Theritas

Theritas
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Subfamily:	Theclinae
Tribe:	Eumaeini
Genus:	Theritas Hübner, 1818
Species
6-c.30, see text
Synonyms
Aveexcrenota Salazar & K.Johnson, 1997 Denivia K.Johnson, 1992 Lucilda D'Abrera & Bálint, 2001 Margaritheclus Bálint, 2002

Theritas is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae) found in the Neotropics. Among the tribe Eumaeini of its subfamily Theclinae, it belongs to the group around the genus Atlides. In particular, it seems most closely related to Arcas.^[1]

Description

See also: Glossary of Lepidopteran terms

Theritas species are large among the Eumaeini but altogether still smallish butterflies. They typically have a pennant-like hindwing tail which project outwards at an approximate right angle from the squared-off edge of the tapered tornal area with a smaller tail slightly more forward; the upperwings of these butterflies are largely or entirely colored brilliant blue. But these traits – as opposed to the androconia pouches – are also found in other Eumaeini, which have been included in this genus but do not really appear to belong here.^[1]

Like Arcas, they have androconia (scent scales) on the hindwing autapomorphically tucked away in a flat deep pouch in space 1b between the wing veins. The hindwing underside is brown in Theritas, with a subbasal line running between the subcosta and the anal vein branch of the cubital vein. This genus has some sexual dichromatism in that the males show green iridescence of the blue upperwing color. By comparison, Arcas has golden-green hindwing undersides dusted with black, with a black band running roughly parallel to the distal wing margin, longer tails, and lacks sexual dichromatism.^[2]

Species

There have been 2 major competing taxonomic schemes for this genus in the late 20th century. An upcoming revision restricts the genus to 6-8 valid species, which all possess the typical apomorphies and can be divided into three species-groups or superspecies:^[2]

mavors group

• Theritas kalikimaka (Clench, 1944) (sometimes included in T. mavors)
• Theritas lotis (Goodson, 1945) (sometimes included in T. mavors)
• Theritas mavors Hübner, 1818

paupera group

• Theritas drucei (Lathy, 1926)
• Theritas gozmanyi (Bálint, Wojtusiak, Kerstész & Biró, 2007)
• Theritas harrietta (Weeks, 1901)
• Theritas paupera (C.Felder & R.Felder, 1865)

triquetra group

• Theritas triquetra (Hewitson, 1865)

Provisionally placed here

The following species are usually placed in Theritas, but apparently will have to be split off if the genus is to be a monophyletic group; some of the genera nowadays considered junior synonyms of Theritas might eventually be revalidated:^[3]

Theritas acontius (Goodson, 1945) Theritas adamsi (Druce, 1909) Theritas anna (Druce, 1907) Theritas arene (Goodson, 1945) Theritas augustinula (Goodson, 1845) Theritas augustula (Kirby, 1877) Theritas boliboyeri (Bálint & Wojtusiak, 2006) Theritas chalumna (Schaus, 1902) Theritas crines (Druce, 1907) Theritas curitibaensis (Johnson, 1992)

Theritas danaus (C. & R. Felder, [1865]) Theritas deniva (Hewitson, 1874) Theritas hemon (Cramer, [1775]) Theritas lisus (Stoll, 1790) Theritas margaritacea (Draudt, 1919) Theritas monica (Hewitson, 1867) Theritas phegeus (Hewitson, 1865) Theritas theocritus (Fabricius, 1793) Theritas viresco (Druce, 1907)

In addition, there are at least two more undescribed species placed here: one from Santa Catarina state in Brazil and one frm the Andes of Peru. It is unknown whether they are indeed Theritas sensu stricto. T. drucei and T. triquetra as well as some species of the disputed assemblage are known from Santa Catarina or its surroundings, while the rest of the paupera group but also many other related Lycaenidae are found in the Andes.^[4]

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b} Bálint et al. (2007), Brower (2007)
2. ^ ^{a b} Bálint et al. (2007)
3. ^ Bálint et al. (2007), Brower (2007), and see references in Savela (2008)
4. ^ Bálint et al. (2007), and see references in Savela (2008)

References

• Bálint, Z.; Wojtusiak, J.; Kerstész, K & Biró, L.P. (2007): The description of Theritas gozmanyi from the Andes and its spectroscopic characterization with some notes on the genus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 53(Supplement 1): 211–224. PDF fulltext
• Brower, Andrew V.Z. (2008): Tree of Life Web Project – Theritas. Version of 2008-MAR-24. Retrieved 2009-FEB-18.
• Savela, Markku (2008): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Theritas. Version of 2008-JUL-19. Retrieved 2009-FEB-18.