A remarkable record of the genus Pseudolucia from Bolivia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Abstract

The occurrence of a taxon morphologically close to Pseudolucia jujuyensis Bálint, Eisele & Johnson, 2000 is recorded in dry habitats of Torotoro Dinosaurs National Park, Potosí, Bolivia. This record remarkably extends the range of Pseudolucia by almost 800 km northwards in austral South America. Five specimens were available for examinations, hence wing-pattern, genitalia and mitochondrial DNA were analysed. However, the taxonomy of the specimens could not be satisfactorily resolved in relation to P. jujuyensis, for which only the holotype exists. The females use Cuscuta for ovipositing, what is supposedly the larval host – a remarkable character of the chilensis species group of Pseudolucia, which includes P. jujuyensis. On the basis of molecular markers it was revealed that the Torotoro population is the sister to the rest of the chilensis species group, which together are the clade sister to the rest of the genus.

Keywords

• Andes
• Argentina
• Bolivia
• butterfly
• distribution
• phylogeny
• prepuna biome
• Pseudolucia
• systematics