Timochares trifasciata (Hewitson, 1868)

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui, Song, Leina & Grishin, Nick V., 2024, New taxa of butterflies supported by genomic analysis, The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 12 (3), pp. 1-63 : 35

Lectotype designation for Timochares trifasciata form obscurior Draudt, 1923

Mielke (1993) designated a lectotype of Timochares trifasciata form obscurior Draudt, 1923 (type locality not specified) ( Fig. 39a). However, this specimen does not agree with the original description and the original illustration (Draudt 1923) ( Fig. 39e) and therefore is not a syntype. Syntypes of T. trifasciata f. obscurior were described as darker, but the “ lectotype ” is a paler specimen. The dark bands in the illustration are entire ( Fig. 39a), but they are separated into spots in the “ lectotype ” ( Fig. 39a). Austin and Warren (2002) who, per the identity of Mielke’s lectotype, placed T. trifasciata form obscurior as a synonym of Timochares ruptifasciata ( Plötz, 1884) (type locality in “South America,” a mistake) instead of Timochares trifasciata (Hewitson, 1868) (type locality in Bolivia as indicated on the label of the lectotype), noted that additional investigations are warranted.

We carried out additional investigations and found a specimen in ZfBS with the identification label “obscurior” in Draudt’s handwriting and typical of specimens illustrated in Draudt (1921–1924) ( Fig. 39f). This specimen is in the drawer of specimens that were likely illustrated in Draudt (1921–1924), agrees with the original description and illustration ( Fig. 39e) of T. trifasciata form obscurior, and is confidently a syntype. Invalid paralectotypes in SMF, Seitz specimens with numbers 6316 ( Fig. 39c) and 6317 ( Fig 39b) may not be syntypes of T. trifasciata form obscurior, but specimens Draudt considered to be regular T. trifasciata ( Fig. 39d).

To stabilize nomenclature and define the name T. trifasciata form obscurior objectively, N.V.G. hereby designates a male syntype in the ZfBS collection ( Fig. 39f) that bears the following four rectangular labels (2 nd and 3 rd handwritten, others printed): [ Rio Songo | Bolivia | 750 m | Coll. Fassl], [obscurior], [ Timochares ruptifasciata Plötz | ( Antigonus ))] (label folded, written on a piece of newspaper), and [DNA sample ID: | NVG-23094H11 | c/o Nick V. Grishin ] as the lectotype of Timochares trifasciata form obscurior Draudt, 1923. The lectotype lacks its left antenna, has nearly no damage to fringes, its right costal fold is closed, and its left fold is partly open from the base. Images of the lectotype photographed by Ernst Brockmann are shown on the Butterflies of America website ( Warren et al. 2024). The type locality of T. trifasciata form obscurior becomes Bolivia: Rio Zongo , elevation 750 m, and the name returns to the synonymy with Timochares trifasciata (Hewitson, 1868) as originally proposed.