Euselasia modesta Bates 1868

Euselasia modesta (Bates, 1868)

(Figs 13–14)

Eurygona modesta Bates, 1868. p. 376.—Herrich-Schäffer, 1868. p. 123.

Euselasia modesta; Kirby, 1871. p. 296.— Seitz, 1916. p. 629.— Stichel, 1919. p. 306.— Stichel, 1927. p. 390. syn.: satyroides.— Stichel, 1928. p. 270. syn.: satyroides.— Stichel, 1930. p. 184. syn.: satyroides.—D’Abrera, 1994. p. 895 (male ventral, female dorsal).— Brévignon & Gallard, 1997. pp. 270, 272, 275.— Callaghan & Lamas, 2004. p. 143.

Diagnosis. E. modesta is most likely to be confused with E. satyroides, but can be distinguished by the shape of the forewing, more rounded at the apex; hind wing rounded at the tornus; color of the wings upper and underside duller brown towards the outer margin, with conspicuously darker brown scales over the veins; wings underside with submarginal darker spots and post discal bands very faint or absent; post discal band runs parallel with the outer margin in the forewing, and curved in the hind wing; frons uniformly brown, without whitish scaling around the eyes; antennae without a ring of white scales at the base of the club; labial palpus and legs vivid orange. Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of available material, the genitalia of E. modesta could not be examined, but important differences in relation to other species of “Uriiformes” group are expected.

Taxonomic comments. Euselasia modesta, regarded as rare by Bates (1868), was described from an unknown number of specimens collected in the forests around the Tapajós river, [Pará, Brazil]. The original description is quite accurate and provides characters that differentiate this species from most species of the "Uriiformes" group, as proposed by Stichel (1928). Differently from other species of the group, the frons is entirely brown, the legs and labial palpus are bright orange and the antennae do not have a ring of white scales basal to the club (Fig. 14). Stichel (1927; 1928; 1930) never had access to the type or photographs of E. modesta, and based his taxonomic conclusions entirely on the textual description provided by Bates (1868). Probably due to the lack of material and his views on speciation (see Stichel 1928: 390), he recognized E. satyroides as a synonym of E. modesta, the oldest available name.

Distribution. The species is known from its type series deposited at BMNH from Tapajós River, [Pará, Brazil], and a single male from Saül, French Guiana, from the ex-collection Barbotin, deposited at the JYG, Cayenne, French Guiana and listed by Brévignon & Gallard (1997). However, the label data of the ex-collection Barbotin are sometimes doubtful.

Type material. The lectotype of Eurygona modesta Bates, 1868, here designated to avoid future uncertainty about the identity of the species (ICZN 1999; Art. 74.7.), has the following labels: / Type / LECTOTYPUS /Tapajos, Amazons [Pará, Brazil] H. W. Bates/♂ Tapajos /♂ / Eurygona modesta, Bates. Godman-Salvin Coll. 1913 -2./ SYNTYPE Eurygona modesta Bates det. J. Pope, 1993 /B. M. TYPE No.Rh 1193/ LECTOTYPE Eurygona modesta Bates, 1868 Dias, Dolibaina, Santos, Leite, Mielke & Casagrande, 2013 / (BMNH). The characteristic lectotype label will be sent to the curator of the collection.

Examined material. FRENCH GUIANA: Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Saül, III.1969, R. P. Barbotin leg. 1 male (JYG).