Mesenopsis jordana Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande

Dias, Fernando Maia Silva, Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Casagrande, Mirna Martins, 2013, New species of Mesenopsis Godman & Salvin, 1886 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae: Symmachiini) from southeastern Brazil, with an illustrated key to the genus, Zootaxa 3616 (6), pp. 578-586 : 579-583

Mesenopsis jordana Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande , sp. nov.

(figs 1–4, 7, 9–10, 13)

Mesenopsis albivitta ; D’Abrera, 1994. p. 1029 (female dorsal).

Diagnosis. M. jordana can be easily distinguished from most Mesenopsis species by the absence of orange patches on the hindwing, however, M. jordana is likely to be confused with M. albivitta (figs 5–6), a similar species occurring further north in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo (fig. 14). Both species can be easily distinguished by several characters: frons uniformly black in M. jordana , while conspicuous orange in M. albivitta (figs 7–8); fore and hind wings rounded at the apex and at the tornus in M. jordana , while thinner and angled in M. albivitta ; orange patch of the forewing extends almost to the outer margin in M. albivitta ; the CuA and the full length of CuA1 with black scales in M. jordana ; white band in the hindwing less developed and hardly noticeable on the upper side in M. jordana , while conspicuous in both surfaces in M. albivitta . The male genitalia structure seems to be rather uniform in these species of Mesenopsis , nevertheless the male genitalia of M. jordana is conspicuously larger when compared to M. albivitta (figs 9–12).

Description. Head: uniformly black; chaetosemata conspicuous behind the antennal base; antenna uniformly black, two thirds of the length of the costal margin, club cylindrical and smooth; labial palpi uniformly black, first segment short and stout, second segment long, three times the size of the first segment, third segment short and thin, about as long as the first segment. Female as in male.

Thorax: both sexes uniformly black.

Forewing, size and shape: (3: 1.62–1.75mm, n=20; Ƥ: 1.85–1.92cm, n=12) elongated; costal margin straight, rounded at the apex; outer and inner margins slightly convex, smoothly angled at the tornus. Female as in male, but outer margin strongly convex.

Forewing, upper side: ground color black, with a bright orange patch covering most of the wing, but not reaching the costal and outer margin; the patch occupies the discal cell and runs diagonally from R4+5 to CuA1 close to the outer margin, and then posteriorly, reaching the inner margin; this patch is broken up by a fine line of black scales in the length of the CuA, CuA1, CuA2 and a similar but wider along 1A. In all specimens from the locality of Maromba ( Itatiaia , Rio de Janeiro) the anterior half of the discal cell is black; except by that, there is little variation in the series of specimens available. Female as in male, but patch slightly rounded between R4+5 and CuA1.

Forewing, underside: similar to the upper side, but somewhat lighter in color, and without black scales on the length of CuA1. Female as in male, but patch slightly rounded between R4+5 and CuA1.

Hindwing, shape: costal, outer and inner margins slightly convex; rounded at the apex and slightly angled at the tornus, giving to the hindwing a more or less oval shape. Female as in male, but hindwing more elongated and rounded at the tornus.

Hindwing, upper side: mostly black, with a dull white band formed by three suffused spots ventral to the discal cell and M3, in M3–CuA1, CuA1–CuA2 and CuA2–1A. Female as in male.

Hindwing, underside: similar to the upper side, but white band in M3–CuA1, CuA1–CuA2 and CuA2–1A strongly marked. Female as in male.

Abdomen: uniformly black in both sexes; males with a single patch of concealed androconial scales in the anterior portion of the tergites four and five. Female as in male.

Male Genitalia (figs 9–10): uncus squared, as long as the tegumen; lateral triangular membranous areas between the tegumen and the uncus; tegumen squared in dorsal view, ventral projections evenly narrow, extending ventrally and diagonally from the medial portion of the tegumen by a narrow bridge and fusing with the dorsal projection of the sacuus; gnathos “C” shaped, ventral projection pointed and longer than the dorsal portion attached to the tegumen; saccus anterior projection weakly developed, but projecting posteriorly a strong spear-shaped projection; valva with two triangular shaped posterior projections, the ventral projection slightly smaller than the dorsal; valva almost touching each other dorsally by an anterior medially-projected lip; aedeagus thick, three times longer than the tegumen, anterior opening, slightly shifted to the right; vesica with a long line of pointed cornuti and a strong mace-shaped structure.

Female Genitalia (fig. 13): papilla analis oval-shaped; sterigma formed by a roughly oval lammella antevaginalis and a narrow and irregular lamella postvaginalis; ductus bursae anteriorly with an incomplete irregular sclerotized ring and ribbed, posteriorly strongly curved; corpus bursae long and thin; signum bursae ventral, slightly shifted to the right, close to the opening of the corpus bursae; signum bursae externally rounded and projecting internally a thin and pointed spike.

Taxonomic comments: The female illustrated by D’Abrera (1994: 1029), from Paseo [Passa] Quatro, Minas Geraes [Gerais] is M. jordana . Mesenopsis albivitta is properly illustrated by Seitz (1916–1920). As noted by Lamas (2004), Chamaelimnas seae Stichel, 1910 (nom. nud.), supposedly from southeastern Brazil, is an unavailable name: Stichel (1910: 219) did not provide a description or a definition of the taxon that it denotes, and his indication is to an unpublished manuscript by Staudinger (ICZN 1999 Art. 12). Nevertheless, Stichel (1910) recognized this name as a synonym of M. albivitta .

The configuration of the aedeagus and the cornuti are different from the outline given by Hall & Lamas (2007) for the genus: the aedeagus of M. jordana is evenly thick; and the cornuti are present as a single line of large to medium-sized spines, without a patch of small spines in the base of the vesica. Furthermore, there is an unique mace-like structure in the vesica of both M. albivitta and M. jordana which suggests close relationship between these two taxa. The corpus bursae with a single, long signum of M. jordana differs from most Symmachiini female genitalia presented by Hall & Lamas (2007) and examined by us, which bears a pair of short signa, also in the beginning of the corpus bursae. Another striking feature of M. jordana is the absence of orange or yellow scales on the head, thorax or abdomen, typical of others Mesenopsis species (Hall & Furtado 1999); M. albivitta , supposedly the closest ally of M. jordana , have only an orange patch on the frons. The orange patch in M. albivitta is clearly visible in the type specimens, two males from an unknown locality in Espírito Santo, and the only specimen of M. albivitta available to us for examination, a male specimen from Caraça, Catas Altas, Minas Gerais (1300m, 16–18.IX.2006, Mielke & Casagrande leg., DZ 19.299 (DZUP)).

Biological comments. Mesenopsis jordana , similarly to M. albivitta , is an inhabitant of Atlantic forests over 900m, and flies slowly and close to the ground. Apparently M. jordana is commonly found in its time of occurrence, between late December to February, when multiple specimens where caught on the same day in several occasions. As other species of Mesenopsis , M. jordana probably is involved in mimetic rings with sympatric and synchronous diurnal moths of the tribe Josiini ( Notodontidae : Dioptinae ). The majority of the immatures of Josiini are strongly associated with toxic plants of the genus Passiflora (Passifloraceae) (Miller 1996), however, is not known if there is sequestration of the cyanogenic glycosides from the larval host plant or if adults are protected from potential predators (Miller 2009). The only species of Mesenopsis with host plant information available is M. melanochlora , reported to use Miconia argentea (Melastomataceae) (DeVries 1997). While species of Lyces Walker, 1854 and Josia Hübner [1819] seems to be models for species of Mesenopsis with yellow or orange longitudinal stripes on the forewing (figs 25, 29, 33, 37); species of Scea Walker, 1854 (figs 15–16) and Notascea Miller, 2009 , may be good models for M. albivitta and M. jordana (figs 17–24) in the Atlantic forest region.

Scea auriflamma (Geyer, [1827]) (figs 15–16), a common and widespread species found through the year in the Atlantic forest at elevations up to 1600 meters (Miller 2009), is cited by Seitz (1916–1920) as the model for M. albivitta , and probably is the primary model for M. jordana as well. Other species of Dioptinae with similar wing pattern, spatial and time distribution, as N. nudata (Hering, 1925) , N. obliquaria (Warren, 1906) , N. brevispinula Miller, 2009 and Scea angustimargo Warren, 1905 , and some Arctiidae , as Scearctia figulina (Butler, 1877) , Euryptidia basivitta (Walker, 1854), Episcea extravagans Warren, 1901 and species of the genus Paratype Felder, 1874 are probably involved in the same mimetic ring.

The recognition of this new species in one of the most well sampled area of Brazil (Carneiro 2008) shows that systematic studies may uncover an unexpected diversity of butterflies even in a historically well sampled area, especially in less studied groups as the Riodinidae .

Distribution. Atlantic forest, over 900m in the mountain ridges of the Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra do Mar, states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (fig. 14); occurring from late December to February, based on the known specimens.

Etymology. The name of the species is a reference to Campos do Jordão municipality, São Paulo, Brazil, location of the type and most of the paratypes.

Type material. Holotype with the following labels: / HOLOTYPUS /Holótipo Mesenopsis jordana Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande det. 2013/3/ 8–12-II-1982 Campos do Jordão S[ão]. P[aulo]. 1600–2000m Mielke & Casagrande/DZ 20.188/ gen. prep. F. Dias 2010/. (DZUP)

Allotype with the following labels: /ALLOTYPUS/Alótipo Mesenopsis jordana Dias, Dolibaina, Mielke & Casagrande det. 2013/Ƥ/ 8–12-II-1982 Campos do Jordão S[ão]. P[aulo]. 1600–2000m Mielke & Casagrande leg/ DZ 20.208/. (DZUP)

Paratypes: BRAZIL: Minas Gerais, Virgínia, Fazenda dos Campos, 1500m, 5Ƥ, 13–15.II.2010, Mielke & Casagrande leg. (DZ 22.802, DZ 22.922, DZ 22.392, DZ 22.562, DZ 22.542) (DZUP); São Paulo, Campos do Jordão, 2000m, 23 & 3Ƥ, 8–12.II.1982, Mielke & Casagrande leg. (DZ 22.782, DZ 22.792, DZ 22.682, DZ 22.842, DZ 22.852) (DZUP); Campos do Jordão, Umuarama, 1800m, 23 26.XII.1937, 2Ƥ 3–15.II.1937, Gagarin leg. (DZ 22.892, OM 7.456, DZ 22.812, OM 11.386) (DZUP, OM-OM); 1700m, 13 & 1Ƥ, 31.I.1938, Travassos & Oiticica leg. (DZ 19.245, DZ 22.332) (DZUP); Campos do Jordão, Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão, 1950m, 13, 10.II.1968, Mielke, Brown & Laroca leg. (DZ 22.862) (DZUP); 1600–1700m, 253, 22–25.I.1992, Mielke & Casagrande leg. (OM 29.098, OM 29.003, OM 61.582, OM 29.055, OM 29.068, OM 29.067, OM 61.645, OM 29.091, OM 29.062, OM 29.019, OM 29.092, OM 29.061, OM 29.056, OM 29.043, OM 29.085, OM 29.079, OM 29.074, OM 29.086, OM 29.038, OM 29.013, OM 29.080, OM 29.049, OM 29.031, OM 48.825, OM 29.073) & 3Ƥ (OM 29.025, OM 29.097, OM 29.014) (OM-OM); Campos do Jordão, Fazenda da Guarda, 13 & 2Ƥ, 15.II.1942, D’Almeida & Soares, leg. (DZ 22.322, DZ 22.522, DZ 22.872) (DZUP); Delfim Moreira, Barreira de Piquete, 1400m, 13, O.-C. Mielke & Miers leg. (OM 41.760) (OM-OM); Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis, Independência, 900m, 13, 15.II.1958 (DZ 22.432) (DZUP); Itatiaia, Maromba, 1100 m, 1Ƥ, 25.I.1936, 13, 28.I.1936, 13, 30.I.1936, 33 & 2Ƥ, 2.II.1936, Gagarin leg. (DZ 22.472, DZ 19.612, DZ 22.342, DZ 22.352, DZ 22.442, DZ 22.502, DZ 22.402, DZ 22.362) (DZUP); Itatiaia, Parque Nacional de Itatiaia, 1200m , 1Ƥ, 10.I.1973, Mielke leg. (DZ 19.240) (DZUP).