Micandra stephanieae Prieto, sp. nov.

Micandra stephanieae Prieto, sp. nov.

(Figs. 2 C, D; 3B; 4B; 5B; 6D, E, F; 7A)

Type material. Holotype male: COLOMBIA, Magdalena, Ciénaga, San Pedro de la Sierra, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 2200m, 10/01/2011, m 1310, C. Prieto Leg. Currently in CP, to be deposited in ICN-MHN.

Paratypes: 1 male: COLOMBIA, Magdalena, Cienaga, San Pedro de la Sierra, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 2200 m, 10/01/2011, m 1312, C. Prieto Leg. Deposited in CP; 1 Ƥ CP*: COLOMBIA, Magdalena, Cienaga, San Pedro de la Sierra, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 2200 m, 10/01/2011, m1311, C. Prieto Leg.; 1 Ƥ JFLC, Magdalena, Cerro San Lorenzo, 2200 m, 20.vi.96, Leg. F. Montero.

Description. Male (Fig. 2 C). Wing shape: Average forewing length 22.3 mm (n = 2), hindwing tornus formed into a round lobe with a long tail extending from vein Cu2.

Dorsal wing surface: Both wings iridescent blue except for a black border (approximately 5 mm wide) at distal margin that broadens at apex. Very narrow black costal margin on forewings and broad costal margin on hindwings. Hindwing anal fold covered with iridescent blue scales, hindwing tornal lobe suffused with reddish brown scaling. Two forewing androconial clusters. The first minute, triangular and placed in the upper distal corner of the discal cell formed by very densely layered black scales (Fig. 3 B). A second elongate and thin androconial cluster on the dorsal forewing 2A vein basis formed by very densely layered gray scales (Fig. 5 B).

Ventral wing surface: Ground color of both wings reddish brown. Three thin, undulating, white bands extend on forewing from costal margin to vein CuA1 on forewing. A large iridescent blue patch of androconial scales at the base of the ventral forewing between Cu2 and 2A veins.

Body: Thorax covered with iridescent blue scales, abdomen dorsally covered with iridescent blue scales and ventrally orange.

Genitalia (Fig. 6D, E, F): Eighth abdominal tergite simple and rectangular; caudal extension of valvae in lateral view approximately 2/3 length of valvae; valvae ventral keel as a blunt process pointing caudally (Fig. 6E); penis long and uniformly narrow throughout, with a prominently convex anterior half, a shallowly concave posterior half; distal portion of penis possesses a single cornutus (Fig. 6F). Saccus very elongated and triangular in shape.

Female (Fig. 2 D). Wing shape: forewing length 20.3 mm (n = 1), hindwing tornus formed into a round lobe with a long tail extending from vein Cu2.

Dorsal wing surface: Both wings iridescent blue from wing base to discal area, a very broad black border (approximately 10mm wide) from discal area of wings to distal margin that broadens at apex. Broad and black costal margin on both wings. Hindwing anal fold gray, hindwing tornal lobe suffused with reddish brown scaling.

Ventral wing surface: As in male but without blue androconial patch.

Etymology. This specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case derived from the personal name Stéphanie. This butterfly is named in honor of Stéphanie Magnon, a scuba diver and amateur naturalist living in New Caledonia, as suggested by Jim Scott, in recognition of his financial support to the study and conservation of Neotropical butterflies.

Diagnosis and discussion. Although associating the sexes of many Eumaeini is difficult, Micandra stephanieae has a restricted geographical range, allowing the sexes to be associated with a high degree of confidence. Superficially, males of M. stephanieae can be distinguished from those of all other Micandra by the presence of a patch of blue androconial scales at the base of the ventral forewing between veins Cu2 and 2A (Fig. 2 C) and an elongate, narrow androconial cluster along the base of dorsal forewing vein 2A (Fig. 5 B). Micandra stephanieae, M. dignota, and M. aegides appear to be allopatric. Also, based on the limited geographical and elevational variation in wing pattern and androconial brands exhibited by the latter two species, coupled with the absence of morphological intergradations, it seems unlikely that M. stephanieae is an ecotypic or geographical variant of any other known Micandra species.

The new species shares a reddish brown anal lobe and ventral wing with M. dignota in Colombia. It shares the form of the androconial cluster on the discal cell and the dorsal wing color with M. aegides. Without a rigorous analysis it is not possible to determine the phylogenetic position of M. stephanieae or determine its sister species.

Biology and male behavior. Males perch or patrol on vegetation up to 5 m above the ground. Males appear to establish mating territories in the early afternoon around 13:30 hours on the sunny edges of paths or ridge tops. The larval host plants and the nectar sources of the adults are unknown.

Distribution. The species is known only from two localities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: Cuchilla de San Lorenzo and San Pedro in montane forest at 2200 m above sea level (Fig. 7). Adults have been captures from January and June.