O. Merkl szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 67. (Budapest, 2006)

tions, but a similarly ciliated lobe suggested some relationship with the genera Panthiades HÜBNER, 1819 (type species: Papilio pelion CRAMER, 1775), Porthecla ROB BINS, 2004 (type species: Thecla porthura H. H. DRUCE, 1907), Thepytus ROBBINS, 2004 (type species: Thecla epytus GODMAN et SALVIN, 1887), Oenomaus HÜBNER, 1819 (type species: Papilio narbal STOLL, 1790), Parrhasius HÜBNER, 1819 (type species: Papilio polibetes STOLL, 1871), Ignata JOHNSON, 1992 (type species: Ignata ignobilis JOHNSON, 1992) and Olynthus HÜBNER, 1819 (type species: Papilio narbal STOLL, 1790) (Figs 3-4). However, the greatest controversy has been stirred up by the male genitalia (Figs 5-8). It is not as stout as ROBBINS indicated for Panthiades genera (we understand the word "stout" also means that its is rather difficult to take out the heavily sclerotised and rigid male genital capsule from the abdomen), plus the vinculum is associated at its anterior end with a pair of brush organ, which is attached also to the last abdominal segment with a membrane, plus the posteriorly upturned aedeagus possesses a complex terminus. We are of the opinion that this species represents a hitherto unrecognised lineage of the Panthiades Section, and because of the peculiar genital characters, distinctive wing colouration and pattern, we erect a new genus for it. Consequently, the present paper has the purpose to formally describe this species and place it in the Panthiades Section as a distinct genus. Beatheclus gen. n. (Figs 1, 3, 5-12) Type species - Beatheclus beatrizae sp. n., herewith designated. Diagnosis - Beatheclus shares the following characters of the Pathiades Section: (1) genitalia with a broad vinculum (Fig. 5), (2) vinculum with groove in the outer edge (Figs 5, 8), (3) dorsal forewing scent pad centered on the middle and upper disco-cellular veins (Fig. 1) and (4) hindwing tornus with long ciliation (Fig. 3). Beatheclus is distinguished by (a) its distinctive dorsal ground colour (Figs 9, 11), (b) submedian forewing ventral pattern (Figs 10, 12) and (c) male genitalia with brush organ (Fig. 8) and complex posterior terminus (Figs 5-6). Remarks-The species Porthecla barba (H. H. DRUCE, 1907) ROBBINS, 2004 and some of its close relatives possess somewhat similar dorsal colouration, but Porthecla structural colour turns violet blue at 45' incidence, while Beatheclus becomes more reflective keeping the original colour. The ground colour of Thepytus arindela (HEWITSON, 1874) ROBBINS, 2004 also seems to be similar, but again it turns blue with decreasing incidence. In Panthiades Section all the genera possess