Brassolis isthmia Bates

Garzón-Orduña, Ivonne J. & Penz, Carla M., 2009, Phylogeny of Dynastor and Brassolis butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): a tough nut to crack, Zootaxa 2134, pp. 1-22 : 8

Brassolis isthmia Bates

( Fig. 3 A–C, 9C)

Diagnosis: Recognized by a combination of four characters: (1) in males, dorsal FW postmedial band orange and nearly entire (small brown spot at crossvein m2–m3); in females, this band is nearly bifurcated into two branches at the distal edge of the discal cell; (2) both sexes usually lack a dorsal HW postmedial band (faint, barely visible in some males); (3) in males, androconial patch below vein Cu2 light colored, contrasting the wing background color. In B. granadensis this androconial patch is brown and matches the wing background color; (4) abdomen usually brown dorsally in both sexes (sometimes with an orange tinge at tip).

Distribution: Panama and Bolivia ( Casagrande 2004).

Subspecies: Casagrande (2004) listed three subspecies: nominal isthmia (type locality Panama), boliviana Rothschild ( Bolivia), and granadensis Stichel ( Colombia, Ecuador). Bristow (2008) elevated granadensis to full species (see below), and in light of this taxonomic change, the status of B. isthmia boliviana should be verified. Furthermore, Bristow (2008) described two subspecies; wallengreni Bristow, 2008 ( Ecuador, Isla Puna), and daisye Bristow, 2008 ( Colombia, Chicorral).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Brassolis species, in dorsal (left) and ventral (right) views (except for C). (A & B) Male and female B. isthmia from Panama. (C) Male B. isthmia from Costa Rica. (D) Male of granadensis from Colombia. (E) Detail showing head and proboscis of B. isthmia from Panama. (F & G) Male and female B. astyra from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). (H) Male B. astyra from Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil).