A new mimetic species of Periplacis (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae: Nymphidiini) from the eastern Andes of Ecuador

Authors

  • Jason P. W. Hall
  • David H. Ahrenholz

Abstract

A new riodinid species in the tribe Nymphidiini, Periplacis perisama Hall, Ahrenholz & Aldas n. sp., is described from lower montane forest in the eastern Andes of Ecuador. An updated phylogenetic analysis for the genus suggests that the new taxon is sister to the Transandean species P. laobotas (Hewitson, 1875). These two species form the laobotas group, defined by the presence of setose eyes and a proximally isolated pale postdiscal band on the dorsal forewing of males. Periplacis perisama is externally dissimilar to all other members of the genus, and bears an apparently mimetic resemblance to several sympatric species of Nymphalidae, most notably in the genus Perisama Doubleday, 1849.

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Published

2020-06-19

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Section

Articles