Notes on Ecuadorian Butterflies. Iii. the Genus Lymanopoda Westwood (Satyridae)

As commonly considered this genus is composed of a very varied group of species. It does not bear with close scrutiny for congenerity. Three generic names have been proposed for members composing it since the recognition of the first species, described in (1851) in the “Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera.” At that time Westwood placed the three members in two genera which he subsequently combined under one of the names proposed, Lymanopoda. In this action all later students concurred. Although the species samius, type of Lymanopoda, is superficially quite different from obsoleta, the type of Sarromia, structurally they are sufficiently alike to be considered congeneric. They represent the extremes in a series of variations. In 1892 Roeber proposed the name Trophonina for Butler's species acraeida. While this separation might be held valid by some lepidopterists I am inclined to ignore it. This species is, to be sure, unlike the others in the genus—excepting venosa and malia, strictly congeneric with acraeida—yet the differences other than color pattern are quantitative rather than qualitative. I dislike subgeneric designations and so follow Weymer in placing both Sarromia and Trophonina as synonyms of Lymanopoda. Others will disagree with me on this point. That is their privilege. However, one entire group of species usually included in the genus Lymanopoda is quite evidently misplaced in that genus. Superficially they might be left there but structurally they are so distinct that I feel it is necessary to set them apart as a different genus. They have been excluded from this discussion and will be taken up in another paper.