A review of the genera Amauta Houlbert, 1918 and Divana J. Y. Miller, 1982 (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) with description of a new genus
Author
Worthy, Robert
0000-0003-0879-6472
10 The Hill, Church Hill, Caterham, Surrey CR 3 6 SD, U. K. castnia @ btopenworld. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 0879 - 6472 Austin Achieve Public Schools, Austin, Texas, (Research Associate, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity), USA.
castnia@btopenworld.com
Author
González, Jorge M.
Author
Zilli, Alberto
Natural History Museum, Insects Division, Cromwell Road, London SW 7 5 BD, U. K.
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-10-06
5194
3
301
342
journal article
160070
10.11646/zootaxa.5194.3.1
6aa6dacd-1e74-46ac-a345-2fc691f92608
1175-5326
7154442
96B016A1-5D9B-4013-9F9D-597A6C2FC277
papilionaris
(Walker, [1865])
(
Figs. 8C–H
,
9A–D
)
“
CASTNIA PAPILIONARIS
.” Walker, [1865],
List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum,
31
: 42–43.
Type material:
Walker ([1865]) lists only
one specimen
“
From Mr. Stevens’
collection”, which is therefore the
holotype
by monotypy of this taxon. The
holotype
, a male, is in
NHMUK
(
Fig. 8D
)
.
Type locality:
The
original description gives “
Bogota
,”
Colombia
.
This
is confirmed by the label on the
holotype
.
Taxonomic status:
A valid species of
Amauta
.
Male genitalia
: (
Fig. 4E
) Uncus simple with wide and round almost pointed apex. Gnathos moderately sclerotised, bifid anteriad. Cucullus and valvula almost quadrate, slightly rounded apically. Valvae are short and wide with ventral margin sharply cut. Sacculus projected and continues with the arms of the saccus. Phallus curved, its distal section three times the length of coecum, narrowed beyond junction with this, then straight, with subterminal portion enlarged and barely or incompletely contorted. Apex of phallus with a terminal, sclerotised section. The vesica opens to left proximad to distal sclerotised termination of phallus.
Distribution:
Venezuelan specimens are known from Mérida and Táchira states.The only Colombian specimens we have seen with precise data are from Boyacá department. We have also seen specimens from the Rio Magdalena and Rio Dagua. It is also found throughout
Ecuador
and northern and central
Peru
as far south as Chanchamayo (
Junín
department) (
Fig. 14
).
Discussion:
The nominotypical subspecies has always been considered to be confined to
Colombia
where it appears to be very rare and is only known from old specimens. It is replaced to the north in Panama by
ssp.
amethystina
(
Houlbert, 1917
)
which is also very rare. The very few specimens known from
Venezuela
appear to be intermediate but are probably referable to
p.
papilionaris
. Subspecies
velutina
was described from
Ecuador
but we can see no justification for this subspecific separation (see
velutina
). We also extend the range of
velutina
to include northern and central
Peru
(see
affinis
).
Material examined:
8 males
and
4 females
were examined for this study.
As
well as the
holotype
, the following specimens were examined:
VENEZUELA
:
1♂
Merida
, (
Briceño
) (
NMHUK
)
;
1♂
Via Chorro del Indio
,
1200 m
, V- [19]82,
C.F.
R., crepuscular
;
1♀
idem
V-[19]82 7pm (
CFR
).
COLOMBIA
:
1♂
Rio
Magdalena
;
1♂
,
1♀
Rio Dagua
, W.
Colombia
,
600–1000m
.,
W Hopp
;
1♀
N.
Grenada
, ex
Smith
, ex
Druce
(
NMHUK
)
;
1♂
F.
Ovalles
[this is the name of the collector/supplier]
;
♀
, F. Johnson;
2♂♂
Muzo, F
.
Johnson
(
AMNH
).
We
have also studied all the specimens listed under
velutina
.