Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema A. D. Medeiros, A. M. Medeiros & Kerpel, 2025

Medeiros, Adalberto Dantas De, Suênia-Bastos, Ayane, Martins, Ana Beatriz Da Silva, Medeiros, Arthur Morais De, Gualberto, Emanoel Pereira, Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik & Kerpel, Solange Maria, 2025, A new species of Neoxeniades Hayward, 1938 subgenus Neoxeniades Hayward, 1938 (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from the semi-arid region of the Brazilian Northeast: threatened biodiversity in a recently declassified protected area, Zootaxa 5665 (4), pp. 571-576 : 572-575

Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema A. D. Medeiros, A. M. Medeiros & Kerpel sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C1FEA49A-BFF1-4340-9A65-FEB987023391

Figs. 1–16

Diagnosis: Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from its congeners by the ventral hind wing, which has a continuous and uniformly narrow oblique band extending from the costal margin to the upper half of the CuA 1 –CuA 2, where it bends toward the outer margin ( Figs 2, 4 ); the non-overlapping discal spots on the forewing discal area ( Figs 1–4 ); and the olivaceous appearance on the thorax, head, and ventral foreand hind wing ( Figs 1–4 ).

Description: MALE ( Figs 1–2 , 5–6 , 7–14 ). Ground color dark brown. Forewing length 18–20 mm (n = 2). HEAD: dorsally olive-green, except for the brown frons; gena and area behind eyes light yellow. Antenna nearly as long as costal cell, plain brown, narrowly white ventrally beneath the club and at the base of shaft segments; nudum with 18 segments. Labial palpus somewhat flattened laterally, light yellow, with a faint olive-green hue toward apex; third segment cylindrical, black, slightly protrudes beyond clothing of second.

THORAX: densely covered with olive green scales. Legs ventrally greyish; all tibiae without spines; mid and hind tibiae each with a pair of distal spurs. Dorsal forewing ( Fig. 1 ): costal area and basal half of discal cell yellow greenish. Basal area from discal cell to inner margin with elongate yellow scales. Three small semihyaline subapical yellow spots between R 3 and M 1; the anterior two spots square, subequal, contiguous; the posterior opaque, reduced, distally displaced. Three large white to yellowish semihyaline discal spots: in discal cell, rectangular, longer than wide, not overlapping other spots, outer margin excavated; in M 3 –CuA 1, the smallest, nearly square, inner and outer edges sinuous; in CuA 1 –CuA 2, the largest, square, with sinuous outer and convex inner edges. An opaque, nearly rectangular, yellow spot in the lower half of Cu 2 –2A. Stigma consisting of three elongated black parts: two shorter ones, beneath and above the proximal portion of CuA 1; one longer, above CuA 2, extending distally to the yellow spot in Cu 2 –2A ( Figs 5–6 ). Marginal line slightly darker than the ground color. Fringe grayish brown, except for the whitish tornus. Dorsal hind wing ( Fig 1 ): costal margin whitish. Basal half from cell to inner margin with elongate yellow scales. Four opaque yellow spots: one rounded, at distal end of discal cell, and three elongate between M 1 and CuA 1, the anterior partially displaced distally. Marginal line and fringe as on dorsal forewing. Ventral forewing ( Fig. 2 ): ground color darker within and around the discal cell. Costal area and apex, from Sc to CuA 2, olive green. Spots mirror dorsal forewing, except for being absent in R 5 –M 1, and for the paler and more diffuse appearance of the spot in the lower part of Cu 2 –2A. Ventral hind wing ( Fig. 2 ): mostly olive green, except for a brown, somewhat triangular area, from base to tornus, between the lower half of CuA 1 –CuA 2 and 2A. A continuous, uniformly narrow oblique white band, from costa to the upper half of CuA 1 –CuA 2, where it bends toward the outer margin.

ABDOMEN: dorsally brown, ventrally grayish; distal tip with a conspicuous dorsal tuft of elongate brown scale. Genitalia ( Fig. 7–14 ): tegumen broad, distally with a median triangular projection ( Fig. 8 ). Saccus shorter than tegumen ( Fig. 10 ). Fenestra V-shaped ( Fig. 8 ). Uncus bifid, densely covered by long hairs ( Figs 7–8 ); base with two rounded lobes, medially separated by the fenestra ( Fig. 8 ); median portion with a pair of laterally compressed protuberance, dome-shaped in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ). Gnathos wider and slightly longer than uncus; arms converging toward the pointed apex ( Fig. 9 ). Valva rectangular, approximately two times longer than wide; costa short, triangular; Ampulla triangular; harpe ventrally rounded, dorsal edge dentate and medially sloped in dorsal view ( Figs 11–12 ). Aedeagus slightly longer than valva, distally bifid and with two small, triangular teeth-like projection, right and left near distal end ( Fig. 13 ); coecum rounded, barely curved upwards ( Fig. 14 ). Fultura inferior sclerotized, proximally narrow and bifid. Manica with a conspicuous sclerotized plate, densely ornamented with minute spines ( Figs 13– 14 ).

FEMALE ( Figs 3–4 , 15–16 ). Ground color dark brown. Forewing length 23–24 mm (n = 4). Differs from male by larger size, more rounded fore- and hind wing, and the following aspects of the forewing: spots more developed and relatively paler; spot in R 5 –M 1 repeated on ventral surface; and an additional spot in the upper half of Cu 2 –2A, which may be interpreted as a projection of the distal upper corner of the lower spot ( Figs 3–4 ). Allotype with an additional spot in CuA 2 –2A on dorsal hind wing, absent in paratypes. Genitalia ( Figs 15–16 ). Tergum VIII longer than wide, weakly sclerotized, with the ventral margin deeply excavated. Sterigma irregular. Lamella antevaginalis sclerotized; anterior margin V-shaped, with two lateral corrugated plates that merge ventrally with the intersegmental membrane of the seventh externite; between these plates and the ostium opening, there is a pair of lateral folds extending distally and ending in narrow, sinuous projections, giving the sterigma a calyx-like appearance. Lamella postvaginalis membranous, ill-defined; distal margin with a median tubular projection. Ostium located in the basal half of the sterigma. Bursa copulatrix nearly four times longer than the sterigma; ductus bursae membranous, except for small sclerotized plates near its insertion with sterigma. Papilla anal wider than long, with the dorsal half narrowed.

Distribution. Species known only from the type locality, a transition area between the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes, located in the Brazilian semiarid region, in Paraíba state, at an altitude of approximately 420 m.

Etymology. Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema sp. nov. is named after the newly created, but not yet established, Parque Natural Municipal da Serra da Borborema, a protected area in the Borborema Plateau region, Paraíba, Brazil. The term is a feminine noun in apposition.

Type material. holotype male deposited in CLEIIC with the following labels (each separated by a slash): / HOLOTYPUS / Brasil, PB[Paraíba], Campina Grande, Parque Estadual do Poeta [e Repentista Juvenal de Oliveira ], 14-VI-2024, 7°13’42.40’’S - 35°50’06.04’’O, A.M. Medeiros, Andrade & Martins leg. / CLEIIC 06574 / Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema A. D. Medeiros, A. M. Medeiros & Kerpel det. 2025 /.

Allotype female deposited in CLEIIC with the following labels (each separated by a slash): / ALLOTYPUS / Brasil, PB[Paraíba], Campina Grande, Parque Estadual do Poeta , [e Repentista Juvenal de Oliveira ] 15-VI-2024, 7°13’42.40’’S - 35°50’06.04’’O, A.M. Medeiros, Andrade & Martins leg. / CLEIIC 06517 / Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema A. D. Medeiros, A. M. Medeiros & Kerpel det. 2025 /.

Paratypes (1 male and 3 females): same locality of the holotype and allotype, 1 male, 19.VII.2024, 1 female, 16.VIII.2024, 1 female, 14.VI.2024, 1 female, 15.VI.2024, A.M. Medeiros, Andrade & Martins leg., DZ 73.070, DZ 73.069 ( DZUP), CLEIIC 06511 , CLEIIC 06376 ( CLEIIC)

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema sp. nov. in dorsal and ventral views. 1–2: holotype male; 3–4: Allotype female.

FIGURES 5–6. Stigma of Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema sp. nov. with and without scales, paratype (DZ 73.070).

FIGURES 7–16. Genitalia of Neoxeniades (Neoxeniades) borborema sp. nov. 7–14: male genitalia, paratype (DZ 73.070); 7: lateral view of tegumen, saccus, uncus and gnathos; 8: dorsal view of tegumen, uncus and gnathos; 9: ventral view of tegumen, uncus and gnathos; 10: ventral view of saccus; 11: interior view of right valva; 12: dorsal view of right valva; 13: dorsal view of aedeagus, fultura inferior, and manica; 14: ventral view of aedeagus, fultura inferior, and manica. 15–16: female genitalia, paratype (CLEIIC 06376); 15: ventral view; 16: lateral view.