Heteropsis vertigo Lees & Raharitsimba, sp. nov.
Creators: name: C, Lees David
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nymphalidae
Heteropsis
Heteropsis vertigo

description: Heteropsis vertigo Lees & Raharitsimba, sp. nov.
LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:38AC77EE-A10A-4DCA-9444-F55C845FFA23
Prior references: sp. 61 (on envelopes and/or datalabels but not mentioned in the list of Lees, 1997: 64–65).
Type material., Deposition BMNH: Holotype: ♂ (Fig. 28 A), Madagascar NW, Bekolosy Mt., RS Manongarivo, c. 1163 m, 14.04575o S, 48.29623o E +/- 0.5 km, 1130 +/- 35 m, 16/12/1994, soleil/lo [fruit trap], H. Raharitsimba: DLBEK 94_77, KA2049 [=KA-P2049; extract number], NHMUK 010289173 [QTR barcode].
Paratypes: Deposition BMNH: ♂, data as HT but 12–22/12/1994, D.C. Lees: DLBEK 94_83, IA354 [isotope voucher]; BMAD 241-15 [DNA barcoded specimen], NHMUK 010289174 [QTR barcode]; ♀ (Fig. 28 B), Madagascar E, Bekolosy Mt., RS Manongarivo, Madagascar NW, 1310 m, 14.0385o S, 48.3073o E +/- 0.55 km, 1310 +/- 50 m, 21/12/1994, lo lt 1310 [fruit trap], D.C. Lees: DLBEK 94_129, IA 356 [isotope voucher], NHMUK 010289175 [QTR barcode]; ♂ (Fig. 29 A, genitalia), Madagascar NW, Bekolosy, RS Manongarivo, ~ 1200 m, 14.0436o S, 48.299o E +/- 0.43 km, 120 m +/- 50 m, 13/12/1994, D.C. Lees: DLBEK 94_159, DCLW-0104 [wing prep.], KA3035 [=KA-P3035, DNA extract number]; IA355 [isotope voucher]; BMAD 240-15 [DNA barcoded specimen] 366 DL [genitalia], NHMUK 010289176 [QTR barcode]; ♀, NW, Bekolosy Mt., RS Manongarivo, Madagascar NW,> 1250 m, 14.0427o S, 48.3028o E +/- 0.5 km, 125 m +/- 50 m, 19/12/1994, D.C. Lees: DLBEK 94_110, 1035 [= DL 1035; DNA extract number], BMNH (E) #672400 [DNA voucher; cytochrome b], 372 DL [♀ genitalia]; ‘leg for KAP’; IA357 [isotope voucher]; ♀, NW, Bekolosy Mt., RS Manongarivo, 1200– 1250 m, 14.04334o S, 48.3013o E +/- 1 km, 1225 +/- 50 m, 12/12/1994, D.C. Lees: DLBEK 94_23, Egg exp. [egg expression voucher], IA353 [isotope voucher], NHMUK 010289177 [QTR barcode]; ♀, NW, Bekolosy Mt., RS Manongarivo, c. 1245 m, 14.0427o S, 48.3028o E +/- 0.5 km, 1250 m, +/- 50 m, 12/12/1994, 10:40, D.C. Lees: DLBEK 94_22 [Egg voucher]; IA352 [isotope voucher], KA2050 [=KA-P2050; extract number], NHMUK 010289178 [QTR barcode].
Deposition summary: BMNH (HT ♂, 2 PT ♂♂, 4 PT ♀♀).
Type locality. Bekolosy Mt., RS Manongarivo, c. 1163 m, 14.0458o S, 48.2962o E +/- 0.5 km, 1130 +/- 35 m.
Diagnosis. In its translucence, the extended FWD space-CuA1 Orng of Ht. vertigo is intermediate between Ht. turbans and Ht. sabas. Ht. vertigo in wing pattern resembles Ht. turbans more than it does Ht. sabas, but the FWD space-CuA1 Orng is largely suffused with orange and only pale whitish-translucent in the anteriad half, especially proximad, rather than throughout it, as in Ht. sabas, or largely orange as in Ht. turbans. Ht. vertigo lacks the extreme ear-like cupping of the gnathos seen in Ht. sabas (Lees, 1997: 107) and Ht. turbans (Fig. 29 B; NW Zahamena) as well as some related species (e.g. Ht. angulifascia, Ht. borgo), and the HWV Mb is much less kinked than in any of these species.
Description. Wings: Similar to Heteropsis turbans. Upperside uniform mid brown, except with conspicuous orange Mf/crescent (as in a few other of the Ht. strigula -group, notably Ht. strigula) at base of HWD space-M2 following curve at base of vein M3. FW space-CuA1 ocellus with orange to pale yellow/translucent ‘ring,’ more like a hexagon that has been compressed along a diagonal running from mid-costa to tergal angle. FWD space-M1 ocellus quite small and elliptic with narrow orange ring. HWD space-CuA1 ocellus the only one expressed there and slightly elliptic, with narrow orange ring. Darkish brown, diffuse, slightly wavy, uprecurved hair brush emanates mainly from space-1A as far as mid-vein. Underside greyish brown, similar to Ht. turbans but with a less kinked HWV Mb, and limited irroration, especially in basal area. Space-CuA1 ocellus with orange ring yellowing proximad following reddish brown concave curve of Mb before it bends back to mid-costa. Space-M1 ocellus fairly elliptic, with white pupil and wide narrow black iris, but narrow orange ring. HWV space-CuA1 ocellus large and round to elliptic with narrow pale orange ring. HWV space-Rs-M2 ocelli generally not expressed and space- CuA2 ocellus small and elliptic with faint orange ring. HWV Mb reddish brown and fairly straight but outflexed around M2, generally with a yellow patch (Mf) distad of it in space-M2, and curved back towards the anal angle in space-CuA2. Slight, wavy brown Pml tracks the wing margin and Sml more closely follows the fairly crenate (notably much less so than in the related Ht. sabas) HW margin. FWV cell area with four darker brown rather equally spaced transverse Cbs, the outermost of which flank area that is paler than for the inner pair. Basal areas not much darker than areas distad of the Mb, and darker brown PMb weakly represented. Variation. ♂♂ similar to each other, but seasonal variation is not known, as the entire type series was caught near the start of the rainy season in mid December. ♀♀ similar, but dorsally lighter and larger with more rounded wings.
Wingspan/fwl: range 32.2–35.6/17.3–19.6 (n=2 ♂♂), including HT ♂ 35.2/ 19.6 mm. Range 35.3–36.3/ 19.4– 19.5 mm (n=2 ♀♀).
Androconia: 1A+2A has a narrowly tapered inflation and 3A is much more swollen distad, from base to midvein, covered in thin grey-brown scales. As for Ht. turbans and Ht. sabas, along their length HW veins M2, M3, CuA1 and CuA2 are also narrowly inflated and have specialized scales on the dorsal surface. Abdominal black androconia just visible ventro-laterally around A4–A5. HWD Sdb dark brown, Sdp grey, small, lenticular, composed of narrow grey scales.
Palps: ochreous brown with darker brown thin medial stripe and with dark brown border away from compound eye and with dark brown scales above where potentially brushing eye, sandwiching ochreous scales away from eye.
♂ genitalia: 366DL, PT (Fig. 29 A): from LV, uncus fairly straight in line with tegumen in non-deflexed position and recurved down to a sharply hooked point, with a distinct ‘head’ before tip; tegumen about same length as uncus and constriction at fusion line with vinculum only moderate, such that tegumen from LV tapers only slightly from a rectangular frame; tegumen features wide and shallow proximad notch from DV. Gnathos on angled base, flattened distinctly before tip into broadened structure (not nearly as earlike as for example in Ht. turbans and Ht. angulifascia), with drawn out, tapered and pointed tip, most noticeable in DV. Valves fairly stout and uprecurved arms fairly short leading to a ‘bird’s head’ (rather ‘cassowary head’-like, from DV) tip with spinoid setae and with inwardly projecting ‘beak’. Saccus quite short and inflated towards proximad tip and aedeagus about 1/5 longer than valve. Juxta protruding considerably proximad.
Etymology. A direct reference to the vertiginous waterfall directly below the camp at Bekolosy Mt. (14.04514°S, 48.29616°E, 1130 m, from Google Earth) that marks the lower elevational limit of this species. Returning after a storm at the summit, I narrowly avoided falling into this cascade, when jumping between two rocks, my net bag caught the strength of the current, and it was thanks to the alertness of the camp assistant, who rushed over, and holding on to my leg, ensured I reached the rock on other side (netless, however). The net was even found in the morning among the rocks at the top of the fall. Alludes also to the marvellous Hitchcock film of this name, with its subliminal spiralling motif.
Discussion. No historical museum collections of Ht. vertigo are known. When first found in the field in December 1994, the species was given a morphospecies number (sp. 61) but was nevertheless thought to represent Ht. turbans (indeed Lees 1997: 225 Fig. 3 K erroneously shows the distribution of that species extending to the northwest of Madagascar). Ht. vertigo has since been found on the adjacent mountain of Antsatrotro in November 2011. The species is confusable with a number of described taxa. Examined were the STs of Culapa turbans Oberthür 1916 (LT ♂, here designated, Fig. 28 C, specimen bearing labels “ Madagascar Antsianaka Perrot Freres 2e Semestre 1893| Culapa turbans Obthr ♂ type |P.E.L. Viette det. 1968 Culapa turbans Ch. Obthr. LECTOTYPE |supposed “ type ” of Culapa turbans Oberthür |[copy of Oberthür 1916, Pl. 356, f. 3050]|BMNH(E) #674780”) and of Culapa curvatula Oberthür, 1916 (LT, here designated, Fig. 28 D, specimen bearing labels: “Antsianaka et lac Alaotra 2e Trimestre 1889 Perrot Freres|[copy of Oberthür 1916, Pl. 356, f. 3057]|BMNH(E) #674784; automatically then, PLT ♂: BMNH(E) #674786; PLT ♀♀: BMNH(E) #674785) and BMNH(E) #674787, with same locality data). Ht. curvatula was considered a synonym of Ht. turbans by Lees et al., 2003 (see also below). Also examined (Fig. 28 E) was the HT ♂ of Culapa sabas Oberthür, 1923 (‘Tamatave’|BMNH(E) #674789), in addition to extensive field material of Ht. turbans and Ht. sabas across their ranges. As well as being allopatric, the species is clearly separated from types of both species by a consistently differing FWD ocellus colour pattern and in field collected material of those species, by divergent ♂ genitalia.
Additional information. DNA divergences: COI-5P barcode cluster number BOLD:ACD8579. Bekolosy and Antsatrotro specimens have an identical haplotype; the mountains are not far apart. The COI-5P barcode is about 1.06% divergent to Ht. turbans and about 1.7% divergent to Ht. sabas with six apparently fixed nucleotide differences to Ht. turbans; all three species share the same cluster number. Sister to H. sabas in Aduse-Poku et al., (2016).
Phylogeny/sister species: sister species unclear, but closely related both to Ht. sabas and Ht. turbans, according to the COI-5P barcode. A ♀ of the ‘ curvatula ’ phenotype (DL06-1099, BMAD259-15) from NW Zahamena was one nucleotide different (COI-5P) to other barcoded members of H. turbans (cluster number BOLD:ACD8579), and so the above synonymy appears correct.
Ecology and distribution.
Habitat: primary montane rainforest.
Behaviour: one was caught in a low hung fruit trap at the waterfall camp.
Hostplant: unknown.
Early stages: unknown.
Distribution: as far as is known endemic to Réserve Speciale de Manongarivo, Mts. Bekolosy and Antsatrotro (Fig. 30 B, fawn dots).
Elevational range: 1130–1410 m. (n=45; including referred specimens and observational data, such as fruit trap data).
Referred specimens. ♂, Madagascar NW, RS Manongarivo, Bekolosy, 1215 m, 14.034o S, 48.31o E +/- 1 km, 1215 +/- 50 m, 18/12/1994, 09:30, D.C. Lees: DLBEK 94_165, 46; ♂, NW, Antsatrotro Mt., RS Manongarivo, [1250] m, near camp, 14.0824o S, 48.3663o E +/- 0.35 km, 1240 +/- 25 m, 2/12/2011, 14:51, D.C. Lees: DL 11A- 0001/ BMAD 245-15 [DNA barcoded specimen], IA609 [isotope voucher]; ♀, data as above but: 3/12/2011, D.C. Lees: DL 11A-0002/ BMAD 244-15 [DNA barcoded specimen].
description: Published as part of C, Lees David, 2016, Heteropsis (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Satyrini: Mycalesina): 19 new species from Madagascar and interim revision, pp. 1-97 in Zootaxa 4118 (1) on pages 89-92, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4118.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/264597