Staphylus (Capilla) ascalon

Staphylus (Capilla) ascalon (Staudinger, 1876) Figures 1, 2 A – D, 3 A – D, 10 A, 11 Helias ascalon Staudinger, 1876. Verh. zool. - bot. Ges. Wien 25: 116; 1 male [holotype], Novo [sic] Friburgo, [Rio de Janeiro State], Brazil; collection Sommer. – Kirby, 1877. Syn. Cat. Diurn. Lep., suppl., p. 836. – Burmeister, 1878. Descr. phys. Rép. Arg. 5, p. 262. Staphylus ascalon; Mabille, 1903, in Wytsman. Gen. Ins. 17, p. 68. – Draudt, 1923, in Seitz. Gross-Schmett. Erde 5, p. 906. – Jörgensen, 1932. Dtsch. ent. Ztschr. Iris 46: 45. – Hayward, 1933. Rev. Soc. ent. arg. 5: 223, 249, pl. 26, fig. 12 (d); syn.: musculus. – Hayward, 1934. Rev. Soc. ent. arg. 6: 211. – Evans, 1953. Cat. Amer. Hesp. 3, p. 88, pl. 37 (male gen.); syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – Ebert, 1969. Jour. Lep. Soc. 23, suppl. 3: 39. – Hayward, 1973. Op. Lill. 23: 43; syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – O. Mielke, 1975. Acta biol. paranaense 4 (1-2): 30, figs 2 (female gen.), 6, 7 (female d, v), 8, 9 (male d, v); syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – Bridges, 1983. Lep. Hesp. 1, p. 7, 11, 35; 2, p. 34; syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – Bridges, 1988. Cat. Hesp. 1, p. 12, 17, 55; 2, p. 56; syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – K. Brown, 1992, in Morellato. Hist. nat. Japi, p. 177, fig. 25 (v). – Bridges, 1994. Cat. Fam. - Group, Gen. - Group, Sp. Group Nam. Hesp. (Lep.) World 8, p. 14, 20, 66; 9, p. 64; syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – K. Brown & Freitas, 2000. Bol. Mus. Biol. Mello Leitão, n. s., Sta. Teresa, 11 / 12: 111. – Canals, 2003. Marip. Misiones, p. 70, 457, figs (d, v). – O. Mielke, 2004. Hesperioidea, p. 55, in Lamas (ed.). Checklist: Part 4 A, Hesperioidea - Papilionoidea, in Heppner (ed.). Atlas Neotrop. Lep. 5 A; syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – O. Mielke, 2005. Cat. Amer. Hesperioidea 3, p. 721; syn.: anginus, dissimilis. – Fonseca; Kumagai & O. Mielke, 2006. Revta bras. Ent. 50 (3): 402. – Núñez B., 2008. Trop. Lep. Res. 18 (2): 80. – Rodrigues & Bononi (ed.), 2008. Diret. Cons. Rest. Biodiv. São Paulo, p. 219. – Núñez B., 2009. Trop. Lep. Res. 19 (2): 77. – Núñez B. et al., 2011. Trop. Lep. Res. 21 (1): 41. – Dolibaina; O. Mielke & Casagrande, 2011. Biota Neotrop. 11 (1): 344. – Ritter et al., 2011. Biota Neotrop. 11 (1): 363. – O. Mielke; Carneiro & Casagrande, 2012. Revta bras. Ent. 56 (1): 63. – Uehara-Prado & Ribeiro, 2012, in Morini & Miranda (eds). Serra do Itapevi, p. 176. – Giovenardi et al., 2013. Rev. colomb. Ent. 39 (2), Supl., p. 12. – Garcia-Salik et al., 2014. Shilap Revta. lepid. 42 (166): 274. – Piovesan & Morais, 2015. Shilap Revta. lepid. 43 (170): 211. – Núñez B., 2015. Patrim. Nat. Cult. Área Infl. Emb. Yacyretá, Argentina, p. 110. – Klimaitis et al., 2018. Marip. Argentinas, p. 232, figs. (male d, v, female d, v, map). – Vieira; Henriques & de Souza, 2022. Shilap Revta. lepid. 50 (197): 186. Staphylus anginus Schaus, 1902. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 24: 432; [syn] type n ° 5.985, Nova Friburgo, [Rio de Janeiro State], Brazil; USNM. – Draudt, 1922, in Seitz. Gross-Schmett. Erde 5, p. 904, pl. 176 f (d). Staphilus [sic] ascalon; Spitz, 1932. Rev. Mus. Paulista 17: 872. Pholisora ascalon; Shepard, 1935. Lep. Cat. 69, p. 342; syn.: var. musculus. – Hayward, 1937. Rev. chil. Hist. nat. 40: 278. – Hayward, 1941. Rev. Mus. La Plata, n. s., Zool. 2: 273. – Hayward, 1948. Gen. Sp. Anim. Arg. 1, p. 300, 305, pl. 26, fig. 11 ([female d]) - J. Zikán & W. Zikán, 1968. Pesq. agropec. bras. 3: 62. Pholisora anginus; Shepard, 1935. Lep. Cat. 69, p. 344. Pholisora dissimilis Hayward, 1937. Rev. chil. Hist. nat. 40: 277; holotype female, XII- 1933, Puerto Bemberg, Misiones, Argentina; collection Hayward. – Hayward, 1939. Physis 17: 287. – Hayward, 1941. Rev. Mus. La Plata, n. s., Zool. 2: 274. – Hayward, 1947. Acta zool. Lill. 3 (2): 221. – Hayward, 1948. Gen. Sp. Anim. Arg. 1, p. 300, 309, pl. 26, fig. 1 (female d). – Hayward, 1964. Acta zool. Lill. 19: 328. (no genus) ascalon; Beattie, 1976. Rhop. Direct., p. 86. (no genus) anginus; Beattie, 1976. Rhop. Direct., p. 78. (no genus) dissimilis; Beattie, 1976. Rhop. Direct., p. 129. Taxonomic history. Staudinger (1876) described Helias ascalon in the same description of Helias ascalaphus Staudinger, 1876. The name ascalon was subsequently placed in the genus Pholisora by different authors. Mabille (1903) cited it as Staphylus ascalon for the first time, being followed by most subsequent authors. Schaus (1902) described Staphylus anginus, treated as Pholisora anginus by Shepard (1935). Hayward (1933) cited Hesperia musculus Burmeister, 1875 as a synonym of Staphylus ascalon. Hayward (1937) also described Pholisora dissimilis. Evans (1953) synonymized S. anginus Schaus, 1902 and P. dissimilis Hayward, 1937 with Staphylus ascalon and revalidated Staphylus musculus (Burmeister, 1875). Subsequent authors have mentioned this species in taxonomic comments, faunistic studies and catalogues. Types. Helias ascalon Staudinger, 1876 was described based on the male [holotype] from Novo [sic] Friburgo, [Rio de Janeiro State], Brazil, deposited in Sommer collection. Currently, the holotype is deposited in MfN and contains the following labels: / Origin / N. Friburgo / Coll. Sommer / aut. ascalon Stgr. / ascalon Stgr. / GEN. PREP., MIELKE 1996 /. Staphylus anginus Schaus, 1902 was described based on type No. 5985 deposited in USNM. However, some of the Schaus’s descriptions are based on more than one specimen with the same type-number label. For example, for Papias sobrinus Schaus, 1902, also deposited in USNM, there are two specimens labelled as Type No. 6034. Therefore, to stabilize the correct nomenclature, the male syntype from Novo [sic] Friburgo, [Rio de Janeiro State], deposited in USNM, is hereby designated as the lectotype, with the following labels: / Nova Friburgo, Brazil. / Collection W. Schaus / Staphylus anginus type Sch. / Type No. 5985 U. S. N. M. / Lectotypus / Lectotypus Staphylus anginus Schaus, 1902, Lemes, O. Mielke, Casagrande, Siewert, A. Warren, 2025. Pholisora dissimilis Hayward, 1937 was described based on the female holotype from Puerto Bemberg (currently Puerto Liberdad), Misiones, Argentina, December 1933, Hayward leg., deposited in Hayward collection. The holotype is currently deposited in IML, with the following labels: / Bemberg, Misiones, Ab. 1933, Hayward / Pholisora dissimilis Hayw. ♀, Holotipo / Tipus / H. 56 / N. ° 210 /. Diagnosis. Staphylus (C.) ascalon (Fig. 2 A – D) externally resembles S. (C.) lizeri album (Fig. 2 S, T), some specimens of S. (C.) melangon melangon (Fig. 4 E – H), S. (C.) melangon stanga (Fig. 4 I, J) and S. (C.) neideae sp. nov. (Fig. 7 U – X) due to a white VHW tornus. Among these species, S. (C.) ascalon has unique male genitalia (Fig. 3 A – D), with the uncus somewhat rectangular at the base and a tapered apex, and with ampulla broad, exceeding the harpe. The female genitalia (Fig. 10 A) differ from the other species due to the lamella postvaginalis being very excavated at the center of the distal margin, bearing microtrichia, with the proximal part funnel-shaped and without microtrichia. Male description. Fig. 2 A, B. Head: Brown with golden scales dorsally, white cream ventrally. FW length: 1.2–1.3 cm. HW length: 0.9–1 cm. DFW: Brown. Three white dots in the subapical area, two hyaline dots in the cell and one in CuA 1 - CuA 2. Fringe brown. VFW: Same white markings as on DFW. VHW: Lighter brown with tornal area white. Genitalia (Fig. 3 A – D): Base of uncus somewhat rectangular, longer than wide, dorsally bearing a tuft of long hair-like scales, and with a tapered apex. Fenestra developed. Valva: sacculus rounded, bearing some hair-like scales internally; harpe rounded at the distal margin, excavated on its proximal-internal margin, not exceeding ampulla; ampulla broad, rounded, exceeding harpe, bearing long, thin setae at the distal margin. Aedeagus shorter than valva, bearing small denticles dorsally on the distal portion. Fultura superior bearing two dense clusters of small, thin spines laterally. Female description. Fig. 2 C, D. The females differ from the males in the following characters: FW length: 1.3–1.5 cm. HW length: 1–1.1 cm. Wings. Additional white dots can be present or absent: two in the cell, one in M 2 - M 3, one in M 3 - CuA 1 and one in CuA 1 - CuA 2. Genitalia (Fig. 10 A): The lamella postvaginalis is a plate with a deep central division on the distal margin, bearing microtrichia, with the proximal part funnel-shaped, without microtrichia. Membranous or at least less sclerotized area linking the lamellae postvaginalis and antevaginalis. Lamella antevaginalis as a plate with reticulations; the proximal margin around the ostium bursae not fused. Ductus bursae membranous, except on the proximal part that has a sclerotized semi-ring. Distribution. Fig. 11. Brazil: Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul (Ritter et al. 2011; Piovesan and Morais 2015) and São Paulo; Paraguay (Hayward 1948); Argentina: Buenos Aires (Burmeister 1878, Hayward 1948), Córdoba (Núñez-Bustos 2015), Misiones, Santiago del Estero (Hayward 1934). Temporal distribution. Staphylus (C.) ascalon is recorded throughout the year, except June. Biology. Fonseca et al. (2006) recorded this species visiting the flowers of Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich.) (Verbenaceae). Etymology. Staudinger (1876) did not provide an etymology for the name ascalon. Schaus (1902) did not provide an etymology for the name anginus. Although Hayward (1937) did not provide an etymology for Pholisora dissimilis, he cites that the species is very near Staphylus similis Bell, 1932; that is presumably the reason why he named the species as dissimilis. Remarks. The genitalia of the holotype of Pholisora dissimilis is partially destroyed, lacking its corpus and ductus bursae (O. Mielke, 1975). Examined material. BRAZIL: Espírito Santo – Baixo Gandu, 26. VII. 1966, 3 ♂, O. Mielke, Brown & Elias leg., DZ 370 *, DZ 44.762, DZ 44.763 (DZUP); 16. IX. 1966, 1 ♂, Claudinor Elias leg., DZ 846 * (DZ