Anteros aliceae Dias & Siewert

Siewert, Ricardo Russo, Dias, Fernando Maia Silva, Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik, Casagrande, Mirna Martins & Lamas, Gerardo, 2014, New species and taxonomic notes on Antero s Hübner, [1819] and Ourocnemis Bethune-Baker, 1887 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), Zootaxa 3860 (5), pp. 401-418 : 402-407

Anteros aliceae Dias & Siewert sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 , 17–18 , 23–24, 27 )

Anteros formosus , f. micon [misidentification]; J. F. Zikán, 1928, p.19.

Anteros micon [misidentification]; J. F. Zikán & W. Zikán, 1968, p.53.

Anteros formosus [misidentification]; C. Mielke, [1995], p.767.

Anteros formosus formosus [misidentification]; Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande, 2011, p. 348.

Diagnosis. Anteros aliceae , sp. nov. can only be confused with A. lectabilis Stichel, 1909 in its area of occurrence, but the latter is easily distinguished by the marginal band with maroon and orange scales along the outer margins of the wings under side. Anteros aliceae , sp. nov. resembles most A. formosus (Cramer, 1777) , a species distributed from eastern Colombia to the Amazon basin and Atlantic forest ( Callaghan & Lamas 2004, Rodríguez et al. 2010, Mota et al. 2014). However, there are marked differences in the male genitalia, and subtle but consistent and important differences in the wing pattern that allow the recognition and identification of this species. The female is especially distinct, with an enlarged forewing upper side creamy white spot that occupies the base of cells M3–CuA1 and CuA1–CuA2, while in A. formosus there is only one spot, on M3–CuA1. Both sexes can be distinguished from A. formosus by the absence of an additional silvery-green spot surrounded by a maroon blotch in Sc+R1 on the hind wing under side in A. aliceae , sp. nov.; by the presence in A. formosus of an oblique ellipsoidal dark brown spot in the postdiscal area of CuA2–2A on the forewing under side ( Figs 20–21 ), absent in A. aliceae , sp. nov.; by the dark brown blotch along the inner margin and in the submarginal area of the forewing under side which does not reach CuA 1 in A. formosus , while it always reaches CuA 1 in A. aliceae , sp. nov.; and finally, in A. formosus the postdiscal spots of the hind wing under side in M3–CuA1 and CuA1–CuA2 are proximally displaced, aligned with the three spots between Rs and M3, and very close and frequently connected to the spots between CuA2 and the inner margin, whereas in A. aliceae , sp. nov. the spots in M3–CuA1 and CuA1–CuA2 are distally displaced, not in line with the remaining spots of the postdiscal band and conspicuously separated from the spots between CuA2 and the inner margin.

Description. Head: clypeus creamy white; frons pale yellow with long scales; eyes hairy; antenna about two thirds the length of the forewing; antenna segments dark brown, ventrally with white scales at the base of each segment; club entirely dark brown; labial palpus short and pale yellow, third segment thinner, about the same size of the first and about five times smaller than the second. Female as in male.

Thorax: dorsally mostly dark brown, with some pale yellow scaling in the prothorax; pleura dark brown; ventrally mostly pale yellow, metathorax dark brown; forelegs pale yellow; meso and metathoracic legs basally yellow, tarsi dark brown; all legs densely covered with long scales. Female as in male.

Forewing, size and shape: male 14.9–17.3 mm (HT 16 mm), average length = 16 mm (n=7); female 14.4–16.4 mm (AT 15.1 mm), average length = 15.1 mm (n=6); triangular; costal margin slightly convex, apex slightly pointed; outer margin and tornus rounded; inner margin straight. Female as in male, but outer margin rounder.

Forewing upper side ( Figs 1, 3 ): mostly dark brown, with a rounded creamy white spot at the base of cell CuA1–CuA2. Female with spot at the base of CuA1–CuA2 larger, irregular and extended to CuA2–2A.

Forewing under side ( Figs 2, 4 , 17–18 ): ground color pale yellow, paler below CuA from the base to the post discal area; small basal maroon spot at the beginning of discal cell; discal band mostly maroon, with dark brown scales from costal margin to Sc and beyond CuA and some silvery-green scales between Sc and R; post discal band dark brown from costal margin to R2 and maroon from R2 to CuA1, with seven rounded silvery-green spots: one in R1–R2, two very small spots in R2–R3+4, two in M1–M2 and two in M2–M3; creamy white spot of the forewing seen through transparency at the base of CuA1–CuA2; submarginal band with a rounded silvery-green spot in M3–CuA1 surrounded by a rounded maroon blotch that reaches part of M2–M3 and CuA1–CuA2; marginal band comprised of two almost entire parallel bands from M1 to tornus; proximal band thin maroon, distal band silvery-green; marginal bands run along outer margin from M1 to 2A, and curve towards tornus after 2A; dark yellow scales from the proximal marginal band to the outer margin; dark brown scales along inner margin below 2A and rounded blotch in the submarginal area of CuA2–2A that partially covers the marginal bands near tornus; fringe mostly pale yellow, dark brown at the end of CuA1, CuA2 and at tornus. Female as male, but frequently an additional silvery-green submarginal spot surrounded by a maroon blotch in CuA1-CuA2.

Hind wing shape: somewhat quadrate, costal margin slightly curved, apex rounded, outer margin curved, tornus slightly produced, inner margin slightly curved. Female as male, but outer margin rounder.

Hind wing upper side ( Figs 1–3 ): mostly dark brown, white along costal margin; fringes dark brown, slightly longer at the end of CuA1 and CuA2, and very long at tornus. Female as male.

Hind wing under side ( Figs 2, 4 , 17–18 ): basal spot maroon and somewhat rounded, between Sc+Rs and inner margin, with silvery-green scales in discal cell; discal spot silvery-green, surrounded by maroon blotch that reaches Rs–M1 and is completely or partly connected to post discal band; the latter with eight silvery-green spots surrounded by maroon blotches, except spot in M3–CuA1, with or without very few silvery-green scales; spots in M3–CuA1 and CuA1–CuA2 distally displaced, not aligned with remaining spots of post discal band; marginal bands almost entire, comprised of a thin maroon band and a silvery-green band from M1 to tornus; dark yellow scales between these two bands; marginal bands run along outer margin from M1 to 2A, curved towards tornus after 2A; fringes mostly yellow, slightly longer and dark brown at the end of CuA1 and CuA2, and very long and dark brown at tornus. Female as in male.

Abdomen: mostly dark brown with pale yellow scales in posterior and lateral edges of terminal tergites and at tip of last segment. Female as male, but all sternites pale yellow.

Male genitalia ( Figs 23–24 ): tegumen quadrate in lateral view, separated from uncus by a narrow membranous area, ventral projection of tegumen anteriorly projected and curved, conspicuously wider halfway towards saccus; uncus narrow and with a distal medial projection; gnathos “z” shaped, dorsal projection short and connected to posterior edge of tegumen, ventral projection long, obliquely and ventrally projected; saccus small and strap-like; valva long, proximally rounded and slightly projected dorsally, distally with two projections: outer projection slightly dorsal, narrow, curved and distally pointed, about two times longer than inner projection; aedeagus long and thin; cornuti absent; fultura inferior (sensu Niculescu 1972; same as fibula of Stichel 1911, juxta of Klots 1970, and pedicel of Hall & Willmott 1996) dorsally attached to middle portion of aedeagus and ventrally connected to base of valvae.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 27 ): Papillae anales narrow and long, ventral half with several large spatulated scales, dorsal half with spine-like setae; papillae anales surrounded by two narrow sclerotized plates; sterigma large, anteriorly narrow and strap-like, and posteriorly trapezoidal; long spine-like setae evenly distributed along posterior edge of sterigma; ostium bursae in a roughly rounded membranous area bordered by an anterior transversal sclerotization in first third of sterigma; ductus bursae long and thin; corpus bursae rounded, diameter about two thirds the length of ductus bursae; signum absent.

Distribution. A. aliceae , sp. nov. is distributed in areas between sea level and 1200m of elevation in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, and Santa Catarina ( Fig. 44 ), in mid elevation slopes of the Serra do Mar in coastal forests of southeastern Brazil, and inland Araucaria moist forests.

Etymology. This species is named after the future lepidopterist Alice Deslandes Dias, the first daughter of FMSD, and born about the same time this species was recognized as undescribed.

Type material. Holotype male with the following labels: / HOLOTYPUS / 8-IV-2000, Morro Alto, Morretes, P[a]R[aná], 400m, Mielke leg. / OM 51.737/ Holotype Anteros aliceae Dias & Siewert det. 2014/ ( DZUP). Allotype female with the following labels: / ALLOTYPUS/ Brasil, Santa Catarina, São Bento do Sul, Rio Natal, 5.IV.2012, Rank leg., / DZ 27.749/ Allotype Anteros aliceae Dias & Siewert det. 2014/ ( DZUP).

Paratypes: BRAZIL— Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia , 700m, 15-II-1925, J. Zikán leg., 1 male, ( IOC), 8-I-1926, J. Zikán leg., 1 male, ( IOC), 8-X-1929, J. Zikán leg., 1 female, ( IOC), 30-XI-1930, J. Zikán leg., 1 male, ( IOC), 23- X-1933, J. Zikán leg., 1 female, ( IOC), 15-V-1936, J. Zikán leg., 1 male, ( IOC), 4-VI-1945, J. Zikán leg., 1 male, ( IOC), (Estação Biológica) 10-XII-1932, W. Zikán leg., 1 male, ( IOC), (Maromba), 1100m, 23-I-1936, Gagarin leg., 1 female, DZ 30.117 ( DZUP), 2-II-1936, Gagarin leg., 1 male, DZ 30.122 ( DZUP), (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia ), 1000m, 4-VII-1963, Mielke leg., 1 female, OM 5.344 (OM); Petrópolis (Independência), 900m, 6-VI- 1934, Gagarin leg., 1 female, DZ 28.343* ( DZUP), 19-X-1939, Gagarin leg., 1 male, DZ 30.116 ( DZUP). São Paulo: Ariri, 26-IV-1980, Miers leg., 1 female, DZ 30.118 ( DZUP). Paraná: Balsa Nova (São Luiz do Purunã), 8- 17-II-1991, C. Mielke leg., 3 males, OM 62.425, OM 62.243*, OM 62.257, and 1 female, OM 62.432 (OM); Guarapuava (Parque Municipal Salto São Francisco), 16-II-2007, Dolibaina leg., 1 female, (DD); São José dos Pinhais (Campo Largo da Reserva), 27-II-1993, Mielke leg., 1 male, OM 34.522 (OM); Quatro Barras, 900m, 31-I-1993, Becker leg., 1 female, OM 64.530 (OM). Santa Catarina: Dalbergia, 30-X-1926, no collector, 1 male, DZ 30.115 ( DZUP); Joinville, 2-XI-1971, Miers leg., 1 female, OM 67.610 (OM); São Bento do Sul (Rio Natal), 500m, 14-I-1995, Rank leg., 1 male, OM 39.794 (OM), 5-IV-2012, Rank leg., 1 male, DZ 30.121 ( DZUP), (Rio Vermelho) 850m, 16-IV-1974, Rank leg., 1 female, DZ 28.295* ( DZUP), 19-IV-1996, Rank leg., 1 female, OM 43.305 (OM), 1-III-2009, Rank leg., 1 female, DZ 30.120 ( DZUP), 7-III-2009, Rank leg., 1 male, DZ 30.118 ( DZUP).

Taxonomic comments on A. aliceae , sp. nov. and related species. Anteros aliceae , sp. nov. appears to be part of a group of related species encompassing A. formosus , A. micon Druce, 1875 , stat. rest., A. lectabilis Stichel, 1909 , A. theleia Stichel, 1910 , stat. nov., A. cruentatus Stichel, 1911 , A. aurigans Gallard & Brévignon, 1989 , A. nubosus Hall & Willmott, 1995 , and A. pardalis Salazar, Constantino & Rodríguez, 2010 . The description of A. aliceae , sp. nov. is based on 31 specimens (including the holotype and allotype).

The examination of specimens of A. formosus and associated taxonomic names led us to describe A. aliceae , sp. nov., recognize one new synonym, and raise two subspecific names to species rank.

Anteros formosus stramentarius Stichel, 1909 , syn. nov., described based on two males from Bolivia, shares the pattern of dark brown scales along the inner margin of the forewing under side typical of A. formosus , and is here recognized as a slight variation of it and thus a junior subjective synonym of A. formosus . Based on the literature ( Stichel 1911, 1930, Rodríguez et al. 2010) and specimens deposited in the DZUP and MUSM, A. formosus is distributed in the Amazon basin, in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, and the Cerrado and Atlantic forests in Brazil.

Anteros micon Druce, 1875 , stat. rest., presumably described based on a single male from Panama, is here recognized as a valid species. Although similar to A. formosus , the oblique ellipsoidal dark brown spot in the forewing under side postdiscal area of CuA2–2A of the former is absent in A. micon , stat. rest. ( DeVries 1997: pl. 14, fig. 31, Rodríguez et al. 2010: figs 11–12). In addition, the male genitalia of A. formosus examined by us ( Figs 25–26 ) and illustrated by Stichel (1911: pl. 15, fig. 66f) is quite different compared to the male genitalia of A. micon , stat. rest., illustrated by Rodríguez et al. (2010: fig. 39A) (specimen collected in the municipality of Arauca, Department of Caldas, Colombia; J. A. Salazar, personal communication). The dorsal distal projection of the valva of A. micon , stat. rest. is shorter than the ventral and squared at the tip, while in A. formosus the dorsal projection of the valva is slightly longer than the ventral, pointed and serrated at the tip. Anteros formosus maculosus Stichel, 1909 , described based on two females from Panama, is a junior subjective synonym of A. micon , stat. rest. Examination of specimens deposited in the IOC confirms that records of the name micon by J. F. Zikán (1928) and J. F. Zikán & W. Zikán (1968) correspond to A. aliceae , sp. nov. Based on specimens in the MUSM and the literature ( Godman & Salvin 1886, Stichel 1911, 1930, DeVries 1997, Rodríguez et al. 2010, Warren et al. 2014), A. micon , stat. rest. is distributed in Panama, northern and western Colombia, western Ecuador and extreme northwestern Peru.

Anteros theleia Stichel, 1910 , stat. nov. ( Figs 9–12 ), described based on an unstated number of female specimens from Marcapata, Department of Cuzco, Peru, is here recognized as a valid species. Anteros theleia , stat. nov., can be distinguished from A. formosus and A. aliceae , sp. nov., by the large creamy white discal spots on the forewing upper side, extending from veins M3 to 2A and strongly reduced dark brown area along the inner margin of the forewing under side, present mostly between 2A and the inner margin, reaching CuA2–2A only near the tornus. Anteros theleia , stat. nov., although closely related to A. formosus , shares some characters of the forewing under side pattern with A. nubosus and A. pardalis , and can be distinguished from females of the former by the hind wing upper side, entirely dark brown posterior to Sc+R1, and the presence of silvery-green spots surrounded by maroon blotches in M3–CuA1 and CuA1–CuA2 on the hind wing under side; the female of A. pardalis is unknown. Anteros theleia , stat. nov. is presently known only from three localities in southeastern Peru: the above cited type locality; Quebrada Siete Jeringas, 1700m, Junín, 25.VIII.2003, Ramírez leg. (MUSM); and Puente Unión, 1600m, Cuzco, 5. XI.2012, Lamas leg. (MUSM).

Figures

FIGURE 44. Distribution map of species of Anteros Hübner [1819] and Ourocnemis Bethune-Baker, 1887.

FIGURES 1 – 16. Habitus of species of Anteros Hübner, [1819]. 1 – 4. A. aliceae, sp. nov.; 1 – 2. Male holotype, dorsal and ventral; 3 – 4. Female allotype, dorsal and ventral; 5 – 8. A. zikani, sp. nov.; 5 – 6. Male holotype, dorsal and ventral. 7 – 8. Female allotype, dorsal and ventral. 9 – 12. A. theleia Stichel, 1910, stat. nov.; 9 – 10. Male from Puente Unión, Cuzco, Peru, dorsal and ventral; 11 – 12. Female from Quebrada Siete Jeringas, Junín, Peru, dorsal and ventral. 13 – 16. A. ethani, sp. nov.; 13 – 14. Male holotype, dorsal and ventral. 15 – 16. Female allotype, dorsal and ventral. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Detail of the under side of the wings of species of Anteros Hübner, [1819]. 17 – 18. A. aliceae, sp. nov., male and female; 19. A. zikani, sp. nov., 20 – 21. A. formosus (Cramer, 1777), male and female; 22. A. chrysoprasta Hewitson, 1867. Scale bar = 0.5 cm.

FIGURES 23 – 27. Genitalia of species of Anteros Hübner, [1819]. 23 – 24. A aliceae, sp. nov.; 23. male, lateral; 24. valvae, ventral; 25 – 26. A. formosus (Cramer, 1777); 25. male, lateral; 26. valvae, ventral; 27. A. aliceae, sp. nov., female, ventral. Scale bar = 1 mm.