Nelphe rogersi (Druce, 1884)

Druce, H. (1884). Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Lepidoptera-Heterocera
vol. 1: 88, pl. 9 fig. 15. Original description, as Eucereon rogersi.

20. Eucereon rogersi, sp. n. (Tab. IX. fig. 15.)

Male. Primaries with the ground-colour very pale brown, almost white near
the apex, thickly covered with a series of irregular bands of black spots,
bordered with yellow; the secondaries whitish hyaline, with the outer
margins bordered with blackish brown: head, thorax, and part of the abdomen,
also the anus, all black; the collar, sides, and anal segments of the
abdomen bright yellow; the underside almost white; antennae and palpi black;
the legs black. The female is the same as the male, but rather larger, and
the spots not quite so close together. Expanse 1¾ inch.

Hab. Costa Rica, Irazu 6000 to 7000 feet (Rogers); Panama, Volcan de
Chiriqui (Champion).

Hampson, G. F. (1898). Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British
Museum, vol. 1 (Syntomidae): 507-508, no. 1116. As Eucereon rogersi.

1116. Eucereon rogersi.
Eucereon rogersi, Druce, Biol. Centr.-Am., Het. i. p. 88, pl. 9. f. 15
(1884); Kirby, Cat. Het. p. 201.

Male. Head and thorax pale olive-brown; palpi, vertex of head, and tegulae
spotted with black; orange spots on basal joint of antennae and back of
head; patagia streaked with black and orange; metathorax with black and
orange spot; legs striped with grey; abdomen orange, with black-brown dorsal
triangular patch extending to 6th segment, the terminal segment black, the
ventral surface whitish to near extremity. Fore wing whitish, the veins and
basal area suffused with pale olive-yellow, series of black spots edged with
orange; three elongate subbasal spots, the one above inner margin a curved
streak; two antemedial spots below cell; a large spot in cell, with streak
on costa above it; a medial series of spots, oblique below the cell, with
two spots beyond discocellulars and two elongate spots beyond the cell; a
subterminal series of elongate spots bent inwards below vein 2; a terminal
series interrupted below vein 2 and with the spot at tornus displaced
inwards. Hind wing hyaline, with the veins and terminal area irregularly
suffused with fuscous; veins 3, 4 stalked or from cell.

Female with the hind wing almost wholly fuscous.

Hab. Costa Rica (Underwood, Rogers); Panama (Champion), type, Godman-Salvin
Coll. Exp. 40-48 millim.

Draudt, M. (1915). Eucereon. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the
World, vol. 6, The American Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 180, pl. 25 f. As
Eucereon rogersi. (German edition: Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 6: 180.)

E. rogersi Druce (25 f) is the nearest to setosum, differing by the broader
shape of the wings, somewhat lighter total colouring, the colours being more
clearly distributed, not so much dusted over with grey, all the spots
somewhat rounder, not so long extended. The hindwings are darker. From
Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama.

The species it is compared with, E. setosum, is described by Draudt on
p. 179 as follows:

E. setosum Sepp (25 f) is widely spread from Mexico to Bahia; it has
long-extended, grey-brownish forewings with darker veins bordered with
olive-yellow, and with transverse rows of longish, dark-brown, yellow-ringed
spots; the hindwings are diaphanous light grey, at the border darker.
Abdomen like in the allies ochreous-yellow with a large, dark brown,
triangular basal spot, the apex of which extends as a dorsal stripe as far
as the black anal apex. Distributed from Mexico to Brazil.