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Issue: Vol. 5810 No. 3: 18 May 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-18
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5810.3.5
Page range: 509-532
Abstract views: 70
PDF downloaded: 4

Taxonomic revision of Iolaus lalos Druce, 1896 and proposal of the I. lalos species group in the subgenus Argiolaus Druce, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae) with description of five new taxa

African Butterfly Research Institute; P.O. Box 14308; 0800 Nairobi; Kenya.
African Butterfly Research Institute; P.O. Box 14308; 0800 Nairobi; Kenya.
African Butterfly Research Institute; P.O. Box 14308; 0800 Nairobi; Kenya.; School of Biological and Medical Sciences; Oxford Brookes University; Oxford; OX3 0BP; United Kingdom.; Afromontane Research Unit; University of the Free State: Qwaqwa Campus; Bag X13; Phuthaditjhaba 9866; South Africa
African Butterfly Research Institute; P.O. Box 14308; 0800 Nairobi; Kenya.
Nature Education Centre; Jagiellonian University; Gronostajowa 5; 30–387 Kraków; Poland.
Nature Education Centre; Jagiellonian University; Gronostajowa 5; 30–387 Kraków; Poland.
Lepidoptera Iolaus kigezi stat. nov Iolaus ungujensis sp. nov Iolaus rondoensis sp. nov Iolaus tukuyu sp. nov Iolaus zimbabwensis sp. nov Iolaus mabuensis sp. nov male and female genitalia biogeography new species new status

Abstract

The conspecificity of Iolaus lalos lalos and I. lalos kigezi was doubted based on external characters. The examination of them, supplemented by genitalia characters and distribution patterns of a series of specimens tentatively identified as I. lalos lalos or I. lalos kigezi resulted in the recognition of I. kigezi stat. nov. as a distinct species, as well as four new species, I. ungujensis sp. nov., I. zimbabwensis sp. nov., I. tukuyu sp. nov. and I. rondoensis sp. nov. from the island of Zanzibar, from mountainous forests in Zimbabwe, and from Tanzania, all placed in the newly established “Iolaus lalos species group”. A further new species of different appearance, I. mabuensis sp. nov. from Mount Mabu of Mozambique proved to be a member of this species group, based on genitalia characters.

References

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How to Cite

Sáfián, S., Collins, S.C., Bayliss, J., Congdon, T.C.E., Lorenc-Brudecka, J. & Florczyk, K. (2026) Taxonomic revision of Iolaus lalos Druce, 1896 and proposal of the I. lalos species group in the subgenus Argiolaus Druce, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae) with description of five new taxa. Zootaxa, 5810 (3), 509–532. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5810.3.5