A team of international researchers has recently published a monograph that revises the diverse Neotropical butterfly genus Euptychia. This study, led by Shinichi Nakahara, a Lepidoptera subject editor for ZooKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, and Neotropical Biology and Conservation, has identified a new species of butterfly in the Amazon rainforest: Euptychia andrewberryi or Berry’s black-eyed satyr.
Guest blog post by Shinichi nakahara
A new Amazonian butterfly
In the collection of butterflies at the Natural History Museum in London (NHMUK), there are several unassuming specimens from Amazonia. These specimens were previously thought to be pitch-brown black-eyed satyrs (Euptychia picea) for over 150 years due to their markings on the underside of their wings. Tho, a recent monographic study has revealed them to be a new species: Euptychia andrewberryi or Berry’s black-eyed satyr.
Nature’s patience never ceases to amaze me 🦋