A new subspecies of Adelpha messana (C. Felder & R. Felder) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest (Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae)

Authors

  • André V. L. Freitas Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas
  • Maxwell S. Woodbury McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida
  • Eduardo P. Barbosa Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas
  • Keith R. Willmott McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida

Keywords:

Atlantic forest, biodiversity, butterflies, conservation, Lepidoptera, natural history collections, new taxon, taxonomy

Abstract

Adelpha messana (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867) is an uncommon forest species hitherto known from Central America to the Amazon basin. Here we report the species for the first time from the Atlantic Forest region of southeastern Brazil, where it occurs as a distinct subspecies which we describe and name as Adelpha messana seminivea Freitas, Willmott and Woodbury, n. ssp. The subspecies is known from only two localities in Espírito Santo, from where another new Adelpha taxon was recently described and named, highlighting the need for further field work to better document the biodiversity of the remaining natural habitats in this region.

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Published

2019-05-17