Pronophila thelebe Doubleday

Viloria, Angel L., Pyrcz, Tomasz W. & Orellana, Andrés, 2010, A survey of the Neotropical montane butterflies of the subtribe Pronophilina (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Venezuelan Cordillera de la Costa, Zootaxa 2622, pp. 1-41 : 24-25

Pronophila thelebe Doubleday

( Figs. 31, 32 )

Pronophila thelebe Doubleday, [1849] : pl. 60, fig. 3. Syntype (s) in BMNH [examined].

Geographic range: Species: CC (monotypic).

Altitudinal range: 1800–2600 m.

Remarks: This is the second endemic species of the genus Pronophila in the CC, and it is very common in mid-elevation cloud forests. It patrols in the subcanopy, but some readily come down to the ground to feed on urine, dung and rotten fruits. It is not as confined to dense cloud forest as P. obscura . Pronophila thelebe is related to P. epidipnis Thieme from the CM and the main Andes, and also, which is biogeographically intriguing, to P. isobelae Pyrcz , an endemic species of the western slopes of the Andes in Ecuador (Pyrcz, 1999).

Material examined: DISTRITO FEDERAL: 1 male: Serranía El Avila, Los Venados, 1500 m, 15.VII.1950, F. Fernández Y. leg., MIZA; 1 male: Serranía El Avila, Naiguatá, 1400 m, 19.IV.1950, F. Fernández Y. leg., MIZA; 1 male: P. N. El Avila-Caracas, 1500 m, 15.VII.1979, D. Baiocchi leg., MIZA; ARAGUA: 2 males: Colonia Tovar, 2000 m 04.XII.1950, F. Fernández Y. leg., MIZA; 1 male: Colonia Tovar, 1800 m, 05.II.1955, F. Rondón leg., MIZA; 4 males: Aragua, Colonia Tovar, 1800 m, 25.IX.1953, F. Fernández Y. leg., MIZA; 1 male: Colonia Tovar, 27.XII.1953, P. J. Salinas leg., MIZA; 2 males: Colonia Tovar, vía Cuesta Maya, 2000 m, 25–26.III.1998, A. Chacón, Q. Arias y J. Chirinos leg., MIZA; 1 male: Colonia Tovar, vía Cuesta Maya, 2100 m, 21.XI.1996, J. DeMarmels leg., MIZA; 1 female: Colonia Tovar, 08.I.1989, J. González leg., MIZA; 1 female: Colonia Tovar, vía Cuesta Maya, 2000 m, 25–26.III.1998, A.

Chacón, Q. Arias y J. Chirinos leg., MIZA; 1 female: carretera Maracay-Choroní, 1000 m, 01.XII.1973, J. Salcedo and A. Fernández leg., MIZA; 3 males and 2 females: Colonia Tovar, Los Colonos, 2100–2150 m, 06.VIII.2003, T. Pyrcz leg., TWP; 4 males: Colonia Tovar, 2100 m, III.1995, F. Romero leg., FRR; 2 males and 7 females: same data but IV.1995, FRR; 2 males: same data but VI.1975, FRR; 1 male: same data 2100 m, VI.1982, FRR; 1 male: carretera Maracay-Choroní, 1450 m, IX.1978, F. Romero leg., FRR; 1 male: Colonia Tovar, 1800 m, 23.V.1975, M. Adams leg., BMNH; MIRANDA: 1 male: Capachal, vía Colonia Tovar, 2150 m, 11.VIII.1984, J. Lattke leg., MIZA; 1 female: Pico Naiguatá, N. of Caracas, 2700 m, 17.V.1975, M. Adams leg., BMNH; 1 female: Pico Naiguatá, N. of Caracas, 1900 m, 18.V.1975, M. Adams leg., BMNH; 2 males: 1 female: Pico Naiguatá, N. of Caracas, 1500–1900 m, 15.V.1975, M. Adams leg., BMNH; 1 male: 1 female: Pico Naiguatá, N. of Caracas, 2700 m, 16.V.1975, M. Adams leg., BMNH; CARABOBO: 1 female: Hda. Monte Sacro, Chrigua, 1700 m, 24.V.1976, M. Gadou leg., MIZA (doubtful data).

Figures

FIGURES 29 – 36. Adult satyrine butterflies from the Cordillera de La Costa, Venezuela (left: dorsal, right: ventral); 29. Pronophila obscura Butler (male, Cerro San Isidro); 30. P. obscura Butler (female, vía Maracay-Choroní); 31. Pronophila thelebe Doubleday (male, vía Capachal); 32. P. thelebe Doubleday (female, vía Capachal); 33. Mygona irmina (Doubleday) (male, Los Colonos); 34. M. irmina (Doubleday) (female, Los Colonos); 35. Thiemeia phoronea phoronea (Doubleday) (male, vía Naranjal); 36. T. phoronea phoronea (Doubleday) (female, vía Naranjal).