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

In their study of these Lorantheceae feeders, Ballmer & Pratt (1992) pointed out that both Mitoura and Loranthomitoura first instar larvae possess unique apomorphies within the callophryine eumaeines. They speculated that hostplant utilization of Loranthomitoura may provide additional insight into the phylogenetic relationship of other callophryine lycaenids (Ballmer & Pratt 1992: 45). In the case of Atlides, the situation is also striking. The Afrotropical tribe Iolaini possesses structural traits, which relate it to certain neotropical eumaeine genusgroups generally utilizing Loranthaceae as the larval host (Bálint in prep.). Nonetheless, Atlides is divergent from Iolaini in many respects. Therefore, a direction of future research on Loranthaceae hostplant utilization should be to see if its usage in Atlides is a retained ancestral trait or a specialization resulting in the conspicuous pattern of red warning colourations already noted. Taxonomic history of Atlides - The generic name Atlides was introduced by Hübner (1819: 80). It was Scudder (1875: 124), who subsequently selected Papilio halesus Cramer, [1777] (= Atlides dolichos Hübner, 1823) as type species. Contrary to other eumaeine generic names erected by Hübner, Atlides remained in general use, most probably because of its type species was repeatedly listed or discussed in the North American literature (Dyar 1902: 36, Holland 1931: 224, Howe 1975: 300, Scott 1986: 380, Martinez & Bousquets 1993: 379, Smith etal. 1994: 108). However, Draudt (1919: 750-751) did not use the name and followed Kirby (1871: 381) placing the type species and all superficially similar taxa in the "Polybe-Gruppe (Atlides Hbn.)" under the genus Thecla Fabricius, 1807 (type species: Papilio betulae Linnaeus, 1758). Because of superficial similarity Draudt (1. c.) also placed the type species of Brangas Hübner, 1819, Papilio caranus Stoll, 1870 (subsequently selected by Scudder 1875: 128) and its relatives in the same group. The two genera were formally synonymized by Hemming (1967: 67). The generic name of Atlides was listed again with full generic rank by Bridges and a synonymic species list was presented, although without explanation (Bridges 1988: 11.16, Bridges 1994: IX.16). A review of Atlides was given by d'Abrera (1995: 1120-1125), who documented the curatorial work of Dr Robert K. Robbins (USA, Washington DC) on the material of the Natural History Museum (London, UK) (=BMNH) in the early 1980's. In the BMNH collection the genera A Hides and Brangas were separately curated as distinct genera, and this was followed by d'Abrera, who based their distinction on the basis of presence or absence of androconial clusters (d'Abrera 1995: 1124). This split generic view is supported by genital structures which differ both qualitatively or quantitatively. Female Atlides exhibit a very long and sclerotized tubular ductus bursae reaching the 4th abdominal segment, where it joins the ductus