Rhamma shapiroi (Johnson, 1992)

Prieto, Carlos & Vargas, Maria A., 2016, Elfin butterflies of the genus Rhamma Johnson (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae): A review of the Colombian species, Zootaxa 4093 (3), pp. 323-342 : 329-330

Rhamma shapiroi (Johnson, 1992)

( Figures 17, 18 , 36, 48, 57, 73)

Shapiroana shapiroi Johnson, 1992: 66 , 161.; D’Abrera (1995): 1144. Rhamma shapiroi (Johnson, 1992) : Robbins 2004.

Type material. Holotype male, Colombia, Headwaters of Rio Cambirumelna, S. slope Cerro Kachu, 4000–4400 m, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Depto. Cesar, 18–22 January 1977, leg. A. M and A. R. Shapiro. Deposited in AMNH.

Taxonomic history and remarks. Rhamma shapiroi was described in the genus Shapiroana Johnson from a series of six males and females from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Shapiroana was synonymized with Rhamma by Robbins (2004), resulting in the new combination for this species.

Distribution and variability. Rhamma shapiroi is a rare species endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta above 3000 m.

Diagnosis. This species could be confused with the sympatric R. mishma . Characters to differentiate the species are: a) R. shapiroi dorsal surface is violet blue rather than blue as in R. mishma ; b) black margins of the dorsal surface in R. mishma are wide (> 3 mm) whereas in R. shapiroi the margins are almost non-existent (<1 mm); and c) the area between veins Rs and Sc on the dorsal hindwing is entirely black in R. shapiroi and blue in R. mishma .

Material examined (4♂, 2♀). MAGDALENA: 4♂, 2 ♀, CP: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 3400 m, 12/01/ 2011, C. Prieto.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 19. Adults depicted in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) aspect: 11. Rhamma oxida male (Cauca); 12. Rhamma oxida female (Cauca); 13. Rhamma comstocki male (Cundinamarca); 14. Rhamma comstocki female (Cundinamarca); 15. Rhamma comstocki male (Cesar); 16. Rhamma comstocki female (Cundinamarca); 17. Rhamma shapiroi male (SNSM, Magdalena); 18. Rhamma shapiroi female (SNSM, Magdalena); 19. Rhamma mishma male (SNSM, Magdalena).