Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Johnson's
Problematic Hairstreak
Rhamma familiaris
JOHNSON, 1992
Family -
LYCAENIDAE
subfamily -
THECLINAE
Tribe - EUMAEINI
Rhamma familiaris,
Ecuador ©
Tony Hoare
Introduction
All neotropical Theclines are placed in the tribe Eumaeini, which comprises of
1,058 currently known species
classified into 83
genera. The Eumaeini are very poorly represented in museum collections, and
until very recently were ignored by most workers, the exception being Robbins,
whose revision of the tribe was published in the Lamas neotropical checklist,
2004. It is hardly surprising therefore, especially when taking into account the
small size of the butterflies and their secretive habits, that it is estimated
that there are probably several hundred species still awaiting discovery.
The history of the genus
Rhamma is rather interesting. In 1992 Johnson
decided to reclassify 27 of the neotropical Thecla species, moving them to a new
genus which he called Shapiroana. Later the same year he renamed several of the species
in that genus. Even more oddly he also renamed the genus itself several times,
so that during the course of 1992 the illustrated butterfly had its genus
changed from Thecla to
Shapiroana to Pontirama, then Paralustrus and then finally
to Rhamma!
Rhamma
familiaris is found in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Habitats
This species inhabits rainforest at altitudes between about 400-1200m.
Lifecycle
Unknown.
Adult behaviour
To be completed.
|
