Liptena dunnia reducta, Libert, Michel, 2024

Libert, Michel, 2024, Note on Liptena undina (Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1894), with the description of two new taxa (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Poritiinae), Metamorphosis 35, pp. 31-36 : 34-35

Liptena dunnia reducta ssp. nov. (Figs 19 to 22)

Some 70 specimens were collected in a few localities between the distribution areas of L. undina and L. d. dunnia , around Bangui ( CAR; 54 specimens) and at Ekombe 1, approximately 500 km to the south (near Mbandaka, DRC; 18 specimens); all are in the ABRI collection .

Holotype: male, Yakoli, RCA, IX 1997 (S. Collins); genitalia Libert 117-035; ABRI.

Allotype: female, Yakoli, RCA, IX 1997 (S. Collins); genitalia Libert 117-083; ABRI.

Description

The upperside is often lighter than in the other two taxa (it can even be very light), but this character is not strongly diagnostic. On the forewings, the black apical spot is less wide at the apex (by about a quarter) than in interval 2, where it is reduced to a point (it barely extends beyond vein 2); along the costal margin, the black margin is also much thinner and the black arc is missing above the cell. On the this distance condition; it is located south-east of Mbandaka (0° 24’S; 18° 23’E).

hindwings, the black pattern is reduced in the anal angle; the dark transverse bands on the underside are barely or not visible.

On the underside, the drawings of the apical part of the forewings are greatly reduced (the brown lines are hardly visible) and the black arc has virtually disappeared above the cell. The colour of the hindwings is much lighter, and the transverse lines are almost orange.

Figure 23 – Distribution map of Liptena ochrea .

Liptena ochrea Hawker-Smith, 1933 s. Stempffer et al., 1974: 163 and pl. 5, Figs 78, 81 (male neAT, Congo).

Holotype: female, Bitje , Ja River, Cameroons, wet season, IV-V 1912 (Bates); NHM.

Neallotype : male, Etoumbi, Congo, XII 1958 (T.H.E. Jackson); genitalia NHB-1968-2738; NHM .

The genitalia illustrated by Stempffer et al. (1974, Fig. 38) are probably those of the neallotype, but Stempffer also dissected a male from Etoumbi (NMK; prep. 5464).

L. ochrea is a rare species that was previously known only from the female holotype and five specimens collected by Jackson in Etoumbi ( Congo, 3 ♂ and 2 ♀; NHM, NMK). More recently, nine specimens have been added to the previous six; they were caught in four new localities, resulting in a significant increase in the range of L. ochrea (Fig. 23) .

– In Cameroon (where the author did not observe it), a specimen was captured in the south, near the border with Gabon (‘ 80 km S Mintom’, approximately 150 km south-east of the type-locality; ABRI).

– In Gabon, Vande weghe (2010: 347) did not observe it, but two males were collected in Dilo (Ivindo NP; ANHRT). These males can be distinguished by a less extensive apical band on the forewings upperside (Figs 28, 29), but their underside does not differ in any way from that of the other specimens and the genitalia of the male that was dissected are identical to those of two males from Congo and CAR (and to Figure 38 in Stempffer et al., 1974: 163) .

– In Congo, one male and three females were captured in the north (Nouabalé-Ndoki NP; ANHRT) .

– In CAR, two males were collected in the south, very close to the previous locality (Mboko, Dzangha Ndoki NP; P. Annoyer collection); their barcodes were sequenced (MLIB-1587 and -1588).