Ocaria sadiei
Creators: name: Faynel, Christophe
name: Busby, Robert C.
name: Dolibaina, Diego R.
name: Huertas, Blanca
name: Fåhraeus, Christer
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lycaenidae
Ocaria
Ocaria sadiei

description: Ocaria sadiei (Weeks)
(Figures 1, 12–13, 19, 30, 36)
Diagnosis. The ventral markings on Ocaria sadiei species set it apart from the others in this group. Key characters include: (1) the dark brown patch at VFW apex; (2) the white splotches on the VHW; and (3) a thin blue metallic line along the VHW basal half of the costal margin (Fig. 19).
Type material. Weeks (1901) described this species without stating a precise number of specimens, but based on likely, a single male specimen from Coroico, Bolivia. A syntype bearing the following labels is deposited at the MCZ: COROICO, BOLIVIA. APRIL 20, 1899 COLL. A. G. WEEKS, JR. // AG Weeks Collection // Thecla sadiei // M.C.Z. Type 16675.
The description of Thecla arpoxida Draudt was based on a single male [holotype] from Rio Songo, Bolivia from the Fassl collection. The specimen is currently deposited at MfN with the following labels: Rio Songo Bolivia 750 m Coll. Fassl // arpoxida // HOLOTYE Thecla arpoxida Draudt.
The description of Thecla variegata Lathy was based on a single male [holotype] from Bogotá, Colombia, currently deposited at the MNHN with the following labels: Santé Fé de Bogota. // 67. 20. Ex. Coll. Ed. Brabant. 1920. // Thecla variegata, Lathy Spec [imen]. typicum.
The description of Lamasa robbinsi K. Johnson was based on the male holotype from Colombia, deposited at AMNH with the following labels: Colombia, S[South]. A [America]. Felipe Ovalle, Q Ac.33501 // Colombia // HOLOTYPE Lamasa robbinsi K. Johnson.
Distribution. This lowland species flies from Colombia to central Bolivia in areas ranging from 300 to 950m, in a typical Cis-Andean distribution, except for a single record from western Ecuador (Fig. 30).
Remarks. O. sadiei has the most extensive synonymic list within the arpoxais group, with four proposed names. Unaware of its description (Weeks 1901) or its subsequent redescription and illustration (Weeks 1905), Draudt (1920) proposed Thecla arpoxida, referring to wing elements in common with O. arpoxais and Thecla ocrida Hewitson. The latter is a synonym of Gossenia lycabas (Cramer), and shares the same type locality in Bolivia as Thecla sadiei. Later, Lathy (1936) described Thecla variegata from Colombia, suggesting it could be conspecific with Thecla arpoxida. Finally, Johnson (1992) named Lamasa robbinsi based on a specimen from the same type locality as T. variegata. Robbins (2004a) combined these names under the genus Ocaria and established their synonymy, a conclusion we reinforce based on the direct or indirect examination of the type material. Ocaria sadiei was included in the calesia species group, based on the absence of androconia on the male forewings (Bálint & Costa 2012). However, we confirm here the presence of androconia in males of this species and assign it to the arpoxais group (Figs 1, 19).
Natural history. Males have been recorded attracted to rotting-fish bait in eastern Ecuador (Busby, pers. obs.).
Material examined. COLOMBIA. Cundinamarca. 1♂, HOLOTYPE Thecla variegata, Santa Fé de Bogota, ex coll. Brabant (MNHN). Boyacá. 1♀, Otanche, J. Urbina leg., illustrated on Fig. 13 (JFLC). No locality. 1♂, HOLOTYPE Lamasa robbinsi, S.A., Felipe Ovalle, Q, Ac. 33501 (AMNH). ECUADOR. Carchi. 2♂, El Babozo, 950m, 0° 53.1’ N, 78° 26.5’ W, 17.vi.2011, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. (RCB). Orellana. 1♂, 1.2 km Dayuma-Cononaco Rd, 325m, 0° 40.7’ S. 76° 52.4’ W, 8.ix.2011, R. C. Busby leg. (RCB). Napo. 1♂, 28 km Tena-Puyo Road, El Capricho, 800m, 1° 11.3’ S, 77° 49.9’ W, 12.ix.2006, R. C. Busby leg. (RCB); 10♂, 14 km Tena-Puyo Road, Apuya, 600m, 1° 06.7’ S, 77° 46.9’ W, 21.ix.2005, 6.ix.2009, 10.ix.2010, 9.ix.2010, 6.ix.2011, 16.ix.2012, 1.x.2012, 1.x.2012, 4.x.2012, 4.x.2013, 12.ix.2015, R. C. Busby leg. (RCB); 4♂, 14 km Tena-Puyo Road, Apuya, 600m, 1° 06.7’ S, 77° 46.9’ W, 18.x.2010, 10.x.2011, 13.x.2011, I. Aldas & R. C. Busby leg. (RCB); 1♂, 12 km Tena-Puyo Road, Finca San Carlo, 600m, 1° 05.3’ S, 77° 47.4’ W, 15.ii.2008, Ahrenholz & R. C. Busby leg. (RCB). Pastaza. 1♂, Pitirishca, 800 m, 1° 57.8’ S, 75° 52.1’ W, 10.ix.2000, R. C. Busby leg. (RCB); 1♂, 51 km S. of Puyo, Pitirishca, 800m, 13.ix.1999, R. C. Busby leg. (RCB); 1♂, 39.4 km Puyo-Villano Rd, 750m, 1° 25.6’ S, 77° 43.6’ W, 1.x.2016, R. C. Busby leg., illustrated on Fig. 12 (RCB). BOLIVIA. La Paz. 1♂, HOLOTYPE Thecla sadiei, Coroico, 20.IV.1899, A. G. Weeks collection, Type 16675 (MCZ); 1♂, Coroico, Vagantes, 5.viii.2020, G. Siebel leg., CBF-Lep. 1889, CF-LYC-1904* (CBF); 1♂, HOLOTYPE Thecla arpoxida, Rio Songo [Zongo?], 750 m, Coll. Fassl (MfN).
description: Published as part of Faynel, Christophe, Busby, Robert C., Dolibaina, Diego R., Huertas, Blanca & Fåhraeus, Christer, 2025, A review of the Ocaria arpoxais species group (Lycaenidae: Theclinae) with the description of a new species previously confused with O. cinerea (Lathy), pp. 47-67 in Zootaxa 5618 (1) on page 59, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5618.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/15217247