Marecidia Schaus, 1901

Laguerre, Michel, 2025, New species of Arctiinae east of the Canal Zone, Panama (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini), Faunitaxys 13 (12), pp. 1-17 : 12-13

The case of the genus Marecidia Schaus, 1901

The genus Marecidia was described briefly by SCHAUS in 1901 to integrate his new species Marecidia sanguipuncta collected in Santa Catarina State in South-East Brazil. In 1939, FORBES, in his study of Barro Colorado Island in the Canal Zone, Panama, elaborated the description by SCHAUS and added a second species, Marecidia achrysa . These two species appear to be rather uncommon and almost nothing is known of their bionomics. Moreover, since their description no other specimen has been reported. The genus is well characterized in male by the dilated hind tibiae associated with the presence of an androconial pouch. Fortunately enough, I have received very recently some specimens of these poorly known species from western Ecuador and from Panama. It then appears that the locality of M.sanguipuncta is very likely doubtful. No specimen has been reported from S.E. Brazil but we have seen some specimens collected in Ecuador by V. Doroschkin. Moreover I have seen two similar specimens collected by G. Brehm's team in Western Ecuador, in Esmeraldas, on the road down from Lita to the Pacific Coast. These specimens are identical to the Schaus' original description but some species described by this author, allegedly from Rio de Janeiro, have in fact wrong localities. For instance Chrysochloe sylva ( Schaus, 1896) described from Rio has never been collected in this area, but the species is rather common in the Andes Cordillera between 1500 and 2500 m. It is very likely the same situation for Marecidia sanguipuncta which has been collected in Western Ecuador, North and West of Lita.

On Fig 26, M. achrysa from Panama differs essentially from M. sanguipuncta from western Ecuador by the larger size of the red spot at the forewing basis. This is clearly notified in the original description of Forbes.A specimen of M. sanguipuncta fromWesternEcuador was sequenced and its sequence aligns at 4-4.2 % from severalspecimens from Peru of the recently described Marecidia oedemeriformis Laguerre, 2022 (BIN BOLD:AAG6243). Unfortunately we have not seen males of M. sanguipuncta from western Ecuador,and up to now we are unable to affirmif achrysa and sanguipuncta are conspecific or not and so we maintain the status quo.

Material examined

- 1 ♂, PANAMA, Panama, Los Altos de Cerro Azul, 29-I-2022, 700 m, 9.2030° N 79.4150° W, L. & J. Harrison leg., dissected Gen. ML3958 (light-blue manuscript label), FWL = 14 mm .

- 1 ♀, same data but 2-II-2022, FWL = 15 mm.

- 1 ♀, ECUADOR, Esmeraldas, 17 km N Lita, 20-XI-2021, 651 m, V. Doroschkin leg. In MLC .

- 1 ♀, ECUADOR, Esmeraldas, 17 km N Lita, 20-XI-2021, 651 m, V. Doroschkin leg., sequenced Process ID MIAPD1773-22 , BOLD ID Bc-Her5938 . In VDC .

- 1 ♂, ECUADOR, Esmeraldas, Canandé Reserve, 24-IV-2022, 255 m, 0.552253° N 79.1375° W, U. Diniz & D. Bottger leg.

- 1 ♀, same locality, but 25-X-2024, 243 m, 0.543056° N 79.1533° W, D. Rabl leg. Both in PMJ .

Genitalia male ( Fig. 27)

Genital capsule complex. Uncus narrow and evenly bent downwards with a pointed tip. On the tegumen on each side of the uncus a rounded shoulder. Valvae divided in two parts. Ventrally an elongated and translucent lobe covered with thin hairs reaching almost the tip of uncus. Dorsally a narrow and shorter process, bifid at the extremity and narrowed at two thirds. An arched, narrow and long process starting from the base of valvae and largely outreaching the tip of uncus. This process ends with a lanceolate and pointed extremity, denticulate on side. Vinculum convex with a short pointed triangular saccus. Aedeagus short, cylindrical, slightly bent with a single lobed vesica covered with spicules.