Description of an enigmatic new species of Chloreuptychia Forster, 1964 from Panama (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)

Abstract

We here describe a new satyrine species in the genus Chloreuptychia Forster, 1964, C. gordonsmalli Thurman, MacDonald & Nakahara, n. sp., based on four historical specimens all originating from central Panama. Despite the lack of genetic data for this new taxon and the polyphyletic nature of Chloreuptychia, some genitalic characters suggest that this new species might be a member of true Chloreuptychia, and if so would represent the first known species of the genus outside of the Amazon basin. We provide illustrations of the adults and genitalia, as well as images of the habitat of the type locality visited by the pioneering and imaginative lepidopterist, Gordon B. Small, who collected the entire type series of C. gordonsmalli n. sp. about 45-50 years ago. Chloreuptychia gordonsmalli n. sp. has not been observed subsequently, despite extensive field work in Panama by a number of butterfly researchers.