A synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad and Tobago
Author
González, Jorge M.
Author
Cock, Matthew J. W.
text
Zootaxa
2004
762
1
19
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.158237
19cf13dc-ccff-48cd-bd4f-c5d3f2593c96
11755326
158237
92392970-95FD-4341-AE4B-C1C61D8C0B1F
Castniomera atymnius newmanni
(
Houlbert 1917
)
(Fig. 8)
This species commonly attacks bananas (
Musaceae
). The subspecies was described from eastern
Panama
, but commonly occurs in northern
Colombia
and northern
Venezuela
. We know of only two
Trinidad
specimens. One was curated amongst
Trinidad
specimens of
Telchin licus
, with which this species is easily confused. The easiest way to separate the two species is that
C. atymnius
lacks the reddishorange spot band in the lateral margin of the hindwing, which is found in
T. licus
.
It is possible that
C. atymnius
has been overlooked and may be more common than these two records indicate. However, it has been suggested that
C. atymnius
and
T. licus
may be conspecific (
Lamas 1995, pers. comm.
), but a more detailed study would be necessary to clarify this.
Castniomera atymnius
and
T. licus
appear to be sympatric in parts of Central
America
, the Guianas, and eastern
Brazil
, and it may be that
T. licus
is locally polymorphic, one of its morphs (outside Amazonia) being
atymnius
(G. Lamas, pers. comm.). We do not necessarily agree with Lamas and have also discussed the issue with Dr. J.
Y
. Miller and believe that both are valid species. Interestingly, the
type
of
atymnius
f.
feminis
Strand, from
Brazil
, Bahia (G. Lamas, pers. comm.) as well as the BMNH specimen we studied (Fig. 8) shows traces of the HW reddish submarginal spots above.
Material Examined: CARONI: 1Ψ, Caparo, Jul (19)04, F. Birch (
BMNH
); ST. ANDREW: 1ɗ, Sans Souci estate,
20 m
,
10°34’N
,
61°08’W
,
28 Dec 1993
, W.M. Neukirchen (
UMSM
). [The last specimen was reported to us by G. Lamas (pers. comm.); we have not examined it.]