Species Philiris lucina Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914

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Species Philiris lucina Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914

Philiris lucina Waterhouse, G.A. & Lyell, G. 1914. The Butterflies of Australia: a monograph of the Australian Rhopalocera introducing a complete scheme of structural classification, and giving descriptions and illustrations of all the butterflies found in Australia, including a number now recorded for the first time. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 239 pp. 38 pls + 3 unnumbered colour pls. [Date published 25 July 1914] [77].
Type data:
Lectotype AM KL21517 ♂, Cape York, Queensland.
Paralectotype(s) AM KL21518 ♀, same locality data as holotype; AM KL51520 ♂, same locality data as holotype; AM KL25521 ♀, same locality data as holotype
Comment: The lectotype, designated by Sands (2015), was based on a selected but unpublished designation of holotype by G.A. Waterhouse in the collection at AM.
Subsequent designation references:
Sands, D.P.A 2015. Review of Australian Philiris Röber (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), with notes on variation and descriptions of two new subspecies from Cape York Peninsula. Australian Entomologist 42(4): 219-252 [243].
Philiris kamerungae lucina Waterhouse, G.A. & Lyell, G. 1914. The Butterflies of Australia: a monograph of the Australian Rhopalocera introducing a complete scheme of structural classification, and giving descriptions and illustrations of all the butterflies found in Australia, including a number now recorded for the first time. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 239 pp. 38 pls + 3 unnumbered colour pls. [Date published 25 July 1914] [77].
Type data:
Holotype AM KL21517 ♂, Cape York, Queensland.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

Sands, D.P.A 2015. Review of Australian Philiris Röber (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), with notes on variation and descriptions of two new subspecies from Cape York Peninsula. Australian Entomologist 42(4): 219-252 [243]

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Distributed from Cape York Peninsula, Bamaga and Iron Range in northern Queensland, most abundant near Heathlands and the Claudie River (Sands 2015)

IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Plains (GUP), Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

In P. lucina males, the black margin on the upperside is broader, particularly along the termen of the hind wing and along the basal half of the costa of the fore wing where it extends to the cubitus of the cell (in P. nitens the cell is devoid of black scaling); a white postmedian band extends from near the apex to vein CuA1 on the upperside of the hind wing (in P. nitens this longitudinal band is absent and only a white transverse streak is present along the costa which occasionally extends to vein M1); and the upperside iridescent ground colour is paler blue (in P. nitens the ground colour is a deeper sky blue – these differences are more apparent in reared specimens). Females of both taxa vary considerably in the size and extent of the white areas on the upperside of both wings, and in the extent of blue suffusion on the upperside of the fore wing; however, in P. lucina the blue suffusion is paler in colour, and the white patch is generally more extensive, particularly on the hind wing. These differences are of similar magnitude to those reported between P. sappheira and P. nitens by Ring and Olive (1997). Moreover, there are significant differences in the male genitalia of P. lucina, P. nitens and P. sappheira, particularly the form of sociuncus, sinus and juxtae (Ring & Olive 1997). (M. Braby, in litt. June 2017)