Eurybia telephae (Boisduval, 1836)

Santos, Wildio Ikaro Da Graça, Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Dias, Fernando Maia Silva, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Casagrande, Mirna Martins, 2023, A review of the South American metalmark genus Alesa Doubleday, 1847 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae: Eurybiini) with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 5284 (1), pp. 77-120 : 91-92

“ telephae group”

This group includes the mid-sized species of the genus. Males are characterized by the lateral areas of the frons and paraocular areas yellowish cream; eyes dorso-posteriorly surrounded by a strip of reddish scales; tip of antenna black; thorax dorsally reddish (pale brown in A. suzana ); forewing more elongated and rounded than in other species groups (about 1/4 longer than wide), apex rounded, reddish at the base (less perceptible in A. suzana ); wing pattern of the upper side with reddish or whitish transversal bands; hindwing upper side with iridescent pale purple sheen visible when observed at an angle; abdomen with pale rings at the distal margins of the terga; distal part of transtilla exceeding outer posterior process of valva; the outer posterior process of valva mostly membranous; valva with a short callus-like process at the ventral margin of the outer posterior process; inner posterior process of valva bearing thick setae. Females brown, without metallic scales on the wings upper side and with whitish to pale brown bands; corpus bursae longer than half length of ductus bursae; a pair of long cylindrical signa about uniform in width inserted near ductus bursae; papilla analis triangular with the anterior area smooth, shorter than the setose posterior area.

Included species. A. telephae , A. humilis , A. negra R̂ber, 1931, stat. rev. and A. suzana .

Key for males from the “ telephae group”

1 Wings upper side spots reddish.......................................................................... 2

1’ Wings upper side spots whitish...................................................................... suzana

2 Wings upper side without purple iridescence covering all reddish spots........................................... 3

2’ Wings upper side with purple iridescence covering all reddish spots.................................. negra stat. rev.

3 Wings upper side with intervenal iridescent rays....................................................... telephae

3’ Wings upper side without intervenal iridescent rays..................................................... humilis

Key for females from the “ telephae group”

(females of A. humilis and A. suzana are unknown)

1 Hindwing upper side submarginal spots orangish yellow; postdiscal white area of hindwing wide................ telephae

1’ Hindwing upper side submarginal spots cream; postdiscal white area of hindwing narrow........................ negra