Dysschema palmeri (Druce, 1910)

Druce, H. (1910). Descriptions of some new species of Heterocera from East and
West Africa and tropical South America. Annals and Magazine of Natural History
(8) 6: 168-184; p. 171 (as Pericopis palmeri).

Male. Head, antennae, collar, tegulae, thorax, and legs black; tegulae edged
with yellow; abdomen black; a row of large yellow spots on both sides; the
underside yellow; anal tuft red. Primaries dark brown; a red spot at the base; a
yellow streak on the inner margin; the semihyaline markings very similar to
those of Pericopis imitata, Druce, but mostly edged with yellow; the spot in the
cell extends to the base; a fine submarginal yellow line extends from the apex
to the anal angle; the fringe dark brown: secondaries white, the veins and a bar
at the end of the cell black; the outer margin broadly black, with a row of red
spots from the apex to the anal angle and a marginal row of white dots also from
the apex to the anal angle. Underside: primaries the same as above, but with
several reddish marks along the outer margin: secondaries similar to the
upperside, the costal margin red.-- Female. Head, antennae, collar, tegulae, and
thorax black; abdomen the same as the male. Primaries brown, the markings much
more indistinct: secondaries pale yellow, very broadly bordered with black; a
yellow spot at the end of the cell; the costal margin red; the marginal red and
white spots the same as the male; the fringe black. Underside: primaries very
similar to the upperside, but much paler in colour: secondaries the same as the
upperside, with all the red markings very bright in colour; the white row of
marginal spots are larger and more distinct.
Expanse, male 2 3/4, female 3 1/2 inches.
Hab. West Colombia, San Antonio, 5800 feet (G. M. Palmer); East Peru, Puzuzo (J.
Egg, 2000-4000 feet, Mus. Druce).

Hering, M. (1925). Pericopidae. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the
World, vol. 6, The American Bombyces and Sphinges. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart; p.
445 (as Pericopis palmeri).

P. palmeri Drc. Body black, patagia in the male spotted yellow, abdomen with
yellow subdorsal spots, beneath yellow, at the end red. Forewing with a red
basal spot, a yellow streak on the proximal margin and hyaline markings as in
the preceding, the latter, however, edged with yellow; hindwing white (male) or
yellowish (female), with a broad black distal margin in which there are white
submarginal spots and before which red spots. Veins black, transverse vein broad
black, costal margin red. Expanse of wings: male 70, female 90 mm. West
Colombia, East Peru.

The titan paragraph referred to (same work, p. 445):

P. titan Drc. (female) resembles imitata (64 d), collar with white spots which
are yellow in imitata; abdomen beneath yellow. Forewing as in imitata.
Ground-colour of hindwing hyaline white, otherwise like the preceding. Peru:
Chanchamayo. This and the following palmeri remained unknown to me. Expanse of
wings: 45 mm.

The imitata paragraph referred to (same work, p. 444, pl. 64 d):

P. imitata Drc. (64 d) resembles arema. Abdomen with subdorsal spots varying
from greenish to bluish-grey, beneath only with one row of spots in the
forewing. The hyaline places are more brownish, the dark band through the centre
of the cell broader, hindwing with a broader black distal margin (particularly
at the anal angle), the discal area uniformly hyaline greenish-yellow. Bolivia,
Peru.

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. 81-83, figs 29 Q-R (adults), 59 (male genitalia) (Dysschema palmeri,
lectotype designated: Colombia, San Antonio, BMNH).

Translated from the Portuguese original.

Redescription
Males (Fig. 29 Q).
Head: predominantly brown. Vertex with reduced tufts of white scales in the
anterior region of the scape, spots with reduced tufts of white scales in the
postero-proximal region of the vertex and behind the ocelli. Labial palpus brown
with white scales on the distal part of the 2nd and 3rd segments.
Thorax: predominantly brown. Prothoracic collar with two yellow spots; base of
the prothoracic coxa with white scales. Tegula with a large ochre spot occupying
almost the whole extent of the tegula; a yellow spot in the basal region, near
the inner margin. Fore wing with costal, outer and inner margins brown, three
sets of semi-hyaline patches with light brown scales, generally fused forming a
single patch (i) triangular in the basal region of the wing, between the stem of
R and CuP (ii) subrectangular in the median region, between the stem of R and
CuP (iii) subrectangular in the subapical region, between R4+R5 and CuA1; four
regions with patches of yellowish scales (i) in the basal region between CuP and
1A+2A (ii) in the median region, between the costal margin and the stem of R
(iii) in the median region, between CuP and the inner margin (iv) in the
subapical region between the costal margin and R5; two brown spots, one oval in
the median region of the discal cell, the other subquadrate, at the closure of
the discal cell; submarginal band with its proximal element formed by obscured
red half-moon spots, between R4 and M3 and between CuA1 and 1A+2A, and its
distal elements formed by white spots between R5 and M3 and between CuA1 and
1A+2A; a red spot at the wing base, on the stem of R; underside with a pattern
like the upperside, but with the distal half of the costal margin ferruginous,
the elements of the submarginal band more evident and the wing base with a red
spot in the costal region. Hind wing predominantly hyaline and veins outlined by
brown scales; costal and outer margins brown, the closure of the discal cell
outlined by brown scales; submarginal band with its proximal element formed by
red half-moon spots between M1 and M3 and between CuA1 and 2A, its distal
element formed by white spots between Rs and 2A; underside with a pattern like
the upperside, but with the costal margin with red scales, the elements of the
submarginal band more evident and the wing base with a red spot in the costal
region extending over the basal fifth.
Abdomen: dorsally with segments A1 and A8 brown, segments A2-A7 with two lateral
bands of yellow spots; ventrally yellow, with the posterior margin of the
sternites outlined by dark brown scales. Tuft of ferruginous scales on the
terminal part of the abdomen.
Genitalia (Fig. 59): tegumen rectangular in dorsal view, anterior margin
straight and postero-lateral projections pointed, free. Uncus bifid, not fused
to the tegumen; arms of the uncus divergent, fused in their anterior part, not
projected ventrally. Valva entire; costa membranous, medial apodeme (lacinia)
absent, distal apodeme absent; sacculus distinct, in the form of a fold; harpe
distinct, rectangular and narrow; cucullus digitiform, not extending beyond the
valvula and directed towards the medial region; valvula membranous and
digitiform and extended posteriorly. Transtilla sclerotized, not articulated
with the valva or the juxta. Juxta sclerotized, a simple subquadrate sclerite.
Saccus triangular in dorsal view, without anterior projection. Aedeagus
straight, smooth; ejaculatory bulb rounded, foramen lateral; vesica with one
smooth lobe, everted part of the ejaculatory duct with a sclerotized plate.
Female (Fig. 59 R).
Head: predominantly brown. Vertex with reduced tufts of white scales in the
anterior region of the scape, spots with reduced tufts of white scales in the
postero-proximal region of the vertex and behind the ocelli.
Thorax: like that of the male. Fore wing with the semi-hyaline patches obscured.
Hind wing with the semi-hyaline region reduced and yellowish.
Abdomen: dorsally brown, two lateral yellow spots on A1 and A8 and orange ones
on A2-A7, ventrally yellow, with the posterior margin of the sternites outlined
by dark brown scales. Tuft of ferruginous scales on the terminal part of the
abdomen.
Genitalia: seventh sternite smooth; ostium membranous, not fused to the
sternite, without projections; antrum sclerotized, straight; ductus bursae
membranous, short; corpus bursae not extending beyond the seventh sternite,
signa paired, circular. Lamella antevaginalis absent; lamella postvaginalis
absent.