Rekoa malina Hewitson

Rekoa malina Hewitson

NOMENCLATURE:—Thecla malina Hewitson, 1867: Hewitson (1862–1878) described and illustrated Thecla malina from a Brazilian male in the W.W. Saunders collection. The type should be in the BMNH or the Oxford University Collection. I did not find in at the BMNH, nor was it segregated as a type in Oxford. However, Hewitson's illustrations of ventral and dorsal wing surfaces make identification of T. malina unambiguous. The placement of T. malina in Rekoa is a new combination.

Thecla phrynisca Burmeister, 1878: Burmeister (1878, 1879) described Thecla phrynisca from two females collected in Corrientes Province, Argentina, and illustrated the ventral wings. He differentiated it from R. meton and R. palegon. Although Draudt (1919–1920) suggested that it might be a form of R. meton, the illustrated specimen has the wing shape of R. malina. Further, there are three specimens of R. malina labelled “T. phrynisca Burmeister” in the Strecker Collection in the Allyn Museum of Entomology. According to a catalog of the Strecker Collection, the specimens were sent from G. Ruscheweyh in Buenos Aires, and had been identified by Burmeister as T. phrynisca. On these bases, I suggest the new synonym, Thecla malina Hewitson = Thecla phrynisca Burmeister. A type specimen may be found at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernadino Rivadavia in Buenos Aires.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (Figure 83), TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION, AND ELEVATION.—ARGENTINA: Corrientes: (no further data); from Burmeister (1878). Misiones: (no further data); from Hayward (1963). Buenos Aires: San Fernando (Apr).

BRAZIL: Distrito Federal: Parque do Gama (1000 m, 17 Jun). Espirito Santo: Santa Teresa (Apr, 900 m). Minas Gerais: Pocos de Caldas (1200–1400 m, Feb, Apr, May); from Ebert (1969). Rio de Janeiro: Nova Friburgo (Feb). São Paulo: No further data (2300 ft), Borhumi (??), Itarare (2500 ft, Mar). Parana: Castro (2900 ft, Apr–Jun, Oct), Fernandez Pinheiro (2600 ft, Apr), Iguacu (Feb, Mar), São Jose dos Pinhais (800 m, 14 Mar), Curitiba (850 m, 31 May), Vossoroca–Tijucas do Sul (850 m, 2 Mar). Santa Catarina: Blumenau (Apr), Nova Teutonia (300–500 m, 6 May; 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 16, 28 Jun; 5, 14 Nov), São Bento do Sul–Rio Vermelho (800–850 m, 13, 15 Mar; 2 May; 5 Aug), São Bento do Sul–Mato Preto (12 Apr). Rio Grande do Sul: Guarani (13 Jan), Pelotas (27 Mar; 19, 21, 23 Apr; 1 May).

URUGUAY: Paysandu: Paysandu (Feb, Mar); from Biezanko et al. (1957).

Burmeister's report of two females from Corrientes Province, Argentina, is somewhat anomalous. Most known specimens have been collected in highlands, but this province lacks mountainous areas. Perhaps the specimens are from the cooler southern part of the province.

IDENTIFICATION.—Males of R. malina are easily distinguished from other Rekoa by the large black scent patch in the discal cell. Females of R. malina can be distinguished from females of R. meton by their more elongate hindwings (Figures 66, 73), smaller size (Table 7), usual lack of an “eyespot” on the ventral hindwing costa (Figures 67, 74), and brown or blue scales covering the dorsal base of dorsal hindwing vein Rs. They are easily differentiated from other Rekoa females by their more extensive dorsal blue wing color.

ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR—Habitat: The great majority of elevation records indicate that R. malina occurs primarily above 800 meters in the northern part of its range (Serra do Mar), but at lower elevations in the temperate south. If this pattern is correct, then R. malina is the only Rekoa species that does not occur in tropical lowlands. Rekoa malina appears to be most common during the first half of the year, but has been collected all year round in the northern parts of its range. I have not collected R. malina, and know of no published accounts of its biology.