S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 64. (Budapest, 2003)

NOTES ON JOHNSONITA The genus Johnsonita Salazar et Constantino, 1995 was established as a monotypic genus with the type species Johnsonita johnsoni Salazar et Constantino, 1995 (Constantino & Salazar 1995: 459) within the tribe Eumaeini, family Lycaenidae. Subsequently the older established nominal taxa Thecla auda Hewitson, 1867 and Thecla pardoa d'Abrera, 1995 were placed in new combinations with Johnsonita by Lamas et al. (1999: 5) and d'Abrera (2001: 195) falsifying the monotypy. However, supportive comments were not presented, in any of the previolusly mentioned cases. The situation was further complicated when the nominal species Thecla auda has been selected as type species of Owda by Johnson et al. (1997: 19), and Thecla chalmydem Druce, 1907 was placed in the new combination Owda chalmydem (Druce, 1907) Johnson, Kruse et Kroenlein, 1997. I regard Johnsonita as senior subjective synonym of Owda new synonym, because their type species represent the same lineage in the Micandra genus-group of neotropical eumaeine lycaenids (Robbins 1986: 154) outlined in the diagnosis of the new species I have described above. I place the following taxa in the genus: Johnsonita auda (Hewitson, 1867) d'Abrera, 2001, J. catadupa (Hewitson, 1869), new combination, J. pardoa (d'Abrera, 1995) Lamas, 1999.1 consider the nominal species "Thecla chlamydem Druce, 1907" as a subjective junior synonym of J. auda as in the material I have examined there are phenotypes that intermediate the lectotype of auda and the holotype of chlamydem, consequently Thecla auda Hewitson, 1867 = 77. chlamydem Druce, 1907, new synonym. This synonymy had been already suggested by d'Abrera (1995: 1131). J. auda is a variable species in regard of wing dorsal colouration (pale ultramarine blue to violet blue), intensity of ventral pattern (sharp to faded pattern) and female size (fore wing costal length extrems in mm: 13:18), what probably indicates that the species utilizes larval hostplants from wide range of herbal families influencing these traits, as it was demonstrated in the case of polyommatine lycaenids (Knüttel & Fiedler 2001). I recognize three groups in Johnsonita: (1) the "johnsonita species-group" for the type species of the genus having large (2 mm) long hind wing tornai lobe, (2) the "adua species-group" for taxa J. auda and J. pardoa having straight fore wing distal margin in the apical area with gleaming pattern of lines in subbasal and submedial areas. One male specimen in The Natural History Museum (London, UK) from Ecuador ("Rio Sucio, Napo, 1600 m") represents an undescribed member of the group; (3) the "catadupa species-group" for taxa J. catadupa and J. johnbanksi having bent fore wing distal margin in the apical area without fore wing ventral gleaming pattern. There is a hitherto undescribed species from Bolivia, which also belongs to this group. In the Lycaenaidae General Collection of The