Adelpha (Nymphalidae): Deception on the Wing

The first attempt at classification within Adelpha was made by Godman & Salvin (1884, 1901) with their revision of the 32 species reported from Central America.At that time some 70 species were known for the genus.In their treatment, Godman & Salvin discuss Adelpha and its relationship to Limenitis and note that several species (bredowL populL camilla, lorquini) are difficult to assign to either genus.Distribution of such characters as eye pubescence, venational differences, variation in proportions of male leg seg- ments, and peculiarities of male genitalia within Adelpha-Limenitis is surveyed.Classification of the 32 species begins with isolation of A. bredowi (eyes smooth in front) from all others (eyes hairy in front) and continues by arranging the other 31 species using gross features of wing pattern.The result is eleven groups, six of which are represented by single species.With Fruhstorfer (1907) came the first and only published revision of the entire genus Adelpha.The 90 species treated are assigned to two main groups based upon the length of the forewing discal cell; short Adelpha group, elongate Heterochroa group.Upon this division, Fruhstorfer comments, "Anatomically there are also two series [male genitalia with or without clunicula] of species distinguishable.They, however, do not agree with those based upon the structure [distal cell length]."The linear arrangement of species within the largest group (Heterochroa with 82 species) reflects presumed relationships based upon wing pattern features.Fruhstorfer touches upon but does not pursue the possibility of a closer than realized alliance between New and Old World groups.In his introduction he notes that the male clasping organs of Adelpha "... approach those of the [Old World] genus Pantoporia (Athyma) in such a way that.., it would be quite impossible to ascertain where organs or photes [sic] of them belong to, which are not denomi- nated."Concerning the male valves, he further observes, "...there exist also nearly square ones with 2 or 3 small acicular teeth (resembling a Limenitis [ModuzaJprocris from India and Ceylon)."Fruhstorfer's revision included a number of misidentifications, which presumably were corrected by Hall (1938) following examin- ation of the original material.At the time of his death (1968) W. T. M. Forbes had made a good deal of progress on a revision of A delpha, and his manuscript is in