Bassaris gonerilla Fabricius 1775

Bassaris gonerilla (Fabricius)

Papilio gonerilla Fabricius, 1775, p. 498; 1782, p. 82; 1793, p. 103.—Gabriel, 1927, p. 56.

Vanessa gonerilla.—Godart, 1819, p. 321.—Boisduval, 1832, p. 121.—Hudson, 1883, pp. 217–219.—Dale, 1890, p. 150.—Hudson, 1898, pp. 105–107, pl. 3: figs. 1, 2, 31, 32, pl. 12: figs. 5, 6.—Quail, 1900, pp. 153–156.—Hudson, 1928, pp. 34–35, pl. 4: figs. 2, 9.—Williams, 1930, p. 231.—Hudson, 1939, p. 388.—Verity, 1950, p. 329.—Gaskin, 1966, pp. 87–88, pl. 1: figs. [8], [9].—Pritchard, 1969, p. 12.

Pyrameis gonerilla.—Doubleday, 1849, p. 204.—Trimen, 1862–1866, p. 118.—Butler, 1870, p. 78.—Kirby, 1871, p. 185.—Staudinger, 1895, p. 98, pl. 37: fig. [d–l].—Distant, 1882–1886, p. 173.—Dixey, 1890, pp. 94, 98, 100, 107, 112, 114, 118, 122, 123, 127, pl. 1: fig. 11, pl. 2: fig. 25.—Fruhstorfer, 1898b, p. 151.—Alfken, 1899, pp. 5–6; 1903, p. 602, pl. 32: fig. 11.—Reuss, 1910c, pp. 85, 86, 88; 1910d, p. 303.—Fruhstorfer, 1912a, p. 526, pl. 117: figs, D 3, D 4; 1912b, p. 526, pl. 117: figs, D 3, D 4.

Papilio generilla Fabricius [misspelling of gonerilla], 1787, p. 24.

MALE (Figure 85).—Upper surface of forewing with apical half black and with an orange or orange-red band crossing middle of wing from near costa to a point at about the outer one third of anal vein; this band outlined by black along its inner surface; base of wing dark brown, heavily suffused with bronze; with a subapical white bar opposite end of cell and with a series of six white and blue submarginal spots between veins R3 and Cu1; the latter in interspaces R5, M1 and M3 always blue, those in interspace R3 and R4 sometimes blue, and that in interspace M2 much larger than the rest and with blue around its outer edge.

Upper surface of hindwing dark brown with a large orange or orange-red submarginal bar enclosing four ocular black spots pupillated with blue; these ocular markings located between veins M1 and Cu2, with the uppermost two of these spots (those in interspaces M1 and M2) closer together and placed more inward than those in interspaces M3 and Cu1; with a submarginal blue line or very thin bar running between veins Cu2 and anal angle.

Under surface of forewing with orange or red bar of upper surface repeated, replaced with white near costa, and broader in interspaces Cu1 and Cu2 than it is above; with a crescent-shaped yellow or white subapical bar opposite end of cell and with a blue ocular spot, pupillated with a large black spot between this bar and end of cell; with a blue marginal stripe along outer margin of wing and a second broad submarginal blue band or stripe between vein M2 and the anal angle; with four rather indistinct ocular markings between veins R3 and M2, the two above vein R5 obscure, very small, and with a submarginal white spot faintly outlined by blue along its outer margin in interspace M2.

Under surface of hindwing fuscous, sometimes nearly black, with an overall purplish-blue cast, heavily reticulated, and marked with lines and spots of several shades of brown, black, and yellowish white; with a series of five distinct and rather dark submarginal ocular spots between veins R5 and Cu2.

A statement on the length of forewing cannot be made for the species, since only the nominal sub-species is available for study (see paragraph on wing length under Bassaris gonerilla gonerilla).

Male genitalia as illustrated by Figure 7 (= B. gonerilla gonerilla drawn from my preparation no. 6192), with uncus and gnathos very much as in B. itea; aedeagus differing in having a simple pointed tip; valva with dorsal margin having a distinct but shallow lobe near middle; apex of valva with upward directed lobe that is not swollen along its caudal margin, this lobe much smaller than in B. itea; clasper a blunt subtriangular lobe and downward directed; cuiller not swollen at base, caudally directed, evenly thick throughout, and lacking teeth.

FEMALE (Figures 86, 87 (?), 88 (?)).—Distinguishable from the male sex only in having the apex of forewing and the hindwing on under surfaces pale brown to tan in color.

As in the male, a statement on the length of forewing cannot be made (see above).

Female genitalia as illustrated by Figure 23 (= B. gonerilla gonerilla, drawn from my preparation no. 6194), with seventh sternite heavily sclerotized; eighth sternite forming a large genital plate covering entire sternite, divided in middle of posterior margin; ostium bursae large and from before middle of eighth sternite; with deep lateral pouches on either side of ostium bursae; signa ribbonlike, very large and long, more than half the length of bursa copulatrix.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION.—Two subspecies are recognized, but since specimens of B. gonerilla ida Alfkin were not available for study, the characters for separating the nominate subspecies from Alfkin's subspecies are based upon the original description of the latter.