Browsing by Autor "Patrick Blandin"

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Morpho (Morpho) helenor (Cramer) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Morphinae) in Bolivia: Geographical distribution and ecological plasticity, with a description of a new subspecies
(Q15088586, 2011) Yuvinka Gareca; Patrick Blandin
The geographical distribution of Morpho helenor (Cramer) in Bolivia is mapped from the study of specimens preserved in Bolivian and foreign collections, and from recent field studies in various ecoregions. One subspecies, M. h. theodorus Fruhstorfer, inhabits Amazonian moist forests in the western and northern parts of the country. Another subspecies, M. h. coelestis Butler, is common in moist cloud forests (Bolivian Yungas), but also occurs to the North and North-East. We describe a new subspecies, M. h. prometa ssp. nov., from Southern Andean Yungas. Transition zones between theodorus and coelestis are highlighted, where specimens exhibiting intermediate phenotypes were collected. The pattern of geographic transition from M. h. coelestis to M. h. prometa needs to be documented. M. h. prometa inhabits sub-humid, semideciduous forests, whereas M. h. theodorus and M. h. coelestis live in rainforests. M. h. coelestis populations are found from less than 100 m to more than 1600 m a.s.l.; M. h. theodorus has been collected at more than 1000 m a.s.l.; and M. h. prometa between 500 m and 1400 m a.s.l.. Therefore, Bolivian M. helenor populations are distributed throughout a wide range of ecological contexts: we discuss the habitat plasticity of the species in light of available knowledge of its geographical distribution and habitats in the Neotropical Region.
Revisiting the Andean butterfly Eryphanis zolvizora group (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): one or several species?
(2026) Patrick Blandin; Roger Bristow; Andrew F. E. Neild; Juan Carlos de Sousa; Yuvinka Gareca; Blanca Huertas
Revisiting the Andean butterfly Eryphanis zolvizora group (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): one or several species?
(2026) Patrick Blandin; Roger Bristow; Andrew F. E. Neild; Juan Carlos de Sousa; Yuvinka Gareca; Blanca Huertas
Revisiting the Andean butterfly Eryphanis zolvizora group (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae): one or several species?
(Consortium of European Natural History Museums, 2014) Patrick Blandin; Roger Bristow; Andrew F. E. Neild; Juan Carlos de Sousa; Yuvinka Gareca; Blanca Huertas
Eryphanis zolvizora (Hewitson, 1877) is a rare Andean endemic butterfly, described from Bolivia, which has been historically classified either as a unique species, or as part of a group of three allopatric species from Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia. In this paper, the group is revised using more than 200 specimens housed in 34 European, and North and South American public and private collections. For the first time, the presence of the group in Western Ecuador and Venezuela is confirmed, and important data on Peruvian populations are provided. In some populations, individual variations of genitalia are observed. Nevertheless, male genitalia allow the distinction of four geographical groups. Considering also habitus characters, eight taxa are distinguished and considered to be subspecies, of which five are new: Eryphanis zolvizora inca ssp. nov., Eryphanis zolvizora chachapoya ssp. nov., Eryphanis zolvizora casagrande ssp. nov.., Eryphanis zolvizora reyi ssp. nov., and Eryphanis zolvizora isabelae ssp. nov. In the present state of knowledge, these taxa are allopatric, except for a possible geographic overlap in central Peru, where data are insufficient to prove sympatry. The “several subspecies vs. several species” dilemma is discussed, considering its impact for conservation action and policies.