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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
ACRAEIDAE
Acraea asbolophintha (Karsh.), A. egina Mabille, A. uvui Grose-Smith, Bematistes macarioides Aurivillius, B. poggei Dewitz.
Satyridae
Mychalesis chapini Holland, M. langi Holland, M. saussure Dewitz, Ypthima albida Butler, Y. doleta Kirby.
William Gluck, Graduate Research Assistant, Entomology Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58105.
Journal of the Lepidopterists Society 37(3), 1983, 254-256
NOTES ON THE GENUS IMELDA (RIODININAE)
In "Illustrations of the Diurnal Lepidoptera," volume 5(3), Hewitson described the riodinid butterfly Nymphidium mycea from a female received from "New Granada," an area covering present-day Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama. His description reads as follows: "Upperside pale yellow, with the margins broadly dark brown; the outer margin of both wings transversed by a rufous band. Anterior wing with three white spots near the apex."
In 1879, Hewitson described a second butterfly based on a male from Ashpiyaco, Ecuador, which he named Imelda glaucosmia and designated it as the type of the genus Imelda, which was described in the same article. He later illustrated it in "Illustrations," volume 4(5), plate 24, figure 5, repeating the original description, as follows: "Upperside of male glossy dark blue, slightly tinged with green. Both wings crossed beyond the middle by a narrow linear black band scarcely visible on the anterior wing; both with a submarginal band and the outer margin (which is broad) black. Anterior wing with the costal margin brown; crossed by a subapical broad band of white bordered with black. Underside as above, except that it is grey-brown, that each wing has two subbasal spots and a linear spot at the end of the cell of dark brown, and that the inner black band is much broader."
Thieme (1907, Berlin Ent. Zeitschrift 52:1-16) designated mycea as the female of glaucosmia, using the name mycea to refer to glaucosmia specimens from Colombia. H. Stichel (1910, Berlin Ent. Zeitschrift 55:9-103) erected a new subspecies, terpna, to refer to the male designated by Thieme as that of mycea. Stichel rejected the idea that mycea was the female of terpna, claiming that the dimorphism between the two was too great for them to be conspecihc. He maintained this position in the Catalogus (Stichel, 1930, in Junk, Lepidoptorum Catalogus, Vol. 44, Berlin).
Because the most recent revision of a taxonomic group usually takes precedence over previous revisions, Stichel's conclusions determine the present status of these butterflies. However, as both Thieme s and Stichel's conclusions were reached without the help of field observations, the matter is worth reopening in light of data I gathered in the held.
My first experience with glaucosmia came during a collecting trip to a locality about 14 km to the west of Arcabuco, Boyaca, Colombia, in July 1981. The altitude of this area is 2000 m and lies in a transition zone between Very Humid Low Montane Forest and Premontane Very Humid Forest. Rainfall is about 2000 mm per year (1977, Anonymous, Zonas vegetales de Colombia, IGAC). Although much of the vegetation has been cleared for cattle raising, forested areas may be found along the streams. The general aspect of the forest is like other subtropical montane forest areas throughout the neotropical region. The trees reach a height of 10 m and support many bromeliads and other epiphytic plants growing from the branches, and are interspersed with bamboos and tree ferns.
Volume 37, Number 3 255
Figs. A-H. Imelda mycea ssp. (dorsal and ventral views): A & B, male /. m. mycea Hewitson, 6 & 9 from Arcabuco, Boyaca, 2000 m, Colombia; C & D, female J. m. mycea; E & F, male I. m. glaucosmia Hewitson, 6 & 9 from Rio Topo, 1500 m, Tungurahua, Ecuador; G & H, female /. m. glaucosmia.
256 Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
At 1245 h while collecting in a small forest clearing by a stream, I noticed a small blue riodinid butterfly resting beneath a leaf with wings outspread at the edge of the clearing about 3 m above the ground. I had barely captured this butterfly when another indentical individual alighted on the same spot. This butterfly was also caught. Moving along the edge of the clearing, I captured another riodinid butterfly, this time a yellow one, resting under another leaf about 4 m off the ground. All this took place within a 5 minute period. The behavior exhibited by these butterflies was typical of perching, a form of mate locating behavior employed by members of the subfamily Riodininae, in which the butterflies wait for mates at certain localities and during certain hours of the day (Callaghan, in prep.).
During a subsequent visit to the same locality on 16 September 1982, four additional males and one female were captured between the hours of 1136 and 1320. All were frequenting the same microhabitat and exhibiting the same behavior as on the previous visit.
Through consulting the descriptions and references above, I determined the butterflies to be Imelda glaucosmia terpna Stichel and Imelda mycea Hewitson.
In view of the behavior observed and the morphology of the butterflies, I conclude that terpna and mycea are male and female of the same species. First, my studies of the perching habits of riodinid butterflies have shown that the frequenting of similar perching sites at the same time by closely related male and female phenotypes is a strong indication that the two are conspecific. Secondly, there is enough similarity in the morphology of glaucosmia terpna and mycea to suggest that they are conspecific. The general pattern with the white spots on the apex of the forewing and the placement of the submarginal bands on both, as well as the marginal row of white spots on the underside of both wings is sufficient indication that the two are indeed conspecific as indicated by Thieme.
In conclusion, the name Imelda mycea mycea (Hewitson, 1865, [1852-1878], Illustrations of Diurnal Lepidoptera, vol. 1-5) refers to central Colombian material, illustrated in Figs. A, B, C and D, for which the name terpna Stichel is a synonym. The name Imelda mycea glaucosmia (Hewitson, 1870, Ecuatorial Lepidoptera, Part IV) is the designation for material from Ecuador to Southern Colombia (Huila), illustrated in Figs. E, F, G and H.
I wish to thank Dr. Keith Brown for his comments on the paper.
Curtis J. Callaghan, "Pesquisador Associado" Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Journal oj the Lepidopterists Society 37(3), 1983, 256-257
NEW AND UNUSUAL BUTTERFLY RECORDS FROM KANSAS
In June 1979, my colleagues and I (senior author) began an intensive, statewide survey of the butterflies of Kansas. Our third season (1981) was marked by an influx of immigrant species and the collecting of two species (Pyrisitia proterpia and Speyeria edwardsii) not previously reported from Kansas. Observations and collections were also made for Thes-salia fulvia and Vanessa annahella, both considered "unusual" for Kansas.
Pyrisitia proterpia (Fabricius).—Labedz took a single female (nearly perfect condition) on the Fort Hays State University campus, Hays, Ellis County on 20 October 1981. This individual was taken on a purple-flowered, ornamental Amaranthus sp. at about 1445 h. The temperature was about 70°F with a light wind and the sky was clear. Upon seeing this specimen, Rolfs recalled collecting a similar one on 3 October and of seeing