Catasticta semiramis Lucas 1852

Catasticta semiramis (Lucas, 1852)

A medium­ to large­sized species with no relevant sexual dimorphism. FW with smooth apex, and HW anal lobe rounded.

Distribution: Medium to high altitudes in extreme southwestern Venezuela and extreme northeastern Colombia (ssp. costarum), East Cordillera of Colombia (ssp. semiramis), northern Central Cordillera of Colombia (ssp. belmira), southern Central Cordillera of Colombia and northern and central East Cordillera of Ecuador (ssp. palla), and southcentral (Azuay) and southern (Loja and Zamora­Chinchipe) Ecuador (ssp. willmotti).

In order to preserve the stability of nomenclature by selecting one specimen as the unique bearer of the name, and following Art. 74.7 of the Code, we designate as lectotype of Euterpe semiramis Lucas, 1852 the male syntype in MNHN from " Colombia ", which was labelled as "Lectoholotype" by J. H. Robert [examined].

Up to 1998, Ecuadorian C. semiramis specimens were all regarded as belonging to ssp. palla Brown, 1939. Eitschberger & Racheli (1998) described ssp. salomon from Ecuador, Santiago­Morona. At that time, very few Ecuadorian specimens were known. Since then, we have examined a total of 30 Ecuadorian individuals (including relevant types), 24 of them referable to ssp. palla. That material has allowed us to determine that ssp. palla is characterized by a dark pattern which varies clinally in intensity from north to south, darker specimens occurring at the southern limit of its distribution, where they match the phenotype described as ssp. salomon. Thus, we regard salomon as a new synonym of palla.

On the other hand, we examined six specimens recently collected in southern Ecuador and clearly belonging to a new taxon, which we describe below.