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Background – Botanical exploration of the Sapo National Park in Liberia resulted in the discovery of a new species, which, after DNA investigation, was identified as belonging to Soyauxia of the small family Peridiscaceae. Methods – Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy and DNA sequence analysis have been applied. All the relevant herbarium material has been studied, mainly at BR, K, P, and WAG. The presented phylogenetic relationships of the new Soyauxia species is based on rbcL gene sequence comparison, inferred by a RAxML analysis including 100 replicates fast bootstrapping. The distribution maps have been produced using Map Maker Pro. Relevant collection data are stored in the NHN (Nationaal Herbarium Nederland) database. Key results – The new species Soyauxia kwewonii and an imperfectly known species are treated in the framework of a synopsis with the six other species of the genus. rbcL sequence comparison followed by RAxML analyses yielded a well-supported match of S. kwewonii with the Soyauxia clade. Its conservation status according to the IUCN red list criteria is assessed as Endangered. Its distribution as well as the distribution areas of the genus and of the remaining species are mapped. Soyauxia ledermannii is neotypified and the most common species in Gabon, S. glabrescens, is also illustrated.

Velzen, Robin Van, Larsen, Torben B., Bakker, Freek T. (2009): A new hidden species of the Cymothoe caenis - complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from western Africa. Zootaxa 2197: 53-63, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.189523

Cymothoe druryi van Velzen & Larsen sp. nov. Figures 3 ���7 Description. Male (Figures 4���5). Forewing 32 mm long. The male is creamy white above with a hint of blueish-green. A faint straight discal line divides all wings in a slightly lighter basal half and a slightly darker distal half. There is a postdiscal line of irregular black spots, usually complete on the forewing, but incomplete on the hindwing. A dark, submarginal zig-zag band is separated from the equally dark margin. The abdominal fold is dark brown, and the basal part of both wings is dusted with grey which does not extend far into the wing surface. The underside is greenish-white with no tinge of yellow. A dark, fine, precise, straight discal line which is postdiscally lined with dark dustings crosses all wings. The submarginal chevrons appear as small, dark spots, connected by a light-grey submarginal band which is separated from the equally light-grey margin. The extent of the black markings varies broadly, but the pattern does not: variation is partly seasonally defined. Female (Figures 6���7). Forewing 37 mm long. The upper side has the basal part of both wings dark-brown. This is followed by a white discal band that is precisely delineated, except at the end of the forewing cell where there are three irregular white spots. The band is so wide that the black postdiscal chevrons are largely inside the band. There is slight variation in the width of the white discal band, which is rarely (in Material examined. Holotype: 3 SIERRA LEONE, Gola Forest, April 2006 (T.B. Larsen leg., Zoological Museum Amsterdam coll.). DNA barcoded paratypes: GUINEA: Dieck�� Forest, 3 December 2006 (E. Vingerhoedt leg., G. Vande Weghe coll.); SIERRA LEONE: Gola Forest, 3 April 2006 (T.B. Larsen leg., ZMA coll.); GHANA: Bobiri Forest, �� March/ April 2007 (T.B. Larsen leg., ZMA coll.); Bobiri Forest, 3 13���18 May 2007 (S. Szabolcs leg., ZMA coll.); 3 2 December 2007 (J.H. Boersma leg., ZMA coll.); Kyabobo, �� June 2005 (R. Vorgas leg., ABRI coll.); NIGERIA: Agbara, �� October 1992 (D.P. Knoop leg. et coll.). All DNA barcoded types are referenced on the BOLD website. Paratypes based on male genitalia: GUINEA: Dieck�� Forest, 33 14���26 March 2003, 53 September 2003, 43 7���16 May 2004 (Ph. L��onard & E. Vingerhoedt leg., Ph. Oremans coll.); IVORY COAST: Sassandra, 3 October 1997 (Ph. Moretto leg., Ph Oremans coll.); NIGERIA: Isheri Forest, 3 10 March 1990 (D.P. Knoop leg., Muzeum Zoologiczne Uniwersytetu Jagiellonskiego coll.); Palm Grove Estate, Lagos, 3 22 October 1985 (A. Knoop leg., D.P Knoop coll.) Etymology. The species is dedicated to Dru Drury who described Cymothoe caenis in his Illustrations of Natural History volume 2 (Drury, 1773), making it the first Cymothoe species known to science. Despite his major contribution to the taxonomy of West African butterflies, none carries his name. It had been the intention of Heinrich Neustetter, who described many forms of Cymothoe a century ago, to honour Drury with a species of Cymothoe, but it remained a manuscript name (Overlaet, 1952). NB The type of C. caenis appears to have been lost: we shall designate a neotype, preferably from near the type locality in eastern Nigeria when more material is available. Distribution. Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and western Nigeria (see Figure 1). FIGURE 4���7. Photographs of Cymothoe druryi sp. nov. from Gola Forest in Sierra Leone. 3 Holotype: 4. dorsal view; 5. ventral view. �� paratype: 6. dorsal view; 7 ventral view. Diagnosis. The male is effectively identical to that of C. caenis Drury. No convincing differentiating macromorphological features were found despite the significant DNA differences reported above. The female is monomorphic but similar to one of the female forms of C. caenis that occur in the equatorial area. The male genitalia of C. druryi differ significantly from those of C. caenis Drury in the following features: a) The uncus is distinctly longer, and b) the strongly chitinised gnathos is even more massive; the chitinised uncus has the same length as the ventral edge of the gnathos (that ratio is only 0.70 in C. caenis). c) The frontal part of the tegumen is much less strongly domed than in C. caenis. d) The dorsal edge of the valve, anterior of the vinculum, is indented in C. druryi and rounded in C. caenis. e) The tip of the valve has larger teeth and these are continued briefly along the ventral edge of the valve, whereas C. caenis has small teeth which are not continued. f) The most significant difference is the presence of a well-defined, toothed harpe below the dorsal edge of the valve which is absent in C. caenis. (see Figure 3)., Published as part of Velzen, Robin Van, Larsen, Torben B. & Bakker, Freek T., 2009, A new hidden species of the Cymothoe caenis - complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from western Africa, pp. 53-63 in Zootaxa 2197 on pages 57-59, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.189523, {"references":["Drury, D. (1773) Illustrations of natural history (Vol. 2). B. White, London.","Overlaet, F. G. (1952) Formes nouvelles ou peu connues de Nymphalides africains. Annales du Musee Royal du Congo Belge, ser. 8, 1 - 50."]}