Lymanopoda caucana caucana Weymer

Viloria, Angel L., Pyrcz, Tomasz W. & Orellana, Andrés, 2010, A survey of the Neotropical montane butterflies of the subtribe Pronophilina (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Venezuelan Cordillera de la Costa, Zootaxa 2622, pp. 1-41 : 12-13

Lymanopoda caucana caucana Weymer

( Figs. 51, 52 )

Lymanopoda caucana Weymer, 1912: 250 , pl. 52, row g. Syntypes in ZMHU (?) [not examined].

Geographic range: Species: ST, CC, SP, Cauca valley – eastern slopes of Western and western slopes of Central Cordilleras in Colombia; Subspecies: as above, except Turimiquire.

Altitudinal range: 1800–2100 m ( Adams & Bernard, 1979); 1400–1800 m in CC.

Remarks: L. caucana is very closely related to L. caeruleata Godman & Salvin endemic of the SNSM ( Adams & Bernard, 1977, 1979), L. euopis Godman & Salvin occurring in Costa Rica and Panama ( DeVries, 1987), and L. orientalis Viloria & Camacho (1999) from the Sierra de Turimiquire. The latter is externally nearly inseparable from L. caucana and differs mostly, if not only, in the male genitalia. It has two long valval processes, similar to L. obsoleta , whereas in L. caucana , the apical process is short and blunt, and the dorsal one is stout and heavily spined. The various populations of L. caucana also differ marginally externally, except for the SP population, which has a contrasting HWV pattern. There are, however, noticeable differences in the male genitalia, especially in the size and placement of the valval spines, and the shape of superuncus and uncus. The CC populations possibly merit a separate subspecific rank, but more individuals from the entire range of L. caucana need to be studied (Pyrcz, in prep.). L. caucana is confined to the lower section of cloud forests. The reports of Fassl (1915) giving its range as 2200–2500 m (in Colombia) are inaccurate or refer to a different species.

Material examined: ARAGUA: 1 male: P.N. Henrí Pittier, vía Choroní, 1300 m, VI.1975, F. Romero leg., TWP; 1 female: same locality and collector, 1150 m, I.1978, TWP; 3 males: Capachal, vía Colonia Tovar, 2150 m (altitude data unreliable), 11.VII.1984, J. Lattke leg. MIZA; 1 male: carretera Maracay-Choroní, 1300 m, X.1992, F. Romero leg., FRR; 1 male: same data but VIII.1978, FRR; 1 male: same date but 1250 m, 1975, FRR; 1 male: same data but 1150 m, VIII.1978, FRR; 1 male: same data but 1300 m, X.1992, FRR; 1 female: same data but 1450 m, II.1978, FRR; 1 female: same data but 1550 m, VII.1994, FRR; 1 female: same data but 1250 m, IV.1975, FRR; 1 male: Rancho Grande, Portachuelo, 1100 m, I.1984, F. Romero leg., FRR; 1 male: same data but I.1965, FRR; 1 female: same data but VII.1985, FRR; 9 males and 1 female: carretera Maracay-Rancho Grande (south slopes), 850 m, XII.1970; 1 male: Rosario de Paja, 1300 m, X.1993, FRR; CARABOBO: 1 male and 1 female: 15 km North of Bejuma, Cerro San Isidro, 1500–1600 m, 10.VIII.2003, T. Pyrcz leg., TWP; 1 male: same locality and altitude, 27.IX.2002, M. Costa leg., TWP.

Figures

FIGURES 45 – 54. Adult satyrine butterflies from the Cordillera de La Costa, Venezuela (left: dorsal, right: ventral); 45. Eretris encycla encycla (C. & R. Felder) (male, vía Capachal); 46. E. encycla encycla (C. & R. Felder) (female, vía Capachal); 47. Eretris neocycla Pyrcz & Viloria n. sp., HOLOTYPE (male, vía Naranjal); 48. E. neocycla Pyrcz & Viloria n. sp., PARATYPE (female, Cuesta Puerto Maya); 49. Lymanopoda obsoleta (Westwood) (male, Colonia Tovar); 50. L. obsoleta (Westwood) (female, Colonia Tovar); 51. Lymanopoda caucana Weymer (male, Cerro San Isidro); 52. L. caucana Weymer (female, Cerro San Isidro); 53. Steroma bega bega Westwood (male, Colonia Tovar); 54. S. bega bega Westwood (female, Colonia Tovar).