Actinote alalia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1860 )

Freitas, André Victor Lucci, Francini, Ronaldo Bastos, Paluch, Márlon & Barbosa, Eduardo Proença, 2018, A new species of Actinote Hübner (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae: Acraeini) from southeast Brazil, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (Rev. Bras. Entomol.) 62 (2), pp. 135-147 : 141-145

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2018.01.003
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15649336
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3045879F-0E5B-0070-FC93-FA85FA362F48
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Actinote alalia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1860 )
status

Treatment

Redescription of Actinote alalia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1860)

Acraea alalia C. Felder & R. Felder, 1860:105 . Brazil (NHMUK); Kirby, 1871:136; Müller, 1877:219; Lamas, [1997]:31 (includes LECTOTYPE designation: male [southeastern] Brazil).

Acraea eulalia [sic]; Müller, 1878:296; R. Llano & M. Llano, 1973:70.

Actinote alalia ; Mabilde, 1896:64; D’Almeida, 1935:71, 93; Lewis, 1973:227; Lewis, 1975:227; D’Abrera, 1987:445; Ackery, 1988:136; Mielke, 1994:769; Lamas, 1997:31; Penz & Francini, 1996:309; Paluch et al., 2003:573; Lamas, 2004:263; Paluch et al., 2005:416; D’Abrera, 2006:247; Iserhard et al., 2010:313, 318, 319; Dolibaina et al., 2011:351.

Actinote alalia alalia ; Eltringham & Jordan, 1913:10; Jordan, 1913:374; Jordan & Eltringham, 1916:19.

Acraea (Actinote) alalia ; Pierre, 1987:22.

Actinote sp1 .; Silva-Brandão et al., 2008:519, 528, figs. 3,4,5.

Description

Male ( Figs. 2E, F View Fig , 9G View Fig ): Antenna black, 11–12 mm in length (n = 5) extending to mid-costa, with 41 segments, 11 of which form a well-defined club. Forewing narrow and elongated, length 25–28 mm (mean = 26.8 mm, SD = 1.09 mm, n = 5); hindwing rounded, length 18–21 mm (mean = 19.8 mm, SD = 1.09 mm, n = 5). Body dark brown, abdomen ventrally covered by cream scales. Forewing background dark orange with dark brown veins and stripes as follows: a broad dark brown margin, broad in apex and narrowing toward tornus; space from anal margin to 2A dark brown in final third only; four additional narrow dark brown transverse stripes, first extending from costa to CuA 2, two thirds from base, second crossing end of discal cell from R sector to M3, third v-shaped crossing discal cell in mid portion, and fourth v-shaped crossing space CuA 2 -2A half from base. Hindwing background dark orange with broad dark brown margin; all veins dark brown, and narrow dark brown stripes extending in inter-venal spaces. Transverse patches of dark scales crossing proximally spaces M 1 -M 2, M 2 -M 3, M 3 -CuA 1 and CuA 1 -CuA 2. Ventral forewing with a pattern very similar to dorsal pattern, but lacking broad dark brown margin; ventral hindwing background cream, with a well-marked dark brown v-shaped band from Sc + R 1 to 3A, with an adjacent well defined broad v-shaped orange band. Discal cell usually crossed by an oblique dark brown stripe, defining an orange basal half and a cream distal half region.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 3I–O View Fig ): Valvae elongate and curved, length about four times width of median portion; broader at base; apex rounded with a conspicuous curl toward middle line of body.In dorsal view, basal portion of uncus wide, abruptly narrowing, ending in a point. Tegumen long and broad, trapeze-shaped with a slight constriction at middle. Gnathos absent. In ventral view, saccus with an abrupt slight narrowing near base, then projecting as a broad lobe with rounded end; about half length of genital capsule. Aedeagus about half length of genital capsule, ending in a sharp point, in lateral view slightly curved downwards. Juxta broad, about same width of base of one valva (in ventral view), diamond-shaped with an anterior short pointed process; length equal to width.

Female ( Figs. 2G, H View Fig , 8G View Fig ). Antenna black, 13 mm in length (n = 2), extending to mid-costa, with 41 segments, 11 of which form a well-defined club. Forewing narrow and elongated, length 31–33 mm (n = 2). Hindwing rounded, not translucent, length 23 mm (n = 2). Color pattern of female wings similar to that of males but paler.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 3P View Fig ): Corpus bursae rounded, signa absent. Ductus bursae not sclerotized, same length as corpus bursae; sterigma rounded.

Taxonomy and variation

Actinote alalia was described by C.Felder & R. Felder (1860) based on an unstated number of specimens without a specified locality in Brazil. A male syntype deposited in the NHMUK (figured in Warren et al., 2017), was examined by Gerardo Lamas and designated as the lectotype by him ( Lamas [1997]). Based on the provenance of most of the Felder’s material, Lamas ([1997]) suggested that this specimen should have come from southeastern Brazil. Indeed, the wing pattern of the above lectotype corresponds to Actinote alalia populations from southern Brazil in terms of the following visible characters: (1) the narrow transverse dark brown bands on the dorsal forewing; (2) a mostly orange band in the internal margin of the dorsal forewing; (3) a conspicuous orange v-shaped band transversally crossing the ventral hindwing, and (4) a complete dark bar crossing the middle of the discal cell and delimiting a basal orange area (see Fig. 2 View Fig ). Based on these observations and the data presented in this paper, the type locality of A. alalia should be changed to “southern Brazil ”. As has been reported for most species of Actinote , A. alalia also presents intraspecific variation, especially in the female color pattern (males are much more uniform). As for A. mantiqueira sp. nov., minor variation has also been reported in wing venation and genitalia. The most variable characters are the extent of the humeral vein, which can reach or not the wing edge, and the shape of saccus apex, that can vary from pointed to almost rounded.

Examined material (all from Brazil). DZUP – Paraná: Curitiba , 900 m, 1 male and 2 females, 28.II.1969, Mielke leg. DZ 3153, DZ 5864, DZ 5905, 1 female, 13.XII.1968, Mielke leg. DZ 3119; Palmas , 1100 m, 7 males and 1 female, 6.II.1976, Mielke & Buzzi leg. DZ 3136, DZ 3161 DZ 3133, DZ 3132, DZ 3121, DZ 3129, DZ 3160, DZ 5929, 2 males, I.1930, Stawiarski leg. DZ 3765, DZ 3784; Prudentópolis , 1200 m, 10 males and 1 female, 2.II.1976, Mielke & Buzzi leg. DZ 3106, DZ 3128, DZ 3157, DZ 3137, DZ 3116, DZ 3120, DZ 3108, DZ 3148, DZ 3134, DZ 3138, DZ 5872; Castro , 1000 m, 1 male and 2 females, 25.I.1971, Mielke leg. DZ 3147, DZ 6017, DZ 6001; Guarapuava , 1200 m, 2 males and 1 female, 18.II.1978, Mielke & Miers leg. DZ 3152, DZ 3122, DZ 5888; Porto União , 1 male and 1 female, Stawiarski leg. DZ 3775, DZ 6071; São José dos Pinhais, Colônia Muricy , 1 male, 14.XII.2001, Paluch leg. DZ 4758; Lapa , 1 male, no data, H. Ebert leg. DZ 3768; Ponta Grossa , 1 female, IV.1956, Coll. F. Justus , DZ 8014. Santa Catarina: Rio das Antas, 4 males and 2 females, I.1953, Camargo leg. DZ 3764, DZ 3763, DZ 3778, DZ 3777, DZ 5912, DZ 6009; Santa Cecília , 1000 m, 1 male, 22.II.1973, Mielke leg. DZ 3105; Ponte Alto do Norte , 1000 m, 1 male, 12.II.1973, Mielke & Sakakibara leg. DZ 3783; São Joaquim , 1250 m, 1 female, 24.II.1973, Mielke leg. DZ 5897, São Joaquim, Mantiqueira , 8 females, 26.II.1973, Mielke leg. DZ 5936, DZ 5881, DZ 5873, DZ 5993, DZ 5921, DZ 5977, DZ 6025, DZ 5985, São Joaquim, Planalto de Lages , 1300 m, 1 female, 2-4.II.1973, H. & H. D. Ebert leg. DZ 5953; Lages, Painel , 1000 m, 1female, 24.II.1983, Mielke & Casagrande leg. DZ 5856, 1 female, 23.II.1973, Mielke leg. DZ 6033, Lages, Parque Pedras Brancas , 920 m, 2 females, 13.II.1973, Mielke & Sakakibara leg. DZ 5920, DZ 6066. Rio Grande do Sul: Serra Geral, Canela , 800 m, 1 male, 22.I.1973, H & H. D. Ebert, H. DZ 3766. ZUEC – Santa Catarina: Bom Jardim da Serra , 1 male and 1 female, 1360 m, 11.I.2011, L.A.Kaminski leg. ZUEC-AVLF – Rio Grande do Sul: São Francisco de Paula, Floresta Nacional do Pinho , 4 males (DNA vouchers AC117, AC118, AC119, AC120), 31.XII.2007, L.A.Kaminski leg. ; 1 male, 1.I.2009, L.A.Kaminski; 1 female (DNA voucher AC210), 7.XII.2009, L.A.Kaminski leg. MZSP – Paraná: Lapa , 2 males, 1 female, XI.1940, B. Pohl leg. Santa Catarina: Rio das Antas, 1 female, I.1953, Camargo leg.

Immature stages

Egg ( Fig. 5C and D View Fig ). Light yellow when first laid, changing gradually to pinkish red during the first 24 h; barrel-shaped with 13–15 vertical ribs and several (∼12) weakly marked horizontal ribs; mean height 0.72 mm (range 0.71–0.73 mm, n = 3), mean diameter 0.42 mm (range 0.24–0.52 mm, n = 3). Aeropyles localized only near base of egg, in two irregular rows (not every vertical rib bears an aeropyle).

First instar. Head light brown, smooth, without scoli; body pale cream, without scoli and with long pale setae arising from pinacula; legs pale brown, prolegs pale, anal plate pale brown. Prothoracic plate pale and difficult to observe under stereomicroscope. T1 presents only 2 subventral setae, the same condition as in Actinote mantiqueira sp. nov.

Last instar ( Fig. 8F View Fig ). Head dark brown, smooth with thin pale setae and without scoli, spines or chalazae; body bluish dorsally, green ventrally, with a conspicuous lateral band, this is orange in thoracic segments and cream in abdominal segments. Covered with medium sized scoli bearing bluish setae; scoli are dark in T1-T2 and A9-A10 and bluish in T3 through A8; legs black, prolegs green; anal plate dark brown.

Pupa. General profile elongated, ground color pale yellow with dark brown markings in wing cases and abdomen; abdominal segments mobile, with a series of five pairs of subdorsal black spines from segments A2 to A6.

Adult and immature behavior, host plants and natural history. Oviposition of A. alalia was recorded on Grazielia serrata (Spreng.) R. M. King & H. Rob ( Asteraceae ). Females were observed ovipositing at the end of the afternoon, approximately 05:00 PM. (L. A. Kaminski, pers. comm.) on the underside of mature leaves of their host plants ( Fig.8G View Fig ).Ovipositions are large, varying from 411 to 442 eggs (n = 2). Newly hatched larvae first consumed the chorion, and after 3–5 h began to feed on leaf tissue. First instars fed on the underside leaf tissue by scraping the leaf surface, while later instars were observed consuming the entire leaf. In the first instar, frass pellets were glued onto the leaf by silk, not falling to the ground. First instars were gregarious and all activities, such as feeding, resting, or moving between leaves, occurred simultaneously.

As reported for A. mantiqueira sp. nov., adults of A. alalia were only observed on sunny days, quickly disappearing when weather conditions became cloudy. Males began to fly around 10:00 AM, usually flying 3–5 m high. Females were seldom observed, and territorial behavior courtship behavior or copulation were not perceived. All known populations of A. alalia were recorded in preserved subtropical wet montane forest above 800 m altitude, where the climate approaches temperate conditions, including cold winters with frequent frosts and temperature frequently falling below 0 ◦ C. Males were observed feeding on flowers of several species of forest edge plants. Adults are univoltine in all known populations, with only one flight period during the warmer months, from December to February. Adults of A. alalia are sexually dimorphic, with males having a deep orange coloration ( Figs. 2E, F View Fig , 9G View Fig ), and females being much more translucent ( Fig.2G and H View Fig ). In most study sites individuals were never abundant, with usually 2–6 individuals observed in a typical day of field work (4–5 h of observation), most of which were males. This species is part of the “orangish red mimicry complex” of Actinote (sensu Francini, 1989) ( Fig. 9 View Fig ), and is sympatric with three other Actinote co-mimics, namely, Actinote dalmeidai ( Fig. 9E View Fig ), Actinote surima ( Fig. 9F View Fig ) and Actinote catarina Penz, 1996 ( Fig. 9H View Fig ) and one pierid co-mimic, Dismorphia melia (Godart, [1824]) ( Pieridae : Dismorphiinae ) (see Dias et al., 2016).

Habitat. In all known localities, the species is associated with preserved montane mixed forest (also known as Araucaria Forest due to the presence of Paraná pine Araucaria angustifolia ), usually in altitudes above 800 m. Males and females are observed in forest edges and in areas of contact between forest and high altitude natural grasslands ( Fig. 10C and D View Fig ).

Geographic distribution. The species is known from the mountains of southern Brazil in the States of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, at altitudes from 800 to 1400 m ( Fig. 11 View Fig ).