Rhamma familiaris (Johnson, 1991)

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 : 326

Rhamma familiaris (Johnson, 1991)

( Figures 27 , 61 , 67 )

Thecla viridis Lathy, 1930: 135 . (invalid homonym of Thecla viridis Edwards, 1862: 223 ). Thecla familiaris Johnson, 1991 (replacement name).

Paralustrus familiaris Johnson, 1991 : Johnson (1992).

Type material. Holotype male, specimen typicum. Thecla viridis . Ex. Coll. Monteiro. There is no locality label.

Taxonomic history and remarks. Described as Thecla viridis Lathy , and treated as a subespecies of R. commodus by some authors, the problem of its homonymy with Thecla viridis Edwards, 1862 , was not revealed until 1991 (Johnson 1991).

Distribution and variability. This species widely distributed in eastern and western Ecuador. In Colombia we have recorded several populations in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Diagnosis. This species could be confused with the highly variable R. commodus in several Colombian localities, and the relationship between these two forms needs to be investigated further using DNA sequences. The phenotype of R. familiaris from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta ( Fig. 27 ) is consistently greener and with a wider black margin on the dorsal fore- and hindwing than in R. commodus from the Andes. For this reason we considered those specimens as R. familiaris . However, we have no conclusive evidence to falsify the several hypotheses that are raised about its identity. Comparisons of mt DNA could help to determine if the specimens from Sierra Nevada are: 1) a distinct biological species; 2) a population geographically isolated of R. familiaris (described from Bolivia); 3) a population geographically isolated of R. commodus ; or 4) a subspecies of R. commodus or R. familiaris .

Material examined (8♂). MAGDALENA: 7♂, CP, Sierra nevada de Santa Marta, Cerro Kennedy, 2400 m, 19/10/2015; 1♂, CP, San Pedro de La Sierra, 2600 m, 11/01/2013, C. Prieto.

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 29. Adults depicted in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) aspect: 20. Rhamma bilix male (Valle); 21. Rhamma bilix female (Belmira, Antioquia); 22. Rhamma bilix male (Valle); 23. Rhamma bilix male (Yarumal, Antioquia); 24. Rhamma anosma male (Boyacá); 25. Rhamma anosma female (Boyacá); 26. Rhamma andradei male (Cundinamarca); 27. Rhamma familiaris male (SNSM, Magdalena); 28. Rhamma commodus male (Antioquia); 29. Rhamma commodus female (Boyacá).

FIGURES 51 – 62. Androconial brands (arrows point the scent pad): 51. Rhamma hybla; 52. Rhamma adunca; 53. Rhamma arria; 54. Rhamma livida; 55. Rhamma oxida; 56. Rhamma comstocki; 57. Rhamma shapiroi; 58. Rhamma mishma; 59. Rhamma bilix; 60. Rhamma anosma; 61. Rhamma familiaris; 62. Rhamma commodus.

FIGURES 67 – 70. Distributional maps of Colombian Rhamma. 67. Rhamma commodus, Rhamma familiaris; 68. Rhamma comstocki; 69. Rhamma hybla; 70. Rhamma livida.