A new Orobrassolis butterfly (Nymphalidae, Brassolini): a casualty of habitat destruction?

Abstract

A new species of the brassoline genus Orobrassolis (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) is described based on specimens collected in the early 1900’s from the highland grasslands of Paraná, Brazil. The geological history of these highland grasslands suggests that they underwent climatic fluctuations, with warm climate periods leading to contraction and fragmentation. This fragmentation may have led to the isolation and divergence of southern Orobrassolis populations. Human impact to these areas may have led to the extinction of the species described here.