Volume 23: 22–25 METAMORPHOSIS ISSN 1018–6490 (PRINT) LEPIDOPTERISTS’ SOCIETY OF AFRICA ISSN 2307–5031 (ONLINE) Description of a new species of Erikssonia Trimen, 1891 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from the Democratic Republic of Congo Published online: 16 March 2013 Alan. J. Gardiner Southern African Wildlife College, Private Bag X3015, Hoedspruit 1380, South Africa. Email: [email protected] Copyright © Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa Abstract A fourth species of Erikssonia Trimen, 1891 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, E. bouyeri sp. nov., is added to the three species previously recognised in the genus: E. acraeina Trimen, 1891, E. cooksoni Druce, 1905, and E. edgei Gardiner & Terblanche 2010. A key to the species is provided. Key words: Erikssonia bouyeri, new species, systematics, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Aphnaeini. Citation: Gardiner, A.J. 2013. Description of a new species of Erikssonia Trimen, 1891 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Metamorphosis 23: 22–25. INTRODUCTION terminology used follows Gardiner and Terblanche (2010a). No genitalic dissections were The genus Erikssonia Trimen, 1891 was recently conducted. Measurements of forewing lengths revised by Gardiner and Terblanche (2010b). are from the apex, without the cilia to the base of They synonymised E. alaponoxa Henning & the costa. Measurements of the antenna are from Henning, 2001 with E. acraeina Trimen, 1891 the apex to the attachment to the head. (Zambia, Angola & DRC) and added an additional species E. edgei Gardiner & DESCRIPTION Terblanche, 2010 (South Africa). These two species, together with E. cooksoni Druce, 1905 Genus Erikssonia Trimen, 1891 (Zambia and DRC), were the only species known Type species: Erikssonia acraeina Trimen, by to the authors at the time. Since then an additional monotypy. undescribed species, represented by a single The genus Erikssonia is part of the tribe specimen, has come to the attention of the present Aphnaeini in the subfamily Theclinae [see Heath author. The specimen, captured by Hasson and (1997) for a review of the genera of the Bouyer in 2000, is so distinct that it warrants Aphnaeini]. description as a new species. This specimen, from the Katanga province of DRC, falls within the Generic characters previously known geographical range of the The distinctive pattern of Erikssonia consists of genus. black spots or lines (stria) on an orange-pink-red background (umbrae) and provides the genus with MATERIAL AND METHODS a superficial resemblance to the Acraeini Boisduval, 1833. Fuller description of the generic Only one male specimen (the holotype) was characters is given by Heath (1997) and Gardiner available for examination, which is housed in the & Terblanche (2010a and b). collection of T. Bouyer, Belgium. Wing pattern characteristics were analysed and compared using Erikssonia bouyeri sp. nov. the pattern elements and homologs of the nymphalid ground plan (Schwanwitsch, 1924, Description 1926, 1949; Suffert, 1927; Nijhout, 1991). The Male (Figs 1 & 2): forewing length 15.8 mm, antenna-wing ratio 0.47 (n = 1). Received: 31 October 2012 Head: eyes glabrous, frons densely packed with a Accepted: 25 December 2012 large circular patch of orange, flattened and hair- like scales, surrounded by black scales with a Copyright: This work is licensed under the Creative small patch of white scales towards the base of Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 the labial palpi. Remainder of head black; at Unported License. To view a copy of this license, send a letter to Creative Commons, Second Street, Suite 300, junction of head and thorax a collar of first white San Francisco, California, 94105, USA, or visit: then black lamellate scales followed by a band of http://creative commons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ orange lamellate scales with pink hair-like scales; Gardiner/ Metamorphosis 23: 21-24 23 collar ending with some white lamellate scales. exceedingly thin at about vein 12. Pale yellow Pedicel of antennae with white scales on outer band oU11–oU16 (0.2 mm), then following costa edge; remaining sides black; shaft black with in a similar pattern to the black. Op present only some white scales on inner and undersurface; tip as a few small black marks (in some cases only as of club and inner part of shaft below club a few black scales), the most noticeable in Op6 brownish, the brown on the inner surface tapering and completely absent below Op2. Along off and extending down the shaft. proximal edge of Op4–Op6 some pink-red scales. Labial palpi: first and second segments pale M1 forming a series of spots; M14 and M15 orange-yellow on under- and inner surface; outer joined, M16 slightly dislodged basally while M19 surface and above with black scales; apical noticeably dislodged basally, M13 and M12 segment mostly black with pale orange separate slightly dislodged basally. D present, M2 underneath. with a large spot in cell. H represented by single Thorax: upper surface covered with small black spot in cell near base and a smaller spot in space scales with a blue reflection; golden brown long 1. Black scales present at base of cell. Cilia as on hair-like scales present especially on the sides; upper side. area above attachment of wings with some dark grey lamellar scales. Under surface dark brown to black with tufts of pale yellow-orange scales, lamellar and hair-like, especially dense at base of legs and some black hair-like scales on the metathorax. Legs: femur mostly dark, apart from inner apical end of pro- and meso- femur, which have pale yellow-orange scales; tibia and tarsi mostly black, with numerous pale yellow-orange scales. Abdomen: dorsally with black median stripe; first segment with black less distinct and laterally with some orange and a few pink scales; last segment black except apex with orange scales. First and Figure 1 – Erikssonia bouyeri sp. nov. male upper side. second segment dorsally and ventrally with some long orange and pink hair-like scales. At base of each segment black scales may extend down to ventral surface to a varying degree. Dorsolaterally orange with some pink scales; ventrolaterally black with upper row of white-yellow spots from A2–A7 and a smaller lower row of corresponding spots from A2–A5. Ventrally with some orange scales on each segment. Forewing: upper side ground colour uniform light (tawny) orange. Black marginal border oU1 beginning just below vein 1 (0.2 mm, appearing broader due to basal third of cilia being black), 1 breadth of oU increasing towards the end of each cell, this increase becoming more noticeable with Figure 2 – Erikssonia bouyeri sp. nov. male underside. each cell; at veins black extending slightly Hind wing: upper side ground colour uniform inwards. Marginal black coalesces with black of light (tawny) orange. Marginal border black from costa, in this way a smooth black arch is formed, anal angle to apex (0.2 mm). oU6 and oU7 black, resulting in a black apex. Black along costa black extending slightly into oU5. Proximal third narrows at about vein 12. M1 present only as a of cilia black, distal two thirds white/grey, distal darkened area around vein 8, extending slightly third with a tint of orange, cilia at extension of along vein towards D. Black mark at D present in veins may be black giving cilia a chequered space 5, extending into half of space 4. Some appearance. Base of wing with narrow band of black scales at base of wing especially below vein black scales. Underside markings just discernible 1 but mostly overlaid with light yellow and from upper side. Underside ground colour tawny- orange scales. Proximal third of cilia black; distal orange, slightly paler towards basal margin, with two thirds orange becoming progressively more an array of bands. Thin black marginal border white/grey towards apex, except in area of veins Od1c–Od7 (0.1 mm); oU11c–oU16 forms pale 2–7 where they are black, giving cilia a yellow band (0.5 mm at 1c) broadening slightly chequered appearance. Underside markings just towards apex. Some black scales at anal angle in discernible from upper side. Underside ground O1b. Op black, Od with black at veins extending colour tawny-orange slightly paler towards basal inwards along veins and joining Op, black margin. From anal angle to apex thin black expanding slightly as it joins Op. oU2 Orange with marginal border Od (0.1 mm but appearing some pale scales near Op. Proximal edge of Op broader due to basal portion of cilia being black). with spots of silvery grey scales within black, Op Costal area with thin black margin becoming Gardiner/ Metamorphosis 23: 21-24 24 followed basally by a band of pink-red scales; This species is named after Thierry Bouyer, who opU1c–opU7 almost touching M12–M16 but has made significant contributions to our stopping before basally displaced M11c and M17. knowledge of the Lepidoptera of DRC. Thierry M1 present as series of dislocated black spots: Bouyer, together with Miss Hasson, discovered M11a close to base, M11b broken in two with one the specimen and he realised that it was distinct. spot dislodged towards base, M11c large, displaced basally; M12–M15 more or less in a straight line, M16 displaced slightly towards base and M17 dislodged towards base. mU1 pale orange-yellow with some pink-red scales towards, and close to, M2. D with a black spot; right wing with an additional small black spot just distal to this spot. Spots M21b and M28 near base and spots M21c, M24 and M27 more distal with M21c furthest from base, spot at base of 1 may belong (a) (b) to this element. H1b probably coalescent with M21b, H1c and H4 large, H7 smaller (these spots coalesce to varying extents).