THE GENUS MINISTRYMON CLENCH 1961 IN CHILE AND A NEW SPECIES FROM THE NORTHERN DESERT BIOTIC PROVINCE (LEPIDOPTERA: LYCAENIDAE)

Resumo

Based on a survey of type specimens, species of the New World hairstreak butterfly genus Ministrymon
Clench are listed and first records from Chile reponed. M. azia Hewitson reaches its southwestern
range extreme in xeric Coastal habitats near the Chile/Perú border (Arica). M. quebradivaga, new
species, is described from quebrada habitat in the Northern Desert Biotic Province (Quebrada Vitor,
Pampa Tamarugal), Tarapacá Región. This new species shares characters with two subgroups of
Ministrymon and is probably a primitive relict. At least two other Lepidoptera studied to date show the
pattern of distribution and endemism exhibited by Ministrymon in Chile.