Euselasia auriantiaca subsp. aurum Callaghan, Llorente-Bousquets & Luis-Martinez, 2007, ssp. nov.
Creators: name: Callaghan, Curtis J.
name: Llorente-Bousquets, Jorge
name: Luis-Martinez, Armando
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lycaenidae
Euselasia
Euselasia auriantiaca
Euselasia auriantiaca aurum

description: Euselasia auriantiaca aurum ssp. nov.
Figures 6, 7, 11, 15
Description. Male. (Fig. 6) Forewing length of Holotype 18.5 mm. Forewing costa slightly curved, distal margin slightly convex, inner margin straight; hind wing costa curved, distal margin straight and elongated, tornus rounded. Dorsal wing ground color dark yellow-orange with black markings. Apex and distal margin of forewing broadly black, starting from 1/3 of the way along the costa, then across the end of cell, nearly to the tornus where it turns slightly basad. Apex of hindwing black. Ventral surface ground color uniform light yellow-grey, slightly darker where upper surface is dark brown, with a row of faint sub-marginal spots between the veins on both wings and an irregular, narrow, light brown discal band, continuing straight across both wings nearly to inner margin of hindwing where it jags basad. Head, thorax, abdomen brown dorsad, white ventrad; antennae brown, ventrad with white scales between sections, more extensive near flattened clubs; orbit, frontoclypeus, labial palpi and legs white. Genitalia (Fig.11) with uncus projecting caudad at base to a point, 34 small caudad projecting teeth on each side; tegumen with long basal projection and a dark irregular sclerotized patch dorsad; falces wide with end closest to uncus bent. Vinculum long with a slight widening in center and slightly wider at base. Valvae short, squared and double pointed on the tips which are curved inward and more heavily sclerotized at base; transtilla with long, pointed process dorsad; aedeagus short, thick.
Female (Fig. 7) Forewing length 21.3 mm. Forewing slightly convex, broadly falcate at apex, distal margin rounded, hind wing distal margin rounded with a sharp angle at M3. Ground color light yellow orange, apex forewing light brown, continuing down margin to tornus. Ventral surface light brown with a row of marginal spots between the veins and a light irregular discal band across both wings.
Types. Holotype male with label reading: Cueva del Borrego, Omiltemi, Chilpancingo de los Bravos, Guerrero, 2-II-1985, J. Llorente, B. de Encino 1850 m. 10:55h, and a red type label. Paratypes 22 males, and 19 females: NAYARIT: Venustiano Carranza, Tepic, 24-XI-1980, 20-IV-1988, J. Llorente 1150 m; MICHO- ACÁN: Jicalán, Uruapan, L. González Cota, 1640 m on following dates: 19-X-1990, 25-X-1990, 01-XII- 1990, 02-XII-1990, 06-II-1991, 15-II-1991, 19-II-1991, 20-II-1991, 21-II-1991, 22-II-1991, 15-XI-1991, 16- XI-1991, 15-II-1992. JALISCO: Los Mazos, Autlán, 12-XI-1990, I. Vargas, 1750 m. GUERRERO: Cueva del Borrego, Chilpancingo de los Bravos, 2-II-1985, J. Llorente; 3-V-1985; A. Luis, 1850 m; Potrerillo, Omiltemi, Chilpancingo de los Bravos, 2300 m, 09-VI-1985, J. Llorente-A. Luis; Laguna de Agua Escondida, Omiltemi, Chilpancingo de los Bravos, 2350 m; 21-XI-1984, J. Llorente-A. Luis.
Other material examined: 36 males, and 7 females: NAYARIT: Venustiano Carranza, Tepic, 1060 m, 04-XII-1979; E. González, 1060 m. MICHOACÁN: Jicalán, Uruapan, L. González Cota, 1640 m, on the following dates: 05-II-1990, 19-X-1990, 20-X-1990, 24-XI-1990, 24-XI-1990, 25-X-1990, 30-XI-1990, 06-II- 1991, 11-II-1991, 13-II-1991, 14-II-1991, 15-II-1991, 18-II-1991, 19-II-1991, 20-II-1991, 21-II-1991, 22-II- 1991, 28-II-1991, 19-X-1991, 20-X-1991, 25-X-1991; Cerro de la Cruz, Uruapan, 23-IX-1989; González Cota, 2200 m.
The Holotype and paratypes are deposited in the MZFC.
Etymology. The name refers to the golden-yellow ground color of the upperside of the wings.
Diagnosis. The maculation of Euselasia auriantiaca aurum resembles that of Euselasia auriantiaca aurantiaca (Salvin & Godman, 1868), which also occurs in southern México (Veracruz), but the male of E. a. aurum has more truncated hind wings and the dorsal ground color is pale yellow instead of orange-yellow. Ventrally, the nominate subspecies is white instead of light yellow and more strongly marked with a wide discal band. The male genitalia of E. a. aurantiaca are similar to those of E. a. aurum in having a similar uncus and equally sclerotized tegumen; however the basal projection of the tegumen is squared instead of pointed. The valvae are slightly longer in E. a. aurantiaca than in E. a. aurum, and the tips are more deeply bisected. More data from northern Oaxaca is needed on these two phenotypes to determine whether they are truly conspecific. For now, we conservatively treat them as subspecies.
Distribution and Habits. Euselasia a. aurum inhabits the Pacific slope of Mexico from central Oaxaca north to Nayarit. It is found in a great variety of habitats from 900 to 2400 m, from the most humid cloud forest to dryer habitats such as semi evergreen forest, dry tropical forest, oak forest (Quercus) and pine-oak forest (Pinus – Quercus). It is found of perching along forested edges in the early afternoon, often in the company of Adelpha species. Euselasia aurantiaca aurantiaca ranges from Venezuela and Central America north to Chiapas and Veracruz on the Mexican Atlantic slope.
description: Published as part of Callaghan, Curtis J., Llorente-Bousquets, Jorge & Luis-Martinez, Armando, 2007, Descriptions of four new Mexican riodinids (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), pp. 33-43 in Zootaxa 1660 on pages 36-37, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.179912