Micandra platyptera

Prieto, Carlos, 2011, The genus Micandra Staudinger (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae) in Colombia, with the description of a new species from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Zootaxa 3040, pp. 55-68 : 57-58

Micandra platyptera (C. Felder & R. Felder, [1865])

Pseudolycaena platyptera C. Felder & R. Felder [1865]: 246, pl. 28: figs. 6, 7. D’Abrera 1995: 1133; holotype 3 illustrated. Pseudolycaena cadmus C. Felder & R. Felder [1865]: 247, pl. 31: fig. 5.

Egides cadmus (C. Felder & R. Felder, [1865]); Johnson, Kruse & Kroenlein 1997: 17.

Macusia cadmus (C. Felder & R. Felder, [1865]); Johnson, Kruse & Kroenlein 1997: 31.

Micandra sylvia Le Crom & Johnson, 1997: 14 , pl. 16: fig. B; (holotype examined).

Taxonomic history and remarks. Micandra platyptera was described from at least two males from Venezuela and Colombia by C. Felder & R. Felder. In the same work the authors described a unique female as Pseudolycaena cadmus , which subsequently was associated with M. platyptera by Goodson (1946). The last action was accepted by Clench (1971), Robbins (1986), Bridges (1994), and D’Abrera (1995). However, Johnson et al. (1997) placed the name Pseudolycaena cadmus in a new combination as Egides cadmus and, inexplicably a few pages later, established another new combination as Macusia cadmus .

Le Crom and Johnson (1997) described Micandra sylvia from a single Colombian male collected in Caquetá. This species was listed as a synonym of M. platypera by Robbins (2004). I studied the holotype and found that the extremely bright blue dorsum, enlarged forewing brand, and vaguely marked hindwing venter, features given by Le Crom and Johnson (1997) as diagnostic, fall within the variation of M. platyptera males. Several Micandra species described by Johnson et al. (1997) were transferred to or synonymized with species in Timaeta by Robbins & Busby (2008).

Diagnosis. Micandra platyptera may be confused with M. extrema ; however, M. platyptera is easily distinguished from all other Micandra species by the following: males lack tails on the hindwings, the wings are very truncate, and the ventral side of the hindwing is dark brown with an extremely jagged pattern.

Distribution. In Colombia Micandra platyptera is known from the three Cordilleras at elevations between 1000 m and 1900 m.

Material examined. CALDAS: 1 3 MHN-UC 171*, Caldas, Villamaría-El Arroyo, a 1700 m, macho, 8-jul- 1984, J. Salazar leg.

CUNDINAMARCA: 1 3 HWG, Cundinamarca, Guayabetal, 1100m, 3/06/2006, Leg. H. Warren-Gash; 1 Ƥ JFLC, Cundinamarca, Guayabetal, 1200m, 23.xii.91, Leg. J.F. Le Crom;

CAQUETÁ: 1 3 IAvH, COLOMBIA Caquetá, Florencia, 01º 40’ 08’’ N 75º 40’ 00’’ W, 1400m, 22/iii/67, E. Schmidt Mumm, Leg. SM-5408; 1 3 JFLC, Caqueta, vi/89, Leg. J. Urbina?; 1 3 ICN-MHN, Caqueta, vi/89, Leg. J. Urbina?, ICN-L 15 984, HOLOTIPO ( Micandra sylvia Holotype); 2 Ƥ JFLC, Caqueta, vi/89, Leg. J. Urbina?

VALLE: 1 3 IAvH, COLOMBIA Valle del Cauca, Calima, Rio Bravo (Lago Calima), 03º 58’ 44’’ N 76º 32’ 36’’ W 1650m, V.1991, J. Salazar Leg. SM-5622; 1 3 IAvH, COLOMBIA, Valle del Cauca, Buenaventura, Tatábro, 03º 32’ 25’’ N 76º 51’ 47’’ W, 1000m, 20.ix.85, E. Scmidt Mumm, Leg. SM-5621; 1 Ƥ CP*, Valle, Cali, Km 18, Finca Asturias, 1940msnm, 21/07/04, m292, leg. C. Prieto; 1 Ƥ IAvH, COLOMBIA, Valle del Cauca, Buenaventura, Alto de Anchicayá, 03º 33’ 43’’ N 76º 51’ 57’’ W, 600m, 12.iv.1986, J. Salazar Leg., SM-5557; 1 Ƥ IAvH, COLOMBIA Valle del Cauca, Calima, Rio Bravo (Lago Calima), 03º 58’ 44’’ N 76º 32’ 36’’ W 1650m, V.1991, J. Salazar Leg. SM-5648.

CAUCA: 1 3 JFLC Cauca, San Juan de Villalobos, 1450m, 20/xi/92, Leg. J. Salazar.

RISARALDA: 1 3 BMNH, Colombia, (Cauca), Distrito de Pereira, Roman M. Valencia, 1886; 1 Ƥ ICN- MHN, Colombia, Risaralda, Mistrató, Mampay, Q. La Calera, Abr- 6- 92, G. Andrade c, s., Velasquez, leg., alt: 1660m; 1 Ƥ ICN-MHN, Colombia, Risaralda, Mistrató, Sendero alt. Pisones, Junio-26-1992, G. Andrade Leg., Alt: 1530m.

CHOCÓ: 1 Ƥ MHN-UC 157, Chocó, San José del Palmar-Tabor, a 1300 m, hembra, 16-jun-1985, J.H. Vélez leg.

BOYACÁ: 1 Ƥ JFLC, Boyaca, Otanche, viii/86, Leg. J. Urbina?

ANTIOQUIA: 1 Ƥ BMNH, Valdevia, Colombia, Pratt 97.