Neptis kupe, Aduse-Poku & Lohman & Richardson, 2022

Neptis kupe sp. nov. ( Fig. 6 View Figure 6 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:89E58A84-519B-4E2D-AC5B-026DFB151772

In January 2012, Robert Tropek undertook a collecting expedition to Mount Kupe (Koupé) in West Cameroon and captured a specimen with facies similar to those of Neptis lugubris Rebel 1914 . This expedition was followed up in April the next year by Szabolcs Sáfián, Robert Tropek, and Marianne Espeland who captured further specimens of this N. lugubris -like species. An ABRI-commissioned collector captured a further specimen the following year. Subsequent molecular analysis showed that the Mt. Kupe specimens are distinct from N. lugubris , and these are described here as Neptis kupe sp. nov. It will be shown that these two species can also be separated by the facies.

Holotype: ♂ Mt. Kupe , Cameroon, 04°48ʹ N, 09°42ʹ E, 1500–1900 m, iv.2014; ABRI-152668, ABRI collector. GoogleMaps

Paratypes: ♂ same locality, 7–10.iv.2014, Sáfián, Tropek, Espeland, ANHRTUK00214937, ANHRT collection ; ♀: same locality, i.2012, Tropek, ANHRTUK00214938, ANHRT collection; 1 unknown sex: same locality, 7– 10.iv.2014, Sáfián, Tropek, Espeland, ABRI-152667, ABRI collection .