Iolaphilus Stempffer & Bennett, 1958

Sáfián, Szabolcs, 2022, Iolaus freyaallanae sp. nov. (Papilionoidea: Lycaenidae: Theclinae) - a new species from Zambia in the genus Iolaus Hübner, [1819], subgenus Iolaphilus Stempffer & Bennett, 1958, Metamorphosis 33 (1), pp. 72-78 : 73

Subgenus Iolaphilus Stempffer & Bennett, 1958

Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (A) 20: 1298.

Type-species: Iolaus menas Druce , by original designation.

The Iolaus gabunica species group

A group of medium-sized Iolaus , tentatively placed in the subgenus Iolaphilus , with unique genitalia, having narrow valvae with a lanceolate tip, characteristic Y-shaped fultura inferior and a small protrusion dorsally at approximately halfway on the straight and lanceolate aedeagus ( Fig. 1 ). Males of all species have a uniformly black, circular androconial patch on the hindwing upperside, some with a larger black or dark grey outer ring. The androconial hairtuft on the forewing underside is also black. All species recognised in the group are known to occur in forests, including lowland rainforest, submontane and riverine forests. It is proposed here that they collectively belong to the Iolaus gabunica species group, with the following members:

Iolaus gabunica gabunica ( Riley, 1928) Iolaus gabunica mbami (Libert, 1993)

Iolaus freyaallanae sp. nov.

Iolaus liberiana Sáfián, 2017

Note: Iolaus alexanderi and I. liberiana are very similar in appearance and could be conspecific. However, the fultura inferior of the holotype of I. alexanderi illustrated in Larsen (2005) carries features, namely the lobes on both sides of the stem of the fultura laterally that are missing from the two dissected I. liberiana males. Unfortunately, the genitalia of the holotype of I. alexanderi were not found in the ABRI collection, and their status will therefore remain uncertain until further material becomes available. The I. gabunica species group might have affinities with I. menas Druce, 1890 and related species, but members of this latter, as yet undefined group, have rather different genitalia.

Figures

Figure 1 – Male genitalia of Iolaus gabunica, re-drawn from Stempffer & Bennett’s original (1958): uncus, subunci and tegumen – A; valvae and fultura inferior – B (note that from the ventral view the valvae and fultura – misleadingly – look fused, on Fig. 4B the separate valvae and fultura – fused only at the base – are clearly visible); aedeagus – C.