Dianesia abscondita Álvarez, Núñez & Espeland, 2025

Dianesia abscondita Álvarez, Núñez & Espeland , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:10B1D612-11C4-4B39-A75B-494F8285649D

Figs. 2Q–T View FIGURE 2 , 4G–I View FIGURE 4 , 6I–J View FIGURE 6 , 7V–X View FIGURE 7 , 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9E View FIGURE 9 –F, 10G View FIGURE 10

Diagnosis. Dianesia abscondita sp. nov. most resembles the closely related D. galindoensis from which it can be separated by its larger size (FW length ♂ 14,2–14,8 mm, n = 6, ♀ 14,1–14,7 mm, n = 4 in D. abscondita vs. FW length ♂ 13,0– 13,9 mm, n = 11, ♀ 12,6–13,5 mm, n = 5 in D. galindoensis ), darker UP and UN brown background color; more marked and developed postdiscal white band; less developed submarginal orange band; small dark brown spot on the bifurcation of Cu 1 and Cu 2 always present; more marked light area near costa between the black bands of the discal cell on the UNHW; male genitalia with tegumen slightly dorsally depressed, more prominent ventral uncus tooth-like protuberance, shorter and broader valvae; female genitalia with longer signa with pointed tips. Final instar greener, with larger and darker lateral black spots and dorsal white lines. From the also similar D. serpentinicola sp. nov. males differ by their darker coloration; more marked and developed postdiscal white band; less developed submarginal orange band; less contrasting UN coloration; male genitalia with broader tegumen, more developed uncus tooth-like protuberance, and longer valvae. Females are darker, with less developed submarginal orange band; UN less contrasting; female genitalia with signa with pointed tips. From the other species of the genus, it can be separated by the combination of large size, dark grey-brown UP background color, reduced submarginal orange band and poorly developed FW postdiscal white band. Barcode rDNC: 241(T), 274(C), 281(T).

Description. Eyes naked, green in life. Antennal socket orange; antennae slender, 36–38 alternate blackish and white antennomers, club blackish with white tip. Head, thorax and abdomen dark grey-brown, the thorax with scattered light orange pubescence and the abdomen with light orange segment junctions. FW length ♂ 14,2–14,8 mm, ♀ 14,1–14,7 mm. Male UPFW dark grey-brown, base with reduced pale orange area and with two dark brown concentric, discontinuous bands extending basally and discally, respectively, from the discal cell to 2A; a third incomplete band of the same color edging the discal cell, and a very small spot of the same color on the bifurcation of Cu 1 and Cu 2. A thin dark brown postdiscal line extending sinuously from costa to Cu 1 and then straight to inner margin, externally edged by a white band consisting of six spots, the two between R 2 –R 3 and R 3 –M 1 thinner and well-defined, the two between M 1 –M 2 and M 2 –M 3 shorter, broader and more diffuse, and the two between M 3 –Cu 1 and Cu 1 –Cu 2 larger, broader and more diffuse. A poorly developed submarginal curved broad orange band, sometimes nearly absent, edged by diffuse blackish areas, interrupted by veins; an elliptical black ocellus on the anal angle, internally edged by the orange band. UPHW with similar pattern, but with basal orange color slightly more developed, broader and more sinuous postdiscal brown line and submarginal orange band, the latter with more defined and broader black edging, no postdiscal white band, and a larger, square ocellus in the anal angle, internally edged by yellow and with an external metallic blue pupil. UNFW similar but paler with no orange color, basal half whiter near inner angle and with the postdiscal white band much more defined and broader, extending towards inner angle; ocellus at anal angle with an external superior small pupil of blue scales, and internally edged by pale yellow scales. UNHW similar but paler with no orange color, basal and discal brown bands reduced, postdiscal brown band discontinuous. Genitalia with broad, slightly dorsally depressed, square-shaped tegumen; uncus weakly lobed, each lobe with a ventrally prominent tooth-like protuberance; gnathi slender, smoothly curved upwards near tip; vinculum anteriorly concave, slender but broader near aedeagus; valvae medium-broad, simple, shorter than tegumen, mid-dorsally concave, tip short and narrow, sclerotized but membranous near attachment to vinculum, dorsally attached to aedeagus by a weakly sclerotized peduncle; saccus short, lightly rounded; aedeagus elongate and thin, continued in a long, membranous duct ( Fig. 6I–J View FIGURE 6 ).

Female similar to male but with elongated, narrower wings with rounder outer margins; a much lighter, uniform color on the UP, extending beyond the postdiscal black line in both wings; and better developed postdiscal white band and marginal orange band, especially in the FW. Genitalia with ostium bursae compressed dorsoventrally, narrower towards the sclerotized antrum, lamella antevaginalis heavily sclerotized and spatulate, partially covering ostium bursae; lamella postvaginalis weakly sclerotized; ductus bursae narrow and membranous, punctate surface with several small, irregular folds; corpus bursae narrow, flattened dorsoventrally, surface uniformly punctate, with numerous folds around junction with ductus bursae; two mid-lateral heavily sclerotized long flat cylindrical signa with narrow tips ( Fig. 7V–X View FIGURE 7 ).

Type material. Holotype — ♂ CUBA , Villa Clara, Alturas de Santa Clara, road to El Playazo , 22º23’N, 79º55’W, 8/VIII/2024, col. Y. Álvarez, YAC (YAC-0648) GoogleMaps . Paratypes — 5♂, 5♀. Same data as for holotype, DNA vouchers DC-107, DC-108, YAC (2♂, 1♀: YAC-0631, YAC-0646, YAC-0647), ZUEC (1♂: 14731); same locality, 21/IV/2024, col. Y. Álvarez, DNA vouchers DC-98, DC-99, DC-101, ZUEC (1♂, 2♀: 14732, 14733, 14734); same locality, 30/VI/2024, col. Y. Álvarez, DNA voucher DC-102, YAC (1♀: YAC-0602); same locality, 7/VIII/2024, col. Y. Álvarez, DNA voucher DC-106, ZUEC (1♂: 14730); same locality, 26/IX/2024, col. Y. Álvarez, YAC (1♀: YAC-0649); same locality, 27/II/2025, col. Y. Álvarez, YAC (1 ♀: YAC-0746) GoogleMaps .

Additional material. CUBA . Villa Clara: Alturas de Santa Clara, road to El Playazo, 22º23’N, 79º55’W, 21/ IV/2024, col. Y. Álvarez, DNA vouchers DC-96, DC-97, DC-100, DC-105, ZUEC (four larvae in ethanol) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The epithet is a feminine Latin adjective meaning “hidden”, as this butterfly remained undetected in the type locality until April 2024, being the most recent species of the genus to be discovered.

Distribution. Known only from near El Playazo, in the northwestern limits of Alturas de Santa Clara, Villa Clara province, central Cuba ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 ).

Habitat. Dry serpentine scrub-woodland and associated gallery forest patches ( Fig. 9E–F View FIGURE 9 ).

Biology. Habits and behavior of this species are similar to those of Dianesia galindoensis . Adults have been recorded taking nectar on Anastraphia cowellii Britton ( Asteraceae ). Adults are on the wing year-round, although they are more common from June to August, and fly from the early morning until late afternoon; we have seen an activity peak between 17 and 18 h. Adults from the dry season (November–April) can show a reduction of the orange color on the UP.

Immature stages. Final instar ( Fig. 10G View FIGURE 10 ): Head capsule orange, covered with numerous whitish setae. Prothoracic shield green yellow, with a lateral obliquus purplish line; covered by whitish setae and a pair of lateral black setae. Body dark yellow green dorsally, lighter yellow green laterally, these colors intergrading in the first five segments and delimited by a lateral diffuse white band from the sixth to the tenth segments, yellowish near anal plate; ninth and tenth segments with dorsal purplish areas restricted to the outer half or covering the whole dorsum, respectively; segment junctions yellower; white band running mid-dorsally along the last five body segments; two dorsolateral white bands, broader and more marked in the first three segments, externally accompanied by small whitish dots on the first three segments and by a white and a black longitudinal spots on the ninth segment; a lateral small, compact black spot edged with white on the fourth and fifth segments; each segment with a lateral white spiracle opening and a tuft of long whitish setae. Males with yellow-orange testicles visible dorsally in the seventh segment. Anal plate yellow, with four longitudinal central purplish stripes, covered by numerous external long whitish setae.

Host plant. Buxus gonoclada subsp. gonoclada ( Buxaceae ).

Remarks. The discovery of this species was predicted on the basis of the distribution of its host plant, which it shares with D. serpentinicola sp. nov. and D. galindoensis , which inhabit similar habitats of eastern and western Cuba , respectively. The dry serpentine scrub-woodland that once prevailed throughout Alturas de Santa Clara has now been extremely disturbed and fragmented, and despite several surveys conducted at other conserved habitat patches, the butterfly has only been located to date in the type locality. Nevertheless, several other well-preserved fragments remain to be surveyed and this species is likely more widespread in the Clarense serpentine outcrop of central Cuba .