Abstract

Neolucia hobartensis albolineata ssp. nov. is illustrated, diagnosed, described and compared with the nominate subspecies N. hobartensis hobartensis (Miskin, 1890) from Tasmania and N. hobartensis monticola Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914 from northern New South Wales, Australia. The new subspecies is restricted to montane areas (mainly >1000 m) in subalpine and alpine habitats on the mainland in southeastern Australia (southern NSW, ACT, VIC) where its larvae specialize on Epacris spp. (Ericaceae). It thus belongs to a distinct set of 22 butterfly taxa that are endemic and narrowly restricted to montane areas (>600 m, but mainly >900 m) on the tablelands and plateaus of mainland southeastern Australia. Monitoring of these taxa, including N. hobartensis ssp., is urgently required to assess the extent to which global climate change, particularly temperature rise and large-scale fire regimes, are key threatening processes.

 
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Bibliographic Data

Short Form
Braby and Wurtz, 2018. Rec. Aust. Mus. 70(5): 423–433
Author
Michael F. Braby; Graham E. Wurtz
Year
2018
Title
A new subspecies of Neolucia hobartensis (Miskin, 1890) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from mainland southeastern Australia, with a review of butterfly endemism in montane areas in this region
Serial Title
Records of the Australian Museum
Volume
70
Issue
5
Start Page
423
End Page
433
DOI
10.3853/j.2201-4349.70.2018.1715
Language
en
Date Published
04 October 2018
Cover Date
04 October 2018
ISSN (online)
2201-4349
ISSN (print)
0067-1975
CODEN
RAUMAJ
Publisher
The Australian Museum
Place Published
Sydney, Australia
Subjects
TAXONOMY; INSECTA: LEPIDOPTERA
Digitized
04 October 2018
Available Online
04 October 2018
Reference Number
1715
EndNote
1715.enw
Title Page
1715.pdf
File size: 285kB
Complete Work
1715_complete.pdf
File size: 1794kB