Ocaria arpoxais (Godman & Salvin)

Faynel, Christophe, Busby, Robert C., Dolibaina, Diego R., Huertas, Blanca & Fåhraeus, Christer, 2025, A review of the Ocaria arpoxais species group (Lycaenidae: Theclinae) with the description of a new species previously confused with O. cinerea (Lathy), Zootaxa 5618 (1), pp. 47-67 : 53

Ocaria arpoxais (Godman & Salvin)

( Figures 1–3 , 14 , 20 , 28 , 33 )

Diagnosis. Ocaria arpoxais can be identified by: (1) the curved VFW white postmedian line, (2) the VFW white suffusion, dense and limited to the apex, and (3) a more developed VHW black and orange cubital spot ( Fig. 14 ).

Type material. Thecla arpoxais Godman & Salvin was described based on a single male specimen [holotype], from Chitra, Panama, deposited at the NHMUK with the following labels: Type // Chitra, Panama.Arcé. // T. arpoxais G. & S. [reverse: Type. Sp. figured.] // Godman-Salvin Coll. 1911.–93. B.C.A.Lep. Rhop. Thecla arpoxais , G. & S. // B.M. TYPE no. Rh. 710 // Thecla arpoxais Godman & Salvin, 1887 HOLOTYPE // NHMUK 015203053 .

Distribution. This species flies from Mexico to western Ecuador ( Fig. 28 ).

Remarks. Since its description, O. arpoxais has been associated with the species O. ocrisia and O. thales (Godman & Salvin 1887) . Draudt (1920) expanded this concept by considering it a senior synonym of the South American Andean species, O. clepsydra . He also placed O. arpoxais in the thales group of Thecla Fabricius which was closely related to the ocrisia group. Comstock & Huntington (1959) questioned the relationships proposed by Draudt suggesting that O. arpoxais and O. clepsydra should be interpreted as distinct taxa. d’Abrera (1995) and Robbins (2004a) reached the same conclusion as Draudt, placing the species within the genus Ocaria . Here, we confirm that O. arpoxais is a species endemic to Central America and the Trans-Andean region, the only member of the arpoxais group with this distribution.

Natural history. There are no records of O. arpoxais attracted to fish bait in sampling made in western Ecuador. However, there are records of males and females feeding on flowers between 0830 and 1220 hours (Busby, pers. obs.).

Material examined. MEXICO. Veracruz. 1♂, Los Tuxtlas, vii–viii.2009, CF-LYC-1105*, gen. prep. K. Florczyk CFCF015 , illustrated on Fig. 2 ( CF); 1 ♀, Catemaco, 23.vii.1985, R. C. Busby leg., illustrated on Fig. 3 ( RCB); 1♀, Volcan San Martin, 1200m, 20.viii.2023, B. Lopez leg. (collection Lopez, Mexico). Oaxaca. 1♂, Metates, 15.iv.2018, B. Lopez leg. ( CF). PANAMA. 1♂, HOLOTYPE Thecla arpoxais, Chitra, Arcé, Godman & Salvin coll., NHMUK015203053 * ( NHMUK). ECUADOR. Esmeraldas. 2♂, 12 km Lita-San Lorenzo Road, Rio Chuchuvi, 850m, 0° 53.1’ N, 78° 30.9’ W, 26.iii.2011 & 14.vii.2011, Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB); 1♂, 12 km Lita-San Lorenzo Road, Rio Chuchuvi , 800m, 0° 53.1’ N, 78° 30.9’ W, 26.iii.2003, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB); 2♂, Alto Tambo , 850m, viii.2000, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB); 1♂, 8 km Lita-Alto Tambo Road, Rio Chuchuvi , 800m, v.2002, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB); 1 ♀, Guimbicito , 140 m, 0° 57.2’ N, 78° 45.9’ W, v.2016, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB). Carchi. 1♂, El Babozo , 950m, 0° 53.1’ N. 78° 26.5’ W, 17.vi.2011, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB). Pichincha. 3♂, 5 km Nanegal-Garcia Moreno Rd, 1375–1700m, 00° 09.2’ N, 78° 39.4’ W, 29.v.2007, 11.ix.2009, 11.ix.2009, R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB); 6♂, 5 km Nanegal-Garcia Moreno Rd, 1375–1700m, 00° 09.2’ N, 78° 39.4’ W, 17.vi.2012, 12.vi.2013, 3.vi.2014, 19.vi.2014, 19.vi.2014, 27.vi.2014, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB); 1♂, 12 km Nanegal-La Perla Rd , La Perla , 1300m, 27.v.2007 ( RCB); 5 ♀, 5 km Nanegal-Garcia Moreno Rd, 1375–1700m, 0° 09.2’ N, 78° 39.4’ W, 29.xii.2006, 25.v.2007, 10.vi.2007, 29.v.2008, 6.vi.2008, R. C. Busby leg. ( RCB).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ocaria species group, phylogenetic tree generated with IQ-Tree using 51 COI sequences. Each specimen has the following information: process ID, scientific name, sample ID, sex, country and department, elevation. Method of construction of the tree: Maximum-Likelihood.

FIGURES 2–13. Ocaria arpoxais species group, adults in dorsal (left) and ventral view. 2. Ocaria arpoxais, ♂, Mexico, Veracruz, Los Tuxtlas (CF). 3. Ocaria arpoxais, ♀, Mexico, Veracruz, Catemaco (RCB). 4. Ocaria delphinae sp. nov., holotype ♂, Peru, Ucayali, Atalaya (MUSM). 5. Ocaria delphinae sp. nov., paratype ♀, Peru, Huánuco, Chaupiyunca (CF). 6. Ocaria cinerea, holotype ♂, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul (MNHN). 7. Ocaria cinerea, ♀, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Joinville (DZUP). 8. Ocaria clepsydra, ♂, Peru, Puno, Sandia (FILS). 9. Ocaria clepsydra, ♀, Ecuador, Pichincha (RCB). 10. Ocaria moseranki comb. nov., ♂, Brazil, São Paulo, Campos do Jordão (CF). 11. Ocaria moseranki comb. nov., ♀, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Joaçaba (DZUP). 12. Ocaria sadiei, ♂, Ecuador, Pastaza, Puyo-Villano Rd (RCB). 13. Ocaria sadiei, ♀, Colombia, Boyacá (JFLC).

FIGURES 14–19. Ocaria arpoxais species group, male wing pattern diagnostic characters. The dorsal view (at left) shows the androconial patch delimited in yellow and the end of the discal cell in red. Yellow arrows and markings indicate key characters to distinguish taxa. 14. Ocaria arpoxais. 15. Ocaria delphinae sp. nov. 16. Ocaria cinerea. 17. Ocaria clepsydra. 18. Ocaria moseranki comb. nov. 19. Ocaria sadiei. Images are not at same scale for comparison purpose.

FIGURES 20–24. Ocaria arpoxais species group, male genitalia. Left lateral view with dorsal brush organs and penis in place (at left), ventral view without brush organs and penis: 20. O. arpoxais. 21. O. clepsydra. 22. O. cinerea. 23. O. moseranki comb. nov. Male Ocaria delphinae sp. nov., from left to right: 24. left lateral view with dorsal brush organs and penis in place, detail of the apical part of the penis in lateral (top) and dorsal view (arrow a: ventral terminal triangular keel, arrow b: horseshoe-shaped rank of thorns), dorsal view with brush organs, left lateral view with brush organs and penis removed, ventral view.

FIGURES 28–31. Geographic distribution of the species of Ocaria belonging to the arpoxais group (red dot inside the sign for other sources than collections). 28. O. arpoxais and O. clepsydra. 29. Ocaria delphinae sp. nov. 30. O. sadiei. 31. O. cinerea and O. moseranki comb. nov.

FIGURES 32–36. Ocaria arpoxais species group, adults in situ. 32. ♂ Ocaria delphinae sp. nov., Tarapoto ridge, 1200m, San Martin, Peru, 19 Sept. 2018 (© John Vallender). 33. ♂ Ocaria arpoxais, Lita, Pedro Vicente Maldonado, 800m, Ecuador, Sept. 2021 (© David Geale). 34. ♂ Ocaria clepsydra, Reserva de la Biosfera Sumaco, El Chaco, 1600m, Napo Ecuador, 25 Nov. 2019 (© Karen Nichols). 35. ♀? Ocaria cinerea, Santo Aleixo, Magé, 100m, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 12 June 2023 (© Edvandro de Abreu Ribeiro). 36. ♂ Ocaria sadiei, Nocaima, Cundinamarca, Colombia, 1200m, 6 Jan. 2024 (© Oscar Enciso). Pictures not at same scale.