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

FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK Volume 64 2003 pp. 251 -266. Atlides dahnersi sp. n. from Colombia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) Zs. BÁLINT, L. M. CONSTANTINO and K. JOHNSON Abstract: Atlides dahnersi sp. n. is described from Colombia (type locality: Colombia, Valle, Mpo. de Cali, Cerro San Antonio, 2200 m) and distinguished from other members of the genus. Key words: Neotropics, Colombia, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini, Atlides INTRODUCTION The Neotropical eumaeine lycaenid genus Atlides Hübner, 1819 (type species: Papilio halesus Cramer, 1777) is not particularly diverse. It includes 11-13 species according to different authors [Brown 1993: 53 (n = 13), Smith etal. 1994: 108 (n = "a dozen"), Bridges 1994: IX. 16 (n =11), d'Abrera 1995: 1120-1123 (n = 12)]. Supposedly, all the species share a common larval foodplant family - Loranthaceae, which is unusual amongst lycaenid butterflies (Fiedler 1991). Hence the adults of Atlides show bright orange-colored lower abdominal parts as well as prominent red basal spots or dashes at the wing bases adjacent the thorax; presumably to warn predators that they are protected by toxins. Present paper describes a new species of eumaeine lycaenid butterfly discovered in Colombia (Figs 1-2), which we place in the genus Atlides. There is a similar, presumably sister, taxon occurring in Ecuador (Figs 3-5), which will be described in a separate paper (Bálint & Wojtusiak, in prep.). Since eumaeine diversity in the Neotropics is poorly understood, special attention is paid herein, together with the taxonomic description of the Columbian butterfly, to its generic placement. This is because this exceptional looking species shows some wing characters that, for Atlides, would have to be considered supralimital. Accordingly, we (1) present a key based on the male's ventral wing pattern (the female of the newly discovered species is not yet known), (2) describe the species, (3) record what is currently known of its habitat and behaviour, and (4) discuss the taxonomic characters and generic placement of the species.