HALTERES, Volume 4, 53-58, 2013 ISSN 0973-1555 © CHARN KUMAR Status of the Genus Spalgis Moore with taxonomic notes on the type species, Spalgis epeus (Westwood) in the Indian Himalaya Charn Kumar A.S. College, Khanna, Samrala Road Khanna, Ludhiana, Punjab, India - 141401 (e-mail: [email protected]) Abstract As per the earlier records, genus Spalgis Moore is represented by two species viz., epeus Westwood and baiongus Cantlie and Norman in India, the latter one being very rare and restricted to Assam. During the repeated surveys undertaken in an ICAR, New Delhi sponsored project, only the type-species of this genus, Spalgis epeus (Westwood) has been reported from the Himalayan region in India. The diagnosis of the genus has been updated by inclusion of the characters of the male and the female genitalia. The survey work shows that the species is quite rare in the Himalaya. Keywords: Himalaya, male genitalia, female gentalia, Lycaenidae, Spalgis. Introduction From the Indian region, about 1438 Out of these, the former two species have species of butterflies have been been reported from India and according documented and out of these, more than to Cantlie and Norman (1960) and Cantlie 438 species belong to the family (1963), the species, baiongus restricted to Lycaenidae which makes about 30% of Assam is very rare one. Further, d' this total butterfly diversity (Evans, Abrera (loc. cit.), who advocated the 1932; Wynter-Blyth, 1957; Haribal, 1992; taxonomic revision of the other species Khoshoo, 1994 and Kehimkar, 2008). i.e., epeus Westwood has reported eight Owing to small size, less attractive subspecies viz., e. epeus Westwood colouration and difficulty in (India, Ceylon to Peninsular Malaya, identification, the butterflies of family Nicobars, Mergui islands), e. nubilus Lycaenidae have not been adequately Moore (Andamans, Pulau Tiomam), e. explored and more so the taxonomic flangola Kheil (Borneo, Sumatra, Nias), account of different taxa warrants e. titius Fruhstorfer (Java, Bali, Lombok, updating. The genus Spalgis Moore, is Sumba, Sumbawa), e. substrigata Snellen represented by eight species viz., epeus (Sulawesi), e. strigatus Semper (Southern Westwood, baiongus Cantlie and and Central Philippines, Palawan), e. Norman, takanamii Eliot, asmus Parsons, semperi Fruhstorfer (Northern jacksoni Stempffer, lemolea Druce, pilos Philippines and Luzon) and e. dilama Druce and tintinga Boisduval in the Moore (Taiwan) under it from the Oriental and the African regions (d' respective localities / areas from the Abrera, 1986; Bridges, 1988 and Eliot, 1992). Oriental region. 53 Charn Kumar Observations Westwood, [1851], In Gen. Diurn. Lep. 2: Genus Spalgis Moore 502 (Gerydus); Moore, 1879, Proc. Zool. Common name: The Apefly Soc. Lond.: 137 (Spalgis); de Nicéville, Moore, 1879, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond.: 1890, Butts India Burmah Ceylon 3: 55 137; de Nicéville, 1890, Butts India (Spalgis); Cantlie, 1963, Lyc. Butts Burmah Ceylon 3: 54; Evans, 1932, Revised: 30 (Spalgis). Ident. Indian Butts (2nd 3d.): 213; Cantlie and Norman, 1960, J. Bombay Spalgis epeus epeus (Westwood) nat. Hist. Soc. 57 (2): 424; Cantlie, 1963, Westwood, [1851], Gen. Diurn. Lep. 2: Lyc. Butts Revised: 29. 502 (Gerydus). Type-species: Gerydus epeus (Westwood) Male genitalia: Symmetrical, relatively Westwood, [1851], In Gen. diurn. Lep. much smaller sized, well sclerotized; (2): 502. uncus undivided, with apex rounded, each lateral portion broad, rectangular, Generic diagnosis: eyes smooth; labial pilose; brachia short, laterally palpi porrect, second segment laterally compressed, hook-shaped, gradually compressed, third segment acuminate; tapering to acute apices; subscaphium not antenna shorter than half the length of developed; tegumen broad, triangular forewing, gradually thickening to slender band shaped; lateral windows deep; club, nudum extends deep into flagellum; vinculum long and narrow, with upper each leg with tibia shorter than femur, portion produced to oval lateral flaps the latter hairy, terminal tibial spurs behind tegumen; saccus obsolete; each absent; forewing with 11 veins, stalk of valva large, bottle-shaped laterally, veins R3+R5 separated very briefly costae of both sides joined by a median before end cell; male genitalia with an semimembranous ridge, sacculus broad, undivided hood-like uncus, brachia band-shaped, apical portion of each sharply curved, tapering into acute sharply divided into teeth like halves, apices, vinculum moderaely wide, saccus pilose; juxta unique, comprising two obsolete, each valva large, bottle-shaped curved attenuate processes extending well laterally, aedeagus moderate, slender, beyond valvae; aedeagus moderate, subzone longer than suprazone, ductus straight, slender, with subzone longer ejaculatorius enters dorsad, coecum than suprazone, apex narrower and elongated, rounded; female genitalia with ventrally produced, vesica inconspicuous, genital plate not developed, ductus subzone with an oblique short opening seminalis enters dorsad at base of ductus for bulbus ejaculatorius, the latter bursae, corpus bursae shorter, egg- siphon-shaped, ductus ejaculatorius shaped, a pair of spicule shaped signa enters dorsad, coecum elongated, with present, apophyses anteriores small, laterally compressed rounded apex. apophyses posteriores moderately long, Female genitalia: Lodix rectangular with papilla analis sparsely pilose. small moderately sclerotized patches at posterior angles, otherwise membranous; Spalgis epeus (Westwood) genital plate not developed; ductus Common name: The Apefly seminalis enters on dorsal side at base of 54 Status of the Genus Spalgis with taxonomic notes on the type species, Spalgis epeus (Male, dorsal view) (Male, ventral view) (Female, dorsal view) Spalgis epeus epeus (Westwood) 55 Charn Kumar Spalgis epeus epeus (Westwood) 56 Status of the Genus Spalgis with taxonomic notes on the type species, Spalgis epeus ductus bursae; the latter opens in funnel so, an account of the female genitalia is shaped semimembranous pouch at base, also furnished for the first time. Further, gradually broadens and goes the species, under reference, is the type- imperceptibly into corpus bursae; corpus species of the genus Spalgis, proposed by bursae egg-shaped, membranous, shorter Moore (1879) on apparently superficial than ductus bursae, a pair small spicule- characters such as wing shape and shaped signa present in middle; proximal presence of vein R3. Accordingly, the margin of 8th tergum deeply excavated diagnosis of the said genus has been laterally; apophyses posteriores updated by inclusion of the characters of moderate, laterally compressed, almost the male and the female genitalia. It may straight structures, papilla analis suboval, also be pointed out that except for with basal half sclerotized, distal half Cantlie (loc. cit.) and Bridges (1988), quite membranous, sparsely pilose. workers like Moore (loc. cit.), de Nicéville (loc. cit.), Bingham (loc. cit.), Forewing length: Male, 11 mm; Female, 12 mm. Evans (loc. cit.), Peile (loc. cit.), Wynter- Material examined: Assam: 1 ♀, 14.V.95, Blyth (loc. cit.), Stempffer (loc. cit.), d' Bashistha, 250 m ASL, Kamrup. West Bangal: Abrera (loc. cit.), Seki et al. (1991) and 1 ♂, 19.V.95, Sivoke, 270 m ASL, Eliot (loc. cit.) have spelled the species Darjeeling. as epius Westwood rather than epeus Range: 250-270 m ASL. Westwood. The present survey work Old distribution: Ceylon, South India to shows that the species is quite rare and is Bengal, Kumaon to Burma, Nicobars. represented by its nominotype in India. Larval food: Carnivorous on scale Acknowledgemnts insects and mealy bugs (Coccidae) The author is grateful to Dr. H.S. (Sevastopulo, 1973). Rose, the Principal Investigator of ICAR, Remarks New Delhi sponsored project on butterfly During the course of surveys in the diversity of Himalaya (1995-1998) for Hamalaya, one male and one female of much needed expertise and literature. this type-species, collected from above References mentioned localities have been identified Bingham, C.T. 1907. The Fauna of British from the relevant literature sources (de India, including Ceylon and Burma. Nicéville, 1890; Bingham, 1907; Evans, Butterflies II. London: Taylor and 1932; Peile, 1937; Wynter-Blyth, 1957; Francis 480pp. Cantlie, 1963 and d' Abrera, 1986). The Bridges, C.A. 1988. Catalogue of Lycaenidae material has also been compared with the and Riodinidae (Lepidoptera: reference collections lying at I.A.R.I., Rhopalocera). U.S.A: Urbana, Illinois New Delhi. The male genitalia of the 816pp. species agrees with an account of the Cantlie, K. 1963. The Lycaenidae portion same given by Stempffer (1957) and Eliot (except the Arhopala group) of Brigadier Evans' The Identification of (1992). However, the description of Indian Butterflies 1932 (India, various constituent parts of the male Pakistan, Ceylon, Burma). Bombay: genitalia need elaboration. Besides doing 57 Charn Kumar Natural History Society, Bombay Haribal, M. 1992. The Butterflies of Sikkim 156pp. Himalaya and their Natural History. Cantlie, K. and Norman, T. 1960. Four new India: Sikkim Nature Conservation butterflies from Assam. Journal of Foundation, Gangtok, 217pp.. Bombay Natural History Society 57(2): Kehimkar, I. 2008. The Book of Indian 424-429. Butterflies. India: Bombay Natural d' Abrera, B. 1986. Butterflies of the History Society 497pp. Oriental region Part-III. Lycaenidae Khoshoo, T.N. 1994. India's Biodiversity: and Riodinidae. Australia: Hill House Tasks ahead. Current Science 67(8): 536-672pp. 577-582.