Cerdeña & Pyrcz, 2021

Bálint, Zsolt, Boyer, Pierre, Cerdeña, José, Larico, Jackie Farfán, Brudecka, Jadwiga Lorenc-, Prieto, Carlos & Pyrcz, Tomasz W., 2021, Contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical Lycaenidae: taxonomy of Johnsonita Salazar & Constantino, 1995 with descriptions of seven new species (Theclinae Eumaeini), Zootaxa 4963 (1), pp. 11-57 : 32-33

Johnsonita subcunicula Bálint, Cerdeña & Pyrcz , sp. n.

( Figs 13 , 19A–B , 24E–F , 31 )

Type material. Holotype male in almost perfect condition (half of left antenna missing), set dorsally, with data: PERU, Depto. Huánuco, Carpish, San Pedro de Carpish , 2400–2450 m, 20.VI.2019, J. Cerdeña Guitérrez & T. Pyrcz leg. (currently in the collection of Cerdeña (Arequipa, Peru), will be deposited in MUSM) . Paratype males with holotype data (n=2) deposited in CEP – MZUJ (dissected: prep. gen. no. 1755/ K. Florczyk) and collection Cerdeña (Arequipa, Peru) .

Description. Male. Wings. FW costa length: 14 mm (holotype); male dorsal wing surface bright blue with black border slightly widening towards apex; HW dorsal surface postbasal and medial area with a large androconial patch along costa; ventral wings surface medial pattern composed of irregular dashes, dark basally and gleaming marginally, HW costa unusually highly bent covering the FW scent patch. Genitalia. Male valva with high but rounded costal margin flip, valval terminus long and stout, uncus strong, falces relatively thin and from below supported by a membranous diaphragma, capsule thin and narrow with a relatively large saccus in dorso/ventral aspect, aedeagus apex upturned in dorsal view. Androconia present in ventral FW as a wide black spot below the cubital vein in postbasal and medial area. Female not known.

Diagnosis. The species is easily distinguished from other congeners on the basis of the distinctive male dorsal colouration and the androconia, which is associated with an unusually highly bent HW costa. The blue of J. ianusca is similar, but somewhat darker and the dorsal HW scent patch unique in the genus distinguishes immediately the two species.

Distribution. Geographical: PERU (Huánuco) ( Fig. 31 ); spatial: 2400–2500 ma.s.l; temporal: June.

Etymology. The species is named after the collecting site of the type specimens. The Latin word “subcunicula” means “under the tunnel”, since the specimens were collected only a couple of hundred metres away from the Carpish tunnel. The species name “subcunicula” is treated as a female noun in apposition.

Note. The known specimens were collected while tree topping, there were interactions observed between the males of this species and other Lycaenidae ( Atlides Hübner, 1819 ; Brangas Hübner, 1819 and Theritas Hübner, 1818 ) found in the same spot. This is a species with unique characters in the genus suggesting a peculiar position in classification and phylogeny. The male HW shape with the highly bent costa is unique in the genus, but a widely distributed trait in the tribe. It is always associated with an extensive scent patch situated in the dorsal wing surface (for example in the genera Annamaria d’Abrera & Bálint 2005; Laothus Johnson, Kruse & Kroenlein, 1997 ;, Lathe- cla Robbins, 2004, Meridaria Bálint, 2014 ; Strephonota Johnson, Austin, Le Crom & Salazar, 1997 and Trichonis Hewitson, 1865 ). The male genitalia with a long membranous apical valval process and upturned aedeagus terminus is also unique in the genus. Another interesting feature is the presence of the membraneous diaphragma. Enough to say that this species presents some unusual characters for Johnsonita and we do not rule out that a phylogenetic study will alter its generic position.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Johnsonita subcunicula Bálint, Cerdeña & Pyrcz, sp. n. male imagines (left column: recto, right column: verso). A–B: holotype (MUSM), C–D: paratype (CEP–MZUJ) (scale bar: 10 mm).

FIGURE 19. Johnsonita genitalia armatures; entire male organs in lateral (left column) and ventral (right column) views.A–B: J. subcunicula, Peru, Huánuco, San Pedro de Carpish; C–D: J. turquisca, Ecuador, Napo, Papallacta, Chalpi Grande; E–F: J. oxalida, Peru, Pasco, Oxapampa; G–H: J. zubkova, Peru, Cuzco, Abra Acjanaco vers Pillcopata (CEP–MZUJ specimens) (scale as indicated).

FIGURE 24. Johnsonita mail traits in dorsal hindwing (left column) and ventral forewing subcubital patches (right column) indicated by arrow. A–B: J. oxalida, C–D: J. johnbanksi, E–F: J. subcunicula, G: J. auda.

FIGURE 31. Johnsonita distributions based on museum material examinded. J. auda = red circle, J. iacinta = blue diamond, J. subcunicula = green square, J. turquisca = yellow trinagle, J. zubkova = brown trinagle.