Philaethria diatonica Fruhstorfer 1912
Creators: name: Constantino, Luis Miguel
name: Salazar, Julian A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nymphalidae
Philaethria
Philaethria diatonica

description: Philaethria diatonica (Fruhstorfer, 1912)
(Figs. 6,7)
Entomologische Rundschau 29(2): 14–15
= Metamandana dido diatonica Fruhstorfer, 1912: 15, fig.2
= Philaethria dido diatonica (Fruhstorfer, 1912); Ackery & Smiles 1976:173, pl. 1, fig.1.)
Type locality. San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Type: (BMNH): Holotype male: illustrated in Ackery & Smiles, 1976. pl 1. fig. 2.
Diagnosis. Forewing length 48–52 mm. Philaethria diatonica is easily separated from all other species by the brown inner postdiscal band on the ventral surface of the hindwing, black in P. dido. HW medial postdiscal band bone white (red in P. dido). The ventral forewing anal cell bar is brown, not black as in P. dido. The submarginal band is bone white (red in P. dido). FW with two subapical spots between veins R4-R5 and R5- M1 (one in P. dido between veins R4-R5). VHW marginal cellular spot black (brown in P. browni).
Haploid chromosome number: n=72 (voucher specimen fig.7) Additional material examined from Mexico (Oaxaca) by Brown et al. (1992)
Male genitalia (Fig. 32): As illustrated. Saccus thin moderately long and straight, vinculum stout, slightly curved and swollen medially, tegumen rounded distally; uncus long, curved dorsally, tapering gradually to pointed tip; gnathos the same size of the uncus, curved distally and tapering to pointed tip; valvae with a long basal hook curved distally, reaching the tip of the uncus, with a swollen arm with a rounded head armed with microspines; aedeagus long and slightly curved, tapering gadually to pointed tip.
Distribution and habitat. P. diatonica occurs from sea level to 1,110 m in association with rain forest habitats from Mexico to Panama. P. diatonica flies sympatrically with P. dido in Panama and Costa Rica. Adults fly above the the forest canopy and forest edges.
Host plant. Passiflora vitifolia, P. edulis, P. ambigua (Passifloraceae) (DeVries, 1987). P. oerstedii, P. platyloba (Janzen & Hallwachs, 2008) in Costa Rica.
Immature stages. Young (1974) and DeVries (1987) give detailed descriptions of the life history and larva of P. diatonica (as dido). Janzen & Hallwachs (2008) show the larva and pupa. Egg - yellow, laid singly on the underside of older leaves. Mature larva (Fig. 42 L) - body bone white throughout the fifth instar (white in P. dido) with irregular black spots on dorsum and sides. The supralateral thoracic scoli do not have black tips and the basal portion of each is distinctly orange while the shaft is red. The bases of the scoli are orange in color. The dorsal scoli are large and orange with black tips. The head capsule is shiny beige and head scoli black. Pupa- mottled with various shades of brown and gray and covered with warts, abdomen and thorax have keels, generally resembles a piece of broken-off, rough tree bark, being very cryptic.
Material examined. MEXICO: CHIAPAS: Boca de Chajul, Ocosingo (De la Maza, J. E. & R. G. De la Maza, 1985); Chajul, Malpaso (De la Maza, R. R., 1987); Montebello, 20 km (Diaz, 1975); Ocozocuautla, Km 18 road to Malpaso (CAS) (Martinez et al. 2003); Palenque (De la Maza, R.R., 1987); San Antonio, Buenavista (Santa Rosa), Independencia; Santa Rosa, Comitán (MZFC) (Martínez et al., 2003); La Soledad (MZFC) (Martínez et al., 2003); Selva Lacandona (De la Maza R. G. & J.E. De la Maza, 1993); Cuenca del Grijalva; Cuenca del Tulijá; Macizo Central (De la Maza R. G. & J.E. De La Maza, 1993, Martínez et al. 2003); OAXACA: Mpo. Comaltepec, 200 m (MEL) (J. M. Maes, 1999); Cerro Armadillo (MZFC) (Martinez et al., 2003); Valle Nacional, Cerro Armadillo, 19 August 1981, L. González-Cota leg. (MHNUSM), Chacalapilla, Puente (De la Maza R. R., 1987); Metates (IBUNAM, MZFC) (De la Maza R.R. 1987); Naranjal, Chiltepec (MZFC)(Martinez et al. 2003); Chalchijapa (Martinez et al. 2003); Puerto Eligio (De la Maza R.R. 1976); Santa Marta Jacatepec (De la Maza, R.R., 1987); Sierra de Juarez, Soyolapan El Bajo, Valle Nacional, Vista Hermosa (Martinez et al, 2003); TABASCO: Cerro de Coconá (MZFC) (Martinez et al., 2003); Costa Rica,QUINTANA ROO: Zona Sur (De La Maza R.R. 1987); VERACRUZ: Región de los Tuxtlas (De La Maza, R.R., 1987; Ragusso & Llorente, 1991); Coatepec (DGSV) (Hernandez et al., 1981); Dos Amates, Catemaco (IBUNAM) (De la Maza, R.R., 1987); Estación de Biología Tropical de la UNAM, Los Tuxtla (Raguso & Llorente, 1997); Sierra de los Tuxtlas (Ross, 1967); Cerro El Vigia (IBUNAM) (De la Maza, R.R., 1987, Raguso & Llorente, 1997). BELIZE: TOLEDO: Rio Grande, Machaca Hill Lodge (Meerman, 2001). GUATEMALA: PETEN: Tikal National Park (Austin et al., 1996). HONDURAS: CORTES: San Pedro Sula (BMNH) (Ackery & Smiles, 1976), NICARAGUA: ATLANTICO NORTE: Zelaya, Caño El Macho (MEL) (J. M. Maes & J. Hernandez, 1999); CHONTALES: Chontales (MEL)(J. M. Maes & J. Hernandez, 1999); COSTA RICA: SAN JOSE: Est. Carillo, 700 m, La Montura, 1100 m (INBio); HEREDIA: Rio Tirimbina, La Virgen (Young, 1974), Quebrada Canta Rana, 300 m, El Plastico, 550 m, La Virgen, 500m, La Selva, 50 m (INBio); PUNTA ARENAS: Cerro de Oro, 200m, Sirena, 100m, W. Manuel Antonio, 30 m (INBio); Puntarenas, nr. Esquinas, 08°43'N, 83°18'W, G.B. Small, Jr. leg. (MHNUSM); LIMON: Quebrada Molinete, 400m, W. Rio Coen, 300m, Rio Corinto, 250m, Cuatro Esquinas, 10m, Bribri, 30m, Rio Sardina, 20m (INBio); GUANACASTE: Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) 05-SRNP-31534 (Janzen & Hallwachs, 2008) PANAMA: BOCAS DEL TORO: Kusapin, Chiriquí Grande, 50 m, 14 Feb. 2005, F. Delgado leg. (FDLC); VERAGUAS: Alto Piedras, Santa Fé, 820 m, Cordillera Central, 26 May 1981, F. Delgado leg. (FDLC); Arenas, Montijo, Cordillera Occidental de Azuero, 600 m, Peninsula de Azuero, 26 January 1988, F. Delgado leg. (FDLC)
description: Published as part of Constantino, Luis Miguel & Salazar, Julian A., 2010, A review of the Philaethria dido species complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) and description of three new sibling species from Colombia and Venezuela, pp. 1-27 in Zootaxa 2720 on pages 4-5, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.199882