Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 94. (Budapest 2002)

Bálint, Zs.: Miscellaneous notes on Arcas Swainson, 1832 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae, Eumaeini)

BMNH (BÁLINT, in prep.) (Figs 14-16). This specimen is hereby designated as lectotype of Thecla tuneta, labelled as "Ex Grose-Smith, 1910 \\ J. J. Joicey Coll., B. M. 1929^135. W B. M. Type No. Rh. 504. \\ BMNH(E)Ó* 266275 \\ Syntype <$, Thecla tuneta Hewitson, London, VI. 15, Zs. Bálint, 2000". The following label will be added to the specimen: "Lectotype <5\ Thecla tuneta Hewitson, designated by Zs. Bálint, Budapest, 2002.IV.

8". The designation of the lectotype is necessary because of the nomenclatorial complications caused by the redescription of the species and the subsequent establishment of two nominal taxa described in close relationship with Areas tuneta. NlCOLAY ( 1971: 100) redescribed Areas tuneta mentioning that the inner and proximal half of the black median line is slightly touched with gold scaling. NlCOLAY did not mention that he consulted type material. Subsequently AUSTIN & JOHNSON (1995: 34) applied the name Areas tuneta also for the western Brazilian populations, and described two sympatric taxa with narrow white scaling along the hindwing median band. They have not examined type material, too, considering the previously named taxa unambiguous. According to the works of NlCOLAY and AUSTIN & JOHNSON, along with the material I have examined, it is obvious that two Areas tuneta phenotypes exist: the western phenotype with white scaling along the inner part of the hindwing median line and the eastern phenotype with golden scaling along the inner part of the hindwing median line. The western phenotype was documented by AUSTIN & JOHNSON (1995) and the eastern one was redescribed by NlCOLAY (1971). In spite of the fact that NlCOLAY listed specimens from Peru and Bolivia in his material examined, his descriptions were obviously based on the most voluminous Brazilian material, representing the eastern phenotype as suggested correctly by AUSTIN & JOHNSON (1995: 35). The best distinguishing external character of Areas male specimens, besides wing colouration and pattern, is the shape and extension of androconial cluster situated at the end of the cell of the forewing dorsum. It was demonstrated in the case of Areas imperialis, however, that this character can be extremely variable intraspecifically (see Figs 4-6). The two phenotypes of Areas tuneta cannot be separated on the basis of the androconial cluster of male dorsal forewing, although the eastern phenotype shows a tendency to have a larger quadrate spot. I consider the two phenotypes as a pair of allopatric semispecies. The western semispecies, Areas (tuneta) tuneta, is distributed along the eastern side of the Andes and the adjacent Amazon Basin, and lives in tropical climatic regions characterized by less marked seasonal fluctuation. The southeastern semispecies, Arcai (tuneta) arcadia sp. n., lives in deciduous Atlantic forests under quite different climatic circumstances, including heavy winter frosts.