Athis fuscorubra ( Houlbert 1917 )

González, Jorge M. & Cock, Matthew J. W., 2004, A synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad and Tobago, Zootaxa 762, pp. 1-19 : 4

Athis fuscorubra ( Houlbert 1917) (Fig. 2)

Castnia fuscorubra Houlbert 1917 : Kaye & Lamont (1927).

This species appears to have a wide distribution in South America; specimens have been recorded from Trinidad, Perú, Ecuador, and Venezuela ( Kaye & Lamont 1927; González 2004; Houlbert 1917, 1918; Lathy 1922). However, it is not a common species and has been reported to be “at risk” in Venezuela; due to insufficient knowledge, no specific peril of extinction has been assigned ( Rodríguez & Rojas­Suárez 1995). Kaye & Lamont (1927) suggested that Athis fuscorubra was a “possible … form of” Athis inca (Walker) (as C. inca ), but this is not correct. The southernmost distribution of A. inca is Panama ( Miller 1972, 1986). The confusion may have arisen because A. inca was described by Walker (1854) based on material from Honduras, “ Venezuela ”, and Mexico. However, González (2004) suggests that the only Athis inca specimen from Venezuela (in BMNH) is mislabeled. Furthermore, the Venezuelan Athis axaqua González & Fernández Yépez , which is more closely related to A. pinchoni and A. palatinus (Cramer) than to the Central American A. inca , was commonly called “ Castnia inca ” and this added to the confusion ( González 2004). This species is known from Trinidad from just two specimens in the BMNH, neither with precise locality data, and one in AME. The Lowsley specimen in BMNH is that referred to by Kaye & Lamont (1927) as “in coll. Joicey”.

Material Examined: NARIVA: 1ɗ, Rio Claro, R. Dick (AME); TRINIDAD: 1ɗ, Lowsley ( BMNH); 1Ψ, Ex Lathy ( BMNH).