Altinote hilaris

in Peru and Ecuador there used to be two Altinote species usually flying between 1500 and 2000 meters, both scarce and poorly documented : A. hilaris and A. desmiala;

now, A. desmiala has been made a ssp of hilaris although in Ecuador  A. h. desmiala females are rather rare, while A. h. hilaris females are nearly common, and males very rare.

and we never found A. h. hilaris West of the Andes, where A. h. desmiala is not uncommon.

 

on butterfliesofamerica, at the Altinote hilaris hilaris entry,

1 - you see immediately that the specimen from the Yale Peabody Museum is almost certainly not A. hilaris at all,

2 - but, having a close look at the type HWUN (dark as the picture may be), you see it is clearly different from the other illustrated specimens,

which do come from Sangay NP.

 

so?

for the time being we figure here the specimens we collected in Ecuador and Peru, on both sides of the Andes.

 

Tandayapa, Nanegalito (NW of Quito) -  Ecuador

 

last specimen is a female

 

Balsapampa, Bolivar, Ecuador

this female could be the Southernmost specimen known West of the Andes (Warren-Gash collection)

la Bonita - NE Ecuador

first two specimens are females

 

Napo, Ecuador

these interesting specimens are from the Warren-Gash collection

 

Upper Pastaza valley, 1700/2200 m - Ecuador

last specimen a female

 

9 de Octubre, Morona Santiago, 1700 m - Ecuador

 

rio Paute valley, 1700/2000 m - Ecuador

 

Loja-Zamora road, 1700/2000 m - Ecuador

 

 

first two specimens are males, last four females

 

Yangana - Ecuador

 

Mendoza, Jorge Chavez - Amazonas, Peru

first three specimens from Museum Zoologiczne, Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Krakowie

 

Tingo Maria, Oxapampa - center Peru