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

description: Heteropsis westwoodi Lees, sp. nov.
LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:422E5526-8FBB-4AD6-A47D-EC95FF54E16F
Prior references: sp. 13B (Lees, 1997: 64). “KA522_Heteopsis_ andravahana ” [sic] (Aduse-Poku et al., 2015: Fig. 1).
Type material., Deposition BMNH: Holotype: ♂ (Fig. 10 A), Madagascar SE, Vohitrasiva, near ridge, " 1390 m ", Andringitra, [mountaintop on way to Vohipia (1760 m pass)], 22.1684o S, 47.0289o E +/- 0.1 km, 1450 +/- 50 m, 17/2/1995, 11:40–13:15, D.C. Lees: DL 95-0002; KAP20 [=KA-P20; DNA extract number], NHMUK 010289130 [QTR barcode].
Paratypes: Deposition BMNH: ♂, data as HT but DL 95-0001, IA288 [isotope voucher], KA751 [=KA-P751; DNA extract number], NHMUK 010289131 [QTR barcode]; ♂, data as HT but DL 95-0003, 236 DL [genitalia], IA290 [isotope voucher], NHMUK 010289182 [QTR barcode].
Deposition MNHN: ♂, Madagascar, forêt d’Anjavidilava, Andringitra Oriental, 2005 m, 1/ 15-I-1971, P. Griveaud et P. Soga|DCL-DB-2923; six ♂♂, data as above but: representing the rest of series from DCL-DB-2919 to DCL-DB-2925.
Deposition summary: BMNH (HT ♂, 2 PT ♂♂), MNHN (7 PT ♂♂).
Type locality. Madagascar E, Vohitrasiva, Andringitra, 22.1684o S, 47.0289o E +/- 0.1 km, 1450 +/- 50 m.
Diagnosis. There is only one particularly similar species to Ht. westwoodi: Ht. viettei has a similar white band distad of the HWV Mb, but is generally smaller and much more widely distributed (sympatric in Fianarantsoa province) in Madagascar. Among related species, Ht. harveyi ♂♂ have yellow rather than whitish highlighting distad of the Mb in some forms.
Description. Wings: dorsal surface fairly uniform dark brown, darker in area of cell and above towards costa. FWD space-CuA1 ocellus expressed, roughly circular, its black iris spanning inter-vein distance CuA1-CuA2, with a narrow concentric dark orange ring. HWD space-cuA1 ocellus elliptic, with a black iris spanning more than half intervein distance CuA1-CuA2, and a dark orange ring relatively slightly broader than in the FWD and nearly spanning the intervein distance. No other ocelli expressed on FWD. A dark Sml quite closely hugs the margin in both wings and both surfaces. HW margin moderately and evenly crenulate, with rather blunt dark blackish brown tails on the otherwise violet-grey-brown fringe. Ventral surface with a light grey-violet cast, especially on the HW. FWV ocellus space-CuA1 is circular and same size as on the FWD with a concentric quite narrow orange ring. M1 ocellus FWV fairly small and circular with black iris and faint narrow orange ring. A small ocellus with very small black iris is expressed just below the M1 ocellus FWV. In the HWV the space-CuA1 ocellus is as on the HWD and space-R5-M3 ocelli are expressed as very small white points. Mb irregular, strongly concave from the margin to M2 where it forms a cusp, then strongly and irregularly indented and maximally concave in space-CuA1, convex again in space-CuA2 and concave again to vein 1A+2A where it terminates. The Mb HWV delineates a relatively darker brown irrorated area proximad to the PMb that only slightly repeats the shape of the Mb. Distad of the Mb from veins M2-1A is a clear white band, also irregular, with prominence in space M2 and maximum width proximad of space-CuA1 ocellus, tapering to 1A+2A with a slight expansion in Space-CuA2. Distad of this white band is a slightly paler brown area irrorated less densely with darker brown than the band in the more basal area. Patterning on the FWV is fairly uniform, darker proximad of the Mb that is concave around the space-CuA1 ocellus and recurves back towards mid-costa, with indications of three or four paler stripes above the cell. There is slightly paler brown highlighting in premarginal area just proximad of the dark Sml. Variation. A PT ♂ (DL95- 0001) has a much stronger violet-grey cast, especially to the HWV. Sexually dimorphic (Fig. 10 A–B), ♀ larger and lighter in referred specimen BMNH(E) #674842 (Fig. 10 B), but similar in ventral patterning, although with a more contrasting darker band between the HWV PMb and Mb.
Wingspan/fwl: range 37.5–40.3/ 19.7–20.7 mm (n=3 type ♂♂); mean = 37.4 +/- 1.1 SD/20.7 +/- 0.3 SD mm (n=3 ♂♂), including HT ♂ 38.6/ 20.7 mm. 44.1/ 22.8 mm (n=1 referred ♀).
Androconia: HWD discocellular brush light brown. HWD discocellular patch ‘bullet’-shaped, peach pink coloured.
Palps: outside face ochreous with distinct dark brown medial strip, fringed with thin blackish scales except where palps brush eye, and sandwiching ochreous hair scales away from eye.
♂ genitalia: 236DL, PT ♂ from Vohitraseva (Lees, 1997: 109, Fig. 7 i, “13B”; see Fig. 11 A). From LV, a very shallowly domed tegumen with a rather straight dorsal edge profile and slight brow leads to a ‘hand-scythe’-shaped uncus, which is fairly evenly deep except towards the tip of the hook, where it features more of a ‘head’ dorsad; very thin from DV. Tegumen with wide ‘U’-shaped proximad notch, from LV proximad profile bending round sharply to a constriction at junction with vinculum. This ‘waist’ is over half the maximum dimension of the tegumen (and thus the tegumen does not have a quadrate shape from LV). Valve with a very prominent convex dorsal ‘shoulder’ making up part of an oblong shape which leads to the narrow quite tapering and fairly straight valve arms, which are ventrally slightly elbowed and with a very slightly expanded club extending beyond the uncus tip, with a dorsal tooth and with a slightly incurved, rather blunt and serrate distal region (pointed and somewhat incurved from DV); this club covered in an array of spinoid setae on its mesad face. Gnathos from rightangled base pointing in line with the uncus tip in its porrect position, relatively straight and tapered to pointed tip and with negligible serration; from DV slightly sinuate and inrecurved at tip. Saccus moderately extended and markedly inflated proximad, less than a third of total valve length. Aedeagus very thin, dorsoventrally flattened and uprecurved in distad half, with a long ostium proximad, proximad tip rather semicircular from DV. Juxta quite prominent proximad and keel-like from LV, bilobed from DV.
Etymology. After John Obadiah Westwood, founder of the genus Heteropsis and describer of the remarkable Heteropsis drepana. The Hope Department of Entomology at Oxford, that Westwood founded, contains a number of other interesting species from Madagascar.
Discussion. No historical museum material is known and the first field specimens of this species were recognized by C. Kremen in 1988–1991 in what is now Ranomafana National Park (Lees, 1997: 64). The sole surviving ST ♀ (in BMNH; now a LT) of Mycalesis andravahana was examined and belongs to a not closely related species, as discussed above. The HT of Henotesia wardii Butler, 1879 was also examined (BMNH(E) #674838) together with its genitalic slide dissection (P. Viette no. 4847; see also above) and this species (now known as Heteropsis viettei Lees, 2003) is clearly not conspecific, despite the superficial similarity to Ht. westwoodi of Pl. 5, Figs. 6, 7 of Mabille ([1885]). The specimen represents Ht. viettei, as discussed above.
Additional information. DNA divergences: COI-5P cluster number BOLD:ACW4998 (exemplars BMAD134-15 DL06-980 from RS Kalambatritra and BMAD243-15 CK92-0005 from PN Andohahela; also KA- P510 (see Aduse-Poku et al., 2015) from Ambondrombe).
Phylogeny/sister species: apparently most closely related to Ht. harveyi (cluster number BOLD:ACW5694 and to Ht. viettei (BOLDAAK5839). Lees (1997) recovered Ht. westwoodi (as ‘THRTB’) as sister to Ht. viettei (‘THRTN’), based on all morphological evidence, genitalic characters, and non-genitalic characters, but without any jackknife support. Aduse-Poku et al., (2016, in press) confirm it as sister to Ht. viettei.
Ecology and distribution.
Habitat: montane rainforest with fine-leaved climbing bamboos.
Behaviour: ♂♂ fly quite rapidly in the substory.
Hostplant: suspected to be fine-leaved climbing bamboos.
Early stages: unknown.
Distribution: endemic to the southeastern mountains of Madagascar from Andohahela north to Andringitra, Mt. Ambondrombe and Mt Maharira, Ranomafana National Park (Fig. 30 A, pink dots).
Elevational range: 785–1817 m. (n=27 including referred specimens and observational data).
Referred specimens. ♂, Madagascar E, Ambondrombe, 21.8782o S, 47.2474o E +/- 0.5 km, 1604m, +/- 50 m, 22/3/2004, D.C. Lees et al.: DL-4-882, 638 [= DL 0638; DNA extract number], BMNH (E) #672003; ♂, E, Ambondrombe, 21.87874o S, 47.24969o E +/- 1 km, 170 +/- 50 m, 17/2/1995, D.C. Lees, DL-4-863, KA522 [=KA- P522; extract number; sequenced specimen in Aduse-Poku et al., 2015]; ♀, E, Andringitra, ridge, 1800 m, 20/11/ 2011, D.C.Lees: DL-11-0001, IA645 [isotope voucher]; ♂, SE, Andohahela, Antananandava, 1200 m, 48 54'E 24 34'S, [24.5735°S, 46.2°E +/-km, 1200 m], 29/11/1992; ♂, data as above but BMNH (E) #674844; ♂, SE, Andohahela, Antananandava, site S10, 1200 m, 48 54'E 24 34'S, [24.5735o S, 46.2o E 1200 m], 29/11/1992, CK92- 0 0 0 5, BMAD 243-15 [DNA barcode number]; ♀ (Fig. 10 B), SE, PN Andohahela, Antananandava, 1200 m, 48 54'E 24 34'S, [24.5735o S, 46.2o E, 1200 m], 29/11/1992, BMNH (E) #674842; ♂, SE, Andohahela, C. Kremen, BMNH (E) #697865, 238BDL [genitalia], IA636 [isotope voucher]; specimen, SE, Befarara, RS Kalambatritra (western), 23.417 o S, 46.43 o E, 1507 m +/- 140 m, D.C. Lees: DL 06-980, 15-Dec-2006: 11:59, BMAD 134-15 [DNA barcode voucher]; ♂, SE, Befarara, RS Kalambatritra (western), 23.4186o S, 46.44025o E +/- 0.042 km, 1569 +/- 25 m, 12/12/2006: 11:47, R. Ranaivosolo: DL 06-767; ♂, SE, Befarara, RS Kalambatritra (western), 23.418o S, 46.44o E +/- 0.15 km, 1557 +/- 25 m, 12/12/2006, M. Linares: DL 06-811, IA161 [isotope voucher]; right wings imaged.
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 35-38, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4118.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/264597