wingspan : 34/36 mm
we saw this Hermeuptychia sp from la Bonita down to the far South of the country, and, more specifically, on the Loja-Zamora road and in las Lagunillas and other places, between 1600 and 2300 meters.
it is a rather common butterfly, but this morphotype 2 (see https://www.sangay.eu/en/fiche-papillon/019-Satyridae/003-Satyrinae/001-Euptychiini/021-Hermeuptychia/049-pimpla%2C+cucullina%2C+maimoune+Group+overview/_) in 2023 is not illustrated at all on ButterfliesofAmerica ?
on BoA the only species that would match this morphotype 2 would be H. harmonia, but :
- there are obvious differences between harmonia and our morphotype 2 (see new facts page),
- and, to our knowledge, harmonia would only fly West of the Andes where it is rather common (see https://www.cotacachi.eu/en/fiche-papillon/019-Satyridae/003-Satyrinae/001-Euptychiini/021-Hermeuptychia/055-harmonia/_)
could it be that H. harmonia flies on both sides of the Andes with two clearly distinct ssp ?
first row : Hermeuptychia morphotype 2, East of the Andes,
second row : Hermeuptychia harmonia, West of the Andes.
the darkest male (7 & 8) is the only specimen from Cumbaratza.
