Abstract
A total of 385 Euphaedra eberti Aurivillius, 1898, adults collected between 2012 and 2018 in the vicinity of Bangui, Central African Republic, were examined for intraspecific morphological variability, genetic diversity and genitalia structure. The species shows significant wing pattern variability. Two main morphotypes were identified in the set: the nominate form eberti, and the one comprising specimens with a red patch, form rubromaculata. However, both forms had similar genitalic structures and shared some specific wing marks, in addition to displaying the same COI (i.e., barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene) haplotype, strongly suggesting that the two morphologically distinct forms belong to the same species, E. eberti. The causes of this variability remain unclear.
Highlights
The genus Euphaedra Hübner, 1819 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), with about 200 recognized species, is one of the most speciose butterfly genera in Africa
A total of 385 specimens of E. eberti were analyzed during this study, and two significantly different individual forms were identified: the nominate form eberti (Figures 1, 2) and the red-wing form identified as ab. rubromaculata (Figures 3, 4)
Among the species found in the investigated area, the one most similar to ab. rubromacualta is the rare E. campaspe Felder & Felder, 1867, which lacks the large red patch on the FWD, making misidentification unlikely
Summary
The genus Euphaedra Hübner, 1819 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), with about 200 recognized species, is one of the most speciose butterfly genera in Africa. Despite the fact that these species form one of the most colorful, and one of the largest groups of butterflies on the African continent, many unresolved issues about their taxonomy persist (Hecq 1997; Berger 1981; Van de Weghe 2010). Are descriptions of new species often poor, information on the location of type material is regularly missing (Hecq 1982, 1997). According to Pyrcz et al (2013) “the genus requires more detailed studies at the lower taxonomic level, such as species groups or subgenera, to help prepare the ground for a more broad-based revision”
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