A new butterfly species from the Colombian Andes and a review of the taxonomy of the genera Idioneurula Strand, 1932 and Tamania Pyrcz, 1995 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)

Abstract

A new species of the genus Idioneurula Strand, 1932 is described from high elevation habitats (páramos) of the Serranía de los Yariguíes, Santander Department, in the eastern Andes of Colombia. Aspects of the ecology, distribution and conservation of the new species are presented. The taxonomy of this genus and closely related Tamania Pyrcz, 1995 are discussed. Based on adult morphology and supported by preliminary molecular analysis, it is proposed that the name Tamania Pyrcz, 1995 be treated as a junior subjective synonym of Idioneurula Strand, 1932. We propose treating Idioneurula as comprising four species: I. erebioides (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867); I. donegani Huertas & Arias, n. sp.; I. eremita Viloria & Pyrcz, 2007; and I. jacquelinae (Pyrcz, 1995). I. erebioides f. moderata (Weymer, 1911) and I. erebioides f. intermedia (Apolinar, 1914) are not recognised as valid taxa.