Dysschema semirufa (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. 172 (as Pericopis semirufa).

Female. Head and antennae black, head spotted with white; collar black, spotted
with yellow; tegulae black, with a yellow spot at the base; thorax brownish
black; abdomen reddish brown, yellow on the underside; legs black. Primaries
brownish hyaline, the costal margin, apex, outer and inner margin, and two bands
crossing the wing all black: secondaries reddish hyaline, the outer margin
black, with a marginal row of white spots extending from the apex to the anal
angle; above the black margin a red band extends from the apex to the anal
angle; the fringe black. Underside very similar to the upperside; primaries with
a red band at the apex and a reddish spot above the anal angle; secondaries with
the costal margin red.
Expanse 3 3/4 inches.
Hab. Peru, Chanchamayo, 1000-1500 metres (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.
440 (as Pericopis semirufa).

P. semirufa Drc. is neither before me. Female: body black, collar with yellow
spots, base of patagia also yellow. Abdomen above red-brown, beneath yellow.
Forewing similar to that of damon. Hindwing reddish hyaline, with a black distal
margin containing white submarginal spots and before them a red band. Beneath
the forewing shows a red apical band and a red spot at the tornus, the hindwing
a red costal margin. Like the preceding. Perhaps both are female forms of
hypoxantha Hbn. (63 a).

The damon paragraph referred to (same work, p. 440):

P. damon Drc. remained unknown to me. Female: body black, head, collar and
patagia spotted white, abdomen above black, beneath yellowish-white. Forewing
dusky hyaline, apex, distal margin, proximal margin, and two transverse bands
black, veins also black. Hindwing yellowish-white. Distal margin broad black
with white submarginal spots. Transverse vein broad black, veins black. Expanse
of wings: 85 mm. Peru, Chanchamayo.

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. 149-151, figs 30 M-N (adults), 67 (male genitalia) (Dysschema semirufa,
lectotype designated: Peru, Chanchamayo, BMNH).

Translated from the Portuguese original.

Redescription
Male (Fig. 30 M).
Head: predominantly brown. Vertex brown, anterior and posterior region of the
scape with white scales, spots with reduced tufts of white scales in the
postero-proximal 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, in some
individuals four spots, the distal and proximal spots being partly fused. Tegula
with two basal spots, yellowish-white on the inner margin and yellow on the
outer margin. Fore wing with costal, outer and inner margins brown, basal part
of the costal margin with red scales; two semi-hyaline patches with light brown
scales: (i) triangular, occupying almost the whole median region of the wing,
from the base to the closure of the discal cell, (ii) oval in the subapical
region, between R5 and CuA1; a brown spot near the costal margin, in the median
region of the discal cell; two spots at the wing base, one with red scales on
the stem of R and another with white scales on the stem of CuA; underside with a
pattern like the upperside, but with obscured red spots at the apex between R4
and M3 and near the tornus between CuA1 and CuA2, white submarginal dots and the
wing base with a red spot in the costal region. Hind wing with costal and outer
margins brown, median region semi-hyaline with yellowish scales and veins
outlined with brown scales, most evident at the closure of the discal cell and
on the stem of CuA; submarginal band with small white spots; underside with a
pattern like the upperside, but with the costal margin red, red spots in the
submarginal band, proximal to the white dots, and the wing base with a red spot
in the costal region.
Abdomen: dorsally brown, with two lateral yellow bands on segments A1-A8,
sometimes faded on segments A4-A8; ventrally yellow. Tuft of ferruginous scales
on the terminal part of the abdomen.
Genitalia (Fig. 67): tegumen trapezoidal in dorsal view, anterior margin sinuous
and with postero-lateral projections with rounded apex. Uncus bifid, not fused
to the tegumen; antero-lateral region of the uncus with a ventral projection,
narrower than the arms of the uncus; arms of the uncus parallel, four times as
wide as the antero-lateral projection, fused in their anterior part, not
projected ventrally and with smooth apex, flattened laterally. Valva entire;
medial apodeme (lacinia) absent, distal apodeme absent; sacculus distinct, in
the form of a fold; harpe indistinct; cucullus reduced to a small protuberance,
not extending beyond the valvula; valvula sclerotized and digitiform and
extended posteriorly. Transtilla sclerotized, not articulated with the valva and
fused to the juxta. Juxta sclerotized, two subrectangular sclerites. Saccus
without anterior projections. Aedeagus straight, smooth; ejaculatory bulb
rounded, foramen lateral; vesica with one lobe, smooth, everted part of the
ejaculatory duct smooth.
Female (Fig. 30 N).
Head: pattern like that of the male, but with the white spots less evident.
Thorax: predominantly brown. Prothoracic collar with four reduced yellow spots.
Tegula with two basal spots, yellowish-white on the inner margin and yellow on
the outer margin. Fore wing with costal, outer and inner margins brown, veins
outlined with brown scales; three semi-hyaline patches with light brown scales:
(i) triangular in the basal region, (ii) subrectangular in the median region and
(iii) oval in the subapical region, between R5 and CuA1; two brown bands, one
between the costal and inner margins, passing through the middle of the discal
cell, and another between the costal and outer margins, passing through the
closure of the discal cell; two spots at the wing base, one with red scales on
the stem of R and another with white scales on the stem of CuA; underside with a
pattern like the upperside, but with obscured red spots at the apex between R4
and M3 and near the tornus between CuA1 and CuA2, the wing base with a red spot
in the costal region. Hind wing with costal and outer margins brown, median
region semi-hyaline with orange scales and veins outlined with brown scales,
most evident at the closure of the discal cell and on the stem of CuA;
submarginal band with its proximal element formed by a chamfered red band and
its distal element formed by white dots; underside with a pattern like the
upperside, but with the costal margin red and the wing base with a red spot in
the costal region.
Abdomen: like that of the male.
Genitalia: seventh sternite with pockets lateral to the ostium, symmetrical,
sclerotized; ostium sclerotized, fused to the seventh sternite, extended
posteriorly, with two lateral projections, fused ventrally, rounded; antrum
sclerotized, straight; ductus bursae sclerotized, short; corpus bursae not
extending beyond the seventh sternite, signa absent. Lamella antevaginalis
absent; lamella postvaginalis absent.