Morpho helenor (Blandin, 2007)

Gareca, Yuvinka & Blandin, Patrick, 2011, Morpho (Morpho) helenor (Cramer) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Morphinae) in Bolivia: Geographical distribution and ecological plasticity, with a description of a new subspecies, Zootaxa 3130 (1), pp. 30-56 : 43

Discovery of M. helenor populations in Southern Andean Yungas

For a long time there were no Morpho specimens available from the Southern Andean Yungas, but in 1984 Gilbert Lachaume obtained a male of M. godartii , from between Muyupampa and Aratial (Sucre-Camiri road), (figured in Blandin 2007b). Since 2001, 37 males and 11 females of M. helenor were collected in 13 localities distributed in the Southern Andean Yungas, from Cordillera Province (Santa Cruz dept.), in the north, to Aniceto Arce Province (Tarija dept.) near the Argentine border (Appendix 4). Altitudes vary from 500 m to 1400 m a.s.l., with ten localities above 800 m a.s.l ( Fig.4 ). The Southern Andean Yungas form a mosaic of semi-deciduous forest ecosystems, ranging from sub-humid to dry. M. helenor populations have been found mainly in Sub-humid Tucuman forests in the upper Subandine belt, but also in Sub-humid forests similar to ecosystems existing in Beni lowlands, and in Chiquitania, in the center of Santa Cruz department ( Fig.9 ).

These populations differ from both M. h. coelestis and M. h. theodorus ( Fig.10 ). Males are characterized by wider black margins, particularly on the hindwings (table 5). Females have rather narrow blue bands, with wide margins overlapping the white forewings pupillary points. Overall these specimens exhibit a unique pattern that justifies a new subspecies description.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Altitudinal distribution of Morpho helenor subspecies.

FIGURE 9. Map of Southern Yungas ecoregion, showing the ecosystems where Morpho helenor prometa has been collected.

FIGURE 10. Morpho helenor prometa, ♂ holotype (Yumao, 28.02.2004), recto (a) and verso (b). Morpho helenor prometa, ♀ paratype (El Tordo, 23.02.2004), recto (c) and verso (d).