US scientists have identified a new butterfly species, with a striking olive-green eye colour, in Texas.
The butterfly known as Vicroy's Ministreak, with the scientific name Ministrymon janevicroy, may be the last truly distinctive butterfly species to be discovered in the United States, researchers believe.
Although individuals of Vicroy's Ministreak were deposited in the Smithsonian entomology collections a century ago, this species was unrecognised because it was confused with the common, similar-looking Gray Ministreak.
Interestingly, the two species are distinguished by the distinctive olive-green eyes of the new species in contrast to the dark brown/black eyes of the Gray Ministreak.
As their common names suggest both species are diminutive, about the size of a thumbnail, and may occur at the same time and place.
Besides eye colour, each has different wing patterns and different internal structures. They have different, but overlapping, geographic distributions and habitat requirements.
Jeffrey Glassberg, President of the North American Butterfly Association, discovered Vicroy's Ministreak, and he named the species after his wife (Jane Vicroy Scott).
Bob Robbins, the butterfly curator at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, together with Glassberg, are the authors of the paper officially describing Vicroy's Ministreak, published in the journal ZooKeys.
