A peculiar new species of Dione (Agraulis) Boisduval & Le Conte (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) associated with Malesherbia Ruiz & Pavón (Passifloraceae) in xeric western slopes of the Andes

By

Farfan, Jackie
Cerdeña, José
Vargas, Héctor A.
Gonçalves, Gislene Lopes, 1980-
Lamas Müller, Gerardo Amadeo Guillermo
Moreira, Gilson Rudinei Pires

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1113

Pages

199--226

Subjects

Chile , Heliconiines , immature stages , Peru , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1113.85769

 

Abstract

Butterflies associated with xerophytic environments of the Andes have been little studied, and they exhibit high levels of endemism. Herein Dione (Agraulis) dodona Lamas & Farfán,sp. nov.(Nymphalidae; Heliconiinae) is described, distributed on the western slopes of the Andes of Peru and northern Chile, between 800 and 3,000 m elevation. Adults of both sexes, and the immature stages, are described and illustrated based on light and scanning electron microscopy. The immature stages are associated withMalesherbia tenuifoliaD. Don (Passifloraceae) found in xeric environments, representing a new record of this genus as a host plant for the subfamily Heliconiinae. Conspicuous morphological differences are presented for all stages at the generic level. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of the COI barcode mitochondrial gene fragment, D. (A.) dodona Lamas & Farfán,sp. nov.is distinguished as an independent lineage within theAgraulisclade ofDione, with ca. 5% difference to congeneric species.