Synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Costa Rica
Author
García-Díaz, José De Jesús
Posgrado en Ciencias, Instituto de Ecología A. C., Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática, Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, 91073 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico; Sociedad Mexicana de Lepidopterología A. C.
Author
Espinoza-Sanabria, Bernardo A.
BioAlfa, Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund Costa Rica, 749 - 1000, San José, Costa Rica
Author
Worthy, Robert
10 The Hill, Church Hill, Caterham, Surrey CR 3 6 SD, U. K.
Author
González, Jorge M.
Austin Achieve Public Schools, Austin, Texas, (Research Associate, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity), USA
Author
Janzen, Daniel H.
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Author
Hallwachs, Winnie
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
text
Zootaxa
2024
2024-07-16
5481
2
151
202
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5481.2.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5481.2.1
1175-5326
12749637
547F19D4-4558-4D8A-8D01-2ECCCB133A5D
11.
Athis analibiae
(
Espinoza-Sanabria & González, 2005
)
(
Figs. 4C, 4D
,
10H
,
12C
)
Imara analibiae
Espinoza-Sababria & González, 2005
;
Espinoza-Sanabria & González, 2005
.
Zootaxa 849 (1)
, fig. 1.
Athis analibiae
;
Moraes & Duarte, 2014
.
Zoo. Jour. Linn. Soc. 170 (2)
, p. 29.
General comments.
One of the rarest species in the genus, known to us from fewer than
eight specimens
. It was described as
Imara analibiae
Espinoza-Sanabria & González, 2005
based on
three specimens
(
1♂
,
2♀♀
) collected in Finca la Selva, Sarapiquí,
Heredia
,
Costa Rica
(
Espinoza-Sanabria & González 2005
).
Moraes & Duarte (2014)
included it in
Athis
.
This species is characterized by having a whitish diagonal band that runs from the costa in the apical region to the middle of the anal margin of the dorsal forewing; while in the hindwing a wide whitish postbasal-discal band runs from the costa to the inner margin; it also has a small marginal band of white spots between veins M
1
-2A. Ventrally, the wing pattern is similar to the dorsal surface, but there is a marginal band of bluish-white spots on the forewing; in the hindwing the basal region is whitish. Females are easily distinguishable because, both dorsally and ventrally, the white band is wider than in males, and it also has a small, curved band, around the subapical region, that runs from the costa towards the central band; the base-color is darker on both wings.
Ecology and behavior.
The host plant is unknown. Also, nothing is known about the habits of the species; however, a male was sighted in Resort Shawandha Lodge, Talamanca,
Limón
, attracted to UV LED light during the early hours of the night (Heiner Ziegler, pers. comm.) (
Fig. 10H
). Likewise, another male, deposited at EMEC, was collected “at lights”. On the other hand, it may be just a matter of coincidence since it’s not rare to find
Lepidoptera
species of diurnal habits in light traps, most of the time these were probably just perched near where the traps were placed, so these species are attracted by lights and activity around the traps.
Distribution and biogeography.
To date, only records from four Costa Rican localities are known: (1) Estación Biológica La Selva, (2) Estación Biológica La Tirimbina, (3) Resort Shawandha Lodge and (4) Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure Park (
Espinoza-Sanabria & González 2005
; iNaturalist 2023; Diego Salas, pers. comm.). These localities are located at low altitudes on the Caribbean slope and belong, according to
Morrone
et al.
(2022)
, to the province of Guatuso-Talamanca. To date it is the only endemic castniid in
Costa Rica
; however, considering its known distribution, it could be found in
Nicaragua
or
Panama
.