Cruz Bedón, Valentina

Lamas, Gerardo

Roque Albelo, Lázaro

English

Aquatic Commons

May 1997 NOTICIAS DE GALÁP AGOS 29
HEMIARGUS RAMO N (DOGNIN, 1887) (LYCAENIDAE:
POLYOMMATINAE) A NEW RESIDENT BUTTERFLY OF THE
GALÁPAGO S ISLANDS
By: Lázaro Roque Albelo, Valentina Cruz Bedón, and Gerardo Lamas
The butterfly species Hemiargus raman is distributed
from southwestern Ecuador to northwestern Chile
(Tarapaca); however, until now it has not been collected
in the Galápagos Islands (Linsley and Usinger 1966;
Linsley 1977).
Between January 1995 and August 1996 two authors
(LRA and VCB) collected a series of specimens of this tiny
species on the islands ofBaltra, Española, Floreana, Isabela,
San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz and Santiago (Figure 1).
The butterflies of the family Lycaenidae from the ge-
nus Hemiargus ha ve slow flight and are generally
associated with areas of human habitation. In Galápagos,
we have observed oviposition of this species on the fol-
lowing plants: Cucumis dispsaceus (Cucurbitaceae), Cassia
hirsuta (Leguminosae), Prasapis juliflara (Leguminosa e),
Neptunia plena (Leguminosa e), Rhynchasia minima
(Leguminosa e) and Phasealus atrapurpureus
(Leguminosae). Another lycaenid species occurs in the
archipelago, Leptates parrhasiaides (Williams 1911), which
is similar in external appearance to H. raman,. Both spe-
cies form small metapopulations closely associated with
their specific host plants.
Roque (in press) recognized three mechanisms by
which the butterflies can arrive to the Galápagos Islands:
a) on natural rafts; b) by air, flying actively or passively;
or finally, c) transported intentionally or accidentally by
humans. It is difficult to determine which of the three
mechanisms could have been responsible for the arrival
of H. ramal! to the Galápagos Islands but it's accidental
introduction by man seems the most likely. Upon arrival
the establishment of this species would not have been
difficult since it could utilize many host plants, mainly
from the Leguminosae family which is well represented
in Galápagos.
Voucher specimens of H. ra/nan have been deposited
in the entomological collection of the Charles Darwin
Research Station Museum on Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos
and the Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional
Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú.
LITERA TU RE CITED
Linsley, E. G. 1977. lnsects of the Galápagos lslands. (Supple-
ment) Occasional Papers California Academy of Sciences
125: 1-50.
Figure 1. H. ramol1on flowers of the endemic Galápagos plant
Scalesia affil1is.
Linsley, E. G., R. 1. Usinger. 1966. Insects of the Galápagos
lslands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences
33: 113-196.
Roque, 1. (in press). The monarch butterfly in the Galápagos
lslands: is it a native or an introduced species? Noticias de
Galápagos.
Williams, F. X. 1911. Expedition of the California Academy of
Sciences to the Galápagos Islands 1905-1906 III. The butter-
flies and hawk-moth of the Galápagos lslands. Proceedings
of the California Academy of Sciences 4(1): 289-232.
Lázaro Roque Albelo, Charles Darwin Research Station,
Puerto A yora, Galápagos. Valentina Cruz Bedón, Puerto
Ayora, Galápagos. Gerardo Lamas, Museo de Historia
Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos,
Apartado 14-0434, Lima-14, Perú.


Hemiargus ramon (Dognin, 1887)(Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) a new resident butterfly of the Galápagos Islands

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Hemiargus ramon (Dognin, 1887)(Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) a new resident butterfly of the Galápagos Islands

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