Type species fixation of the genus Abloxurina Johnson, 1992

The goal of this paper is to clarify the status and identity of the type species of the lycaenid genus Abloxurina Johnson, 1992 so that the name can be used correctly in future taxonomic work. Abloxurina was originally typified with Thecla amatista Dognin, 1895. However, the specimen examined and illustrated by Johnson (1992) to diagnose the genus was an individual of Penaincisalia ismaeli Busby & Hall, 2005, an undescribed species at that time. Consequently, Johnson’s original typification was based on a misidentification. In order to make Abloxurina available, its type species is fixed under Article 70.3.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1999) as P. ismaeli. Abloxurina was based on Ecuadorian specimens that Johnson (1992) identified as Thecla amatista and unambiguously designated as the type species of the genus. A detailed study of the characters that Johnson (1992) attributed to Thecla amatista revealed that they disagree with the traits of this species, but are consistent with the morphology of Penaincisalia ismaeli Busby & Hall (in Hall et al. 2005). Clearly, the type species of Abloxurina was misidentified. This genus subsequently was synonymized with Penaincisalia Johnson, 1990 by Robbins (2004) without any allusion to the misidentification of the type species of Abloxurina. R. Busby and J. Hall (in Hall et al. 2005) noted the misidentification in their original description of P. ismaeli and stated “It should be noted that Johnson’s (1992) adult (male and female) and male genitalia illustrations of Abloxurina amatista are actually referable to male P. balzapamba Johnson, 1992. ” P. ismaeli and P. balzapamba are sibling species whose males differ superficially only in the bluis