Four new species of Moneuptychia (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae: Euptychiina) from Brazil

Abstract

This paper describes four new species of Moneuptychia as follows: M. montana Freitas, M. vitellina Freitas & Barbosa, M. pervagata Freitas, Siewert & Mielke and M. wahlbergi Freitas, Barbosa, Siewert & Mielke from south and southeastern Brazil. Details are presented on the morphology of adults of all species, and immature stages for two species, and we discuss the taxonomy and identification of the genus Moneuptychia. The mitochondrial CoxI "barcode" region was used for exploring the utility of this DNA marker to identify these species, giving strong support for all new species.

Barcoding the butterflies of southern South America: Species delimitation efficacy, cryptic diversity and geographic patterns of divergence

“…Most past studies aiming at elucidating the evolutionary history of Neotropical butterflies have examined the Amazon basin and the tropical Andes, where diversity is highest [ 7 – 10 ]. By contrast, with the exception of southeastern Brazil [ 11 – 13 ], much less is known about the butterfly communities of southern South America.…”

Uncovered Diversity of a Predominantly Andean Butterfly Clade in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: a Revision of the Genus Praepedaliodes Forster (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Satyrini)

“…This is not the only example of an Atlantic Forest genus of Satyrinae whose species richness has increased considerably due to recent studies. Another example is the genus Moneuptychia Forster, 1964 belonging to the subtribe Euptychiina, a predominantly premontane and montane genus whose species also increased from two to eight in the last decade (Freitas 2007 , Freitas et al 2010 , 2015 ), with at least five more undescribed species identified (Freitas et al in prep.).…”

“…Measurements were taken and general aspects of morphology were observed using a Leica®MZ7.5 stereomicroscope equipped with a micrometric scale. Egg size is presented as height and diameter, and head capsule size is the distance between the most external ocelli (as in Freitas 2007 , Freitas et al 2015 ). Terminology for early stages descriptions followed García-Barros & Martín ( 1995 ) for eggs and Stehr (1987) for larvae and pupae.…”

“…Pronophilina, with some 45–50 genera and over 550 described species (and at least 50–80 more identified and to be described), largely dominate in terms of species richness and abundance in the cloud forests of the Andes and the peripheral mountain ranges of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Venezuelan Cordillera de la Costa and the Sierra de Talamanca in Costa Rica and Panama (Adams 1985 , Pyrcz 2010 , Pyrcz et al 2013 ). The Euptychiina, with over 400 described species, constitute the most speciose group of Satyrinae in the Amazonian basin lowlands and the Andean foothills (Lamas 2004 , Freitas et al 2015 ). Only six genera of Pronophilina occur exclusively outside from the Andes— Drucina Butler, 1872 in Mesoamerica, Arhuaco Adams & Bernard, 1977 in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and in Mesoamerica, Protopedaliodes Viloria & Pyrcz, 1994 in the Guyana Shield, and three genera confined to SE Brazil— Foetterleia Viloria, 2004, Eteona Doubleday, 1848 and Praepedaliodes Forster, 1964 (the latter two marginally penetrating into neighbouring Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina).…”

“…Therefore, in the mountains of SE Brazil, the subtribe Pronophilina is severely underrepresented compared to the Andes, and even to Mesoamerica, and its ecological niche is taken over by the Euptychiina which show a huge generic and species diversity in the cloud forests of this region. Several genera of Euptychiina have undergone important adaptive radiations in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, including Moneuptychia Forster, 1964 and Carminda Ebert & Dias, 1997 (Freitas 2007 , Dias 2011 , Freitas et al 2015 ).…”