PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH. 103(2), 2001. pp. 312-318 A NEW SPECIES OF ADHEMARIUS OITICICA (LEPIDOPTERA: SPHINGIDAE) FROM MEXICO Manuel A. Balcazar-Lara and Carlos R. Beutelspacher (MAB-L) Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Colima, Apdo. Postal 25, Av. 25 de Julio #965, Col. Villas San Sebastian, C. P. 28000, Colima, Mexico, (e-mail:
[email protected]); (CRB) Instituto de Historia Natural, Calz. a Cerro hueco s/n A.P. No. 6, C.R 29000, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico Abstract. — Adhetnarius mexicanus, new species, is described from the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains, Mexico. A key to males of the A. donysa species group (A. donysa, A. dariensis, A. mexicanus, A. globifer, and A. blanchardorum) is presented, and specific characters are discussed. Key Words: Adhetnarius blanchardorum, Adhemarius dariensis, Adhemarius donysa, Adhemarius globifer, Adhemarius mexicanus, distribution, Mexico The taxonomy of the species that are closely related to Adhemarius donysa (Dru-ce) has been problematic. D'Abrera ([1987]), who illustrated A. globifer (Dyar) and the types of A. dariensis (Rothschild and Jordan) and A. donysa, suggested that all three of these taxa might be synony-mous. He also overlooked the most recently described species, A. blanchardorum (Hodges 1985). In contrast, Carcasson and Heppner (1996) treated A. globifer and A. donysa as separate species, with dariensis as a subspecies of the latter. Recently, Ca-diou and Hodges (1998) reviewed the spe-cies of Adhemarius from North and Central America, with special reference to the don-ysa group. They concluded that there were four species, and undertook a thorough re-view of the names and previous taxonomic confusion. For several years, we had rec-ognized four species in Mexico. The iden-tities of three were clear following Cadiou and Hodges' paper: A. donysa, A. dariensis, and A. globifer {A. blanchardorum has not yet been found in Mexico). However, with regard to A. dariensis, Cadiou and Hodges (1998) wrote "Specimens from Veracruz and farther north tend to have more elon-gate forewings, with a narrower apex, than do specimens from Chiapas and farther south . . . we have not found clear charac-ters to subdivide this taxon." We believe that these northern populations correspond to what we considered was the fourth spe-cies found in Mexico. After close exami-nation of the external morphology and gen-italia of a quite large series of specimens, we have concluded that it is indeed a hith-erto undescribed species. Adhemarius mexicanus Balcazar and Beutelspacher, new species (Figs. 1-2, 5-6, 9) Description. — Forewing length: d 43-51 mm {X = 47.8, n = 31); 949-52 (x = 50.3, n = 4). Male (Fig. 1). — Head: Gray; labial palp ventrally orange, especially basal segments (distal one can be greenish); zone from base of antenna to vertex greenish brown. Tho-rax: Dorsally pale yellowish gray; dark ar-eas greenish brown. Legs with coxae and
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