Dysschema tricolora (Sulzer, 1776)

Sulzer, J. H. (1776). Abgekürzte Geschichte der Insecten nach dem Linaeischen
System. Erster Theil. H. Steiner und Comp., Winterthur; p. 160, pl. 22, fig. 5
(as Phalaena Noctua Tricolora).

Translated from the German original.

The Three-coloured. Ph. N. Tricolora. The fore wings dark brown, beneath
blackish-brown, with a straw-yellow spot in the middle and a smaller one, bared
of the scale-dust, nearer to the end; the hind wings brownish-black, almost
dentate, with 5 red spots and one yellow spot which goes right through.
From America.

Hering, M. (1925). Pericopidae. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the
World, vol. 6, The American Bombyces and Sphinges. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart; p.
439, pl. 62 d, e (as Pericopis tricolora).

P. tricolora Sulz. (= turbida Wkr., aglaura Cr.) (62 d, e). Body blackish-brown,
abdomen beneath in the male entirely pale yellow, in the female partly pale
yellow at most; dorsum of abdomen in the male varying from yellow to a bluish
grey, with a black dorsal line. Base of collar and of patagia in the male (very
rarely in the female) with yellow spots, female on the mesothorax sometimes with
a whitish spot. Forewing blackish-brown, with hyaline places. Hindwing in the
male whitish hyaline, the costa, distal margin and transverse vein broad black,
at the anal angle traces or spots; in the female at the anal angle a red band
extending to the 1st cubitus, distally to the cell a yellow spot, otherwise the
hindwing blackish-brown. The races are distinctly ascertainable only by the
female. The typical form from Guiana, the Amazons and East Peru has in the
hindwing the anal band pink, more or less distinctly broken up into single
spots; the hyaline bands of the forewing are indistinct. The male has almost
invariably whitish hindwings, without red spots at the anal angle. -- jansonis
Btlr., from Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, generally has shorter and broader
wings, in the female the brick-red band of the hindwing is uniform behind the
2nd cubitus, not broken up into spots. The bands of the forewing exhibit a
yellow or brownish tinge and are more distinct. In the male there are often red
spots at the anal angle of the hindwing. -- The male form flavopennis Rbl. has
yellow instead of white hindwings. -- The Colombian females mostly exhibit yet
in the cell some yellow scales, thus forming the transition to the form salome
Drc. (= albisarta Prout) (63 a) from Ecuador and Bolivia. Here there is also
proximally to the transverse vein another yellow spot. -- In South Brazil flies
lunifera Btlr.; in the female forewing only the apical band is hyaline, hindwing
with a short anal band and a large yellow spot of 5 mm diameter, which is not
parted by black veins.

Moraes, S. S. (2014). Análise cladística da subtribo Pericopina e revisão
taxonômica de Dysschema Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae,
Arctiini). Doctoral thesis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo;
pp. 103-105, figs 31 F-G (adults), 72 (male genitalia) (Dysschema tricolor,
syntype: South America, not examined).

Translated from the Portuguese original.

Redescription
Male (Fig. 31 F).
Head: predominantly brown. Vertex with reduced tufts of white scales in the
anterior and posterior regions of the scape, the antero-central region of the
vertex and behind the ocelli. Labial palpus brown, anterior region of the 1st
and 2nd segments with white scales.
Thorax: predominantly brown. Prothoracic collar with two yellow spots;
prothoracic coxa yellow. Tegula with two basal yellow spots, near the inner and
outer margins. Fore wing with costal and outer margins brown, inner margin dark
brown, veins outlined by dark brown scales; three whitish semi-hyaline patches
(i) triangular in the basal region, between the stem of R and CuP, sometimes
obscured (ii) subrectangular in the median region and (iii) oval in the
subapical region, between R4+R5 and CuA1, a red spot at the wing base, on the
stem of R; underside with a pattern like the upperside, but with the
semi-hyaline patches better delimited and the wing base with a red spot in the
costal region. Hind wing with costal and outer margins brown, median region
semi-hyaline and veins outlined by brown scales, the stem of CuA standing out; a
brown spot at the closure of the discal cell, fused to the submarginal band;
submarginal band brown; underside with a pattern like the upperside, but with
the wing base with a red spot in the costal region.
Abdomen: dorsally brown, two lateral bands of bluish-white scales on segments
A1-A8; ventrally yellow. Tuft of yellow and brown scales on the terminal part of
the abdomen.
Genitalia (Fig. 76): tegumen trapezoidal in dorsal view, anterior margin
straight, with pointed postero-lateral projections. Uncus bifid, not fused to
the tegumen; arms of the uncus divergent, fused in their anterior part,
projected ventrally and with smooth apex. Valvae asymmetrical, the left more
developed than the right; costa without medial apodeme (lacinia), distal apodeme
absent; sacculus distinct, in the form of a fold; harpe indistinct; cucullus
digitiform, straight on both valvae, corona in the form of setae on the anterior
part and spiniform on the posterior part of the larger valva, corona spiniform
on the smaller valva, cucullus as long as the valvula on the larger valva;
valvula membranous and digitiform, extending beyond the cucullus on the smaller
valva. Transtilla sclerotized, not articulated with the valva, fused to the
juxta. Juxta sclerotized, two semicircular sclerites. Saccus with an
asymmetrical anterior projection, on the right side. Aedeagus straight, smooth;
ejaculatory bulb square, foramen lateral, caecum projected ventrally; vesica
with one lobe, cornutus in the form of microspines in the central part of the
vesica, everted part of the ejaculatory duct smooth.
Female (Fig. 31 G).
Head: like that of the male, but the white tufts on the vertex may be reduced or
absent.
Thorax: predominantly brown. Prothoracic collar brown; prothoracic coxa brown.
Tegula brown, sometimes with a reduced basal yellow spot, near the outer margin.
Fore wing dark brown; two obscured semi-hyaline patches of indefinite outline
(i) distal to the discal cell, between R4+R5 and CuA1 (ii) posterior to the
discal cell, between the stem of CuA and 1A; a red spot at the wing base, on the
stem of R; underside with a pattern like the upperside but with the semi-hyaline
patches more evident and the wing base with a red spot in the costal region.
Hind wing brown; three yellow spots, distal to the closure of the discal cell,
between Rs and M3; a yellow spot in the posterior region of the discal cell
sometimes present; submarginal band formed by pinkish spots, not fused, obscured
between the apical region and CuA1, more evident between CuA1 and the inner
margin as 4 distinct spots; underside with a pattern like the upperside, but
with the wing base with a red spot in the costal region.
Abdomen: dorsally brown, ventrally with two faint lateral bands of yellow
scales. Tuft of yellow scales on the terminal part of the abdomen.
Genitalia: seventh sternite with pockets lateral to the ostium, symmetrical,
moderately sclerotized; ostium sclerotized, fused to the seventh sternite, with
a subrectangular lateral projection on the right side; antrum sclerotized,
straight; ductus bursae short, sclerotized, corpus bursae not extending beyond
the seventh sternite, signa paired, circular. Lamella antevaginalis absent;
lamella postvaginalis absent.