Dysschema thetis (Klug, 1836)

Moraes, Simeão de Souza, Freitas, André Victor Lucci & Silva-Brandão, Karina Lucas, 2025, Illustrated catalogue of Pericopina (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) in the Museum of Nature Hamburg – Zoology, Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1), pp. 123-134 : 123-134

Dysschema thetis (Klug, 1836)

Fig. 2 E

Remarks.

Species sexually dimorphic for hindwing patterns. Dysschema thetis is easily distinguished from other Dysschema species, by the beige tegula color pattern; the sickle-shaped semi-hyaline macula on the forewings, extending from the basal region to the outer margin; and submarginal stripe on the hindwings with a distal element formed by oval brown ocellar macules with bluish-white scales inside.

The species is distributed from Mexico to Costa Rica and has differences in specimen size, in the intensity of the blue and orange tones of the hindwing ocellar macules, and the intensity of the red colour on the abdomen. These differences allow the recognition of two subspecies: D. thetis howardi , restricted to the south of the USA and northern Mexico, and D. thetis thetis , distributed from southern Mexico to Costa Rica. Nevertheless, there are no discernible variations in the anatomical structure of the reproductive organs between the two subspecies. The species was recorded foraging on Ageratina altissima (L.) R. King and H. Rob. ( Asteraceae ) and on species of Brickellia Elliott ( Asteraceae ) in the wild (McFarland, 1961), and many other Asteraceae in captivity.

Material examined.

2 males, Mexico; 1 male, Mexico, Cordoba.

Figures

Figure 2. Habitus of pericopine moths, dorsal view. A. Dysschema sacrifica (Hu ̈ bner, [1831]), male (ZMH 0840050); B. Dysschema sacrifica (Hu ̈ bner, [1831]), female (ZMH 0840050); C. Dysschema subapicalis (Walker, 1854), male (ZMH 0840052); D. Dysschema terminata (Gue ́ rin-Me ́ neville, 1844), male (ZMH 0840042); E. Dysschema thetis (Klug, 1836), male (ZMH 0896500); F. Dysschema tricolora (Sulzer, 1776), female (ZMH 0840041); G. Gnophaela vermiculata (Grote [1864]) (ZMH 0840366); H. Hyalurga fenestra (Linnaeus, 1758), male (ZMH 0840057); I. Hyalurga fenestrata (Walker, 1855), female (ZMH 0861006); J. Hyalurga sora (Boisduval, 1870), male (ZMH - 0840363); K. Hypocrita fenestraria (Fabricius, 1775) (ZMH 0840362); L. Eucyane dejanira (Druce, 1895) (ZMH 0840360); M. Hypocrita plagifera (C. Felder and R. Felder, 1862) (ZMH 0840361); N. Isostola divisa (Walker, 1854) (ZMH 0840364); O. Phaloe cruenta (Hübner, 1823) (ZMH 0840053); P. Phaloesia saucia Walker, 1854 (ZMH 0840365); Q. Notophyson tiresias (Cramer, 1776), female (ZMH 0840056); R. Sthenognatha gentilis (C. Felder and R. Felder, 1874) (ZMH 0896537).