Calisto aquilum Nunez, sp. n.
Creators: name: Aguila, Rayner Núñez
name: Matos- Maraví, Pável F.
name: Wahlberg, Niklas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nymphalidae
Calisto
Calisto aquilum

description: Calisto aquilum Núñez, sp. n.
Figures 9–12, 21–22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37–40
Type material. Holotype— 3, CUBA, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad, ladera norte de Pico Potrerillo, 21°53'27"N 80°00'49"W, 750-850 m, 11/V/2012, R. Núñez, DNA voucher RN01–02 (M070). Deposited in CZACC. Paratypes— 8 3, 2 Ƥ: same data as holotype, 3 genitalia in glycerine (3 3, 1 Ƥ). Sancti Spiritus, Loma de Banao, camino de La Sabina a Caja de Agua, 850 m, 11/V/2012, R. Núñez, DNA voucher PM20–01 (M055), genitalia in glycerin (1 Ƥ). Cienfuegos, Cumanayagua, Pico San Juan, 1140m, 21°59'25"N 80°08'50"W, 12/V/2012, R. Núñez, DNA voucher RN01–07 (M071), 3 & Ƥ genitalia in glycerin (3 3, 1 Ƥ); Cumanayagua, Buenos Aires, 600m, 21°59'13"N 80°11'20"W, 16/VI/1967 (1 3); Cumanayagua, carretera a Pico San Juan, V/1986, R. Rodríguez, (1 3). Deposited in CZACC.
Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin aquilus (dark–colored, dun), in reference to the dark brownish coloration of the adults.
Diagnosis. Calisto aquilum is superficially most similar to C. smintheus, C. brochei and C. dissimulatum ¸ a new species previously described herein. From C. smintheus it differs by its less brighter pattern, by lacking the strong reddish suffusion at underside of hindwing, and its smaller average size: 3 FWL=18.6± 0.7 mm, N=7, Ƥ FWL=17.9± 0.4 mm, N=3 versus 3 FWL=21.9± 1.6 mm, N=50, Ƥ FWL=22.5±1.4, N=23. From C. brochei also differs by lacking the waved outer margin of male androconial patch, by its less contrasted underside wing pattern, and its smaller average size: 3 FWL=20.9± 0.8 mm, N=9, Ƥ FWL=21.5±0.4, N= 5 in C. brochei. From C. dissimulatum differs externally by its less contrasted underside wing pattern. From all three above mentioned species differs by lacking the dense ochre or reddish scaling around subterminal lines at apexes of both wings. Internally, the male genitalia of C. aquilum differ from both C. smintheus and C. brochei by its proportionally smaller uncus when compared to tegumen and it is tapered after basal half instead from base as in C. smintheus and C. brochei. The digitiform projection of valvae is straight as in C. smintheus but shorter whereas it’s slightly curved in C. brochei. There are no appreciable differences with the male genitalia of C. dissimulatum. The female genitalia of Calisto aquilum is diagnostic by having an asymmetric dorsal crown, thinner on the left side in ventral view.
Description. Forewing length 3 17.4–19.8 mm, Ƥ 17.3–18.2 mm. Upper surface of wings dark brown, uniform in both sexes; male androconial patch darker than background, almost black, anterior margin behind posterior margin of cell, outer margin parallel to wing margin (Figures 9, 11, 25). Under surface brown with darker lines, background slightly paler at outer margin of post discal line; forewing ocellus with two bluish white iridescent pupils, post discal line externally edged with little contrasting pale yellow scaling at ocellus area; about two fifths of cell extension red colored, both base and apex brown colored as surrounding background; hindwing background mixed with pale yellow and pale ochre scales basal to post dical line which is externally edge by little contrasting pale yellow scaling, heavier around ocellus; post discal area sparsely splashed with lilac scales and four white dots at vein interspaces Rs–M1, M1–M2, M2–M3 and M3–Cu1, dots at M1–M2 and M2–M3 slightly larger than those at Rs–M1 and M3–Cu1 ones (Figures 10, 12, 21, 22). Male genitalia with tegumen about two thirds the length of uncus, slightly concave at the middle and rounded at posterior half; uncus slightly arched, basal half about the same height then gradually tapering toward apex; digitiform projection of valvae, including ventral margin, straight and moderately short; aedeagus sinuated with distinct right curves at both basal and apical halves and an additional smaller curve at the middle (Figure 28). Female genitalia with dorsal crown asymmetric, thinner on the left side in ventral view, height about 0.33x width at right side and 0.20 at the left side; ductus bursae about 1.3x the length of corpus bursae (Figure 31).
Distribution. Calisto aquilum is known from localities on both sections, Alturas de Banao and Alturas de Trinidad, of the Guamuhaya massif, the major mountain range of central Cuba (Figures 33, 34). A different subspecies inhabits the Guaniguanico mountain range, in western Cuba.
Biology. Collecting sites are at low to moderate elevations (450–1140 m). Habitats include broad leaf evergreen forest, rainforest, and the vegetation complex of the mogotes (limestome hills) (Figures 37–40).
Individuals have been observed taking nectar on Biden pilosa L. (Asteraceae). Its host plant and immature stages are unknown.
Remarks. Genetic differences and geographic isolation from Calisto dissimulatum, were commented at the Remarks section of the latter. From sympatric C. torrei and C. muripetens, C. aquilum differs by 8.5% and 6.5%, respectively. Calisto aquilum is one of the few Cuban taxa present in more than one mountain range. Intraspecific variation of the COI gene suggests that its populations from western and central Cuba differ by 1.4% with an average within populations variation of 0.17 (2 specimens, 2 localities) and 0.11% (3 specimens, 3 localities), respectively. That and a geographic separation of more than 300 km led us to propose the subspecies rank for the western population described below.
description: Published as part of Aguila, Rayner Núñez, Matos- Maraví, Pável F. & Wahlberg, Niklas, 2013, New Calisto species from Cuba, with insights on the relationships of Cuban and Bahamian taxa (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), pp. 503-521 in Zootaxa 3669 (4) on pages 513-515, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3669.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/249423