Contribution Of The Influence Area Of The Páramo De Belmira (santa Inés) To The Regional Diversity Of Pronophilina (lepidoptera: Satyrinae) Of The Northern Andes

Biodiversity is not uniformly distributed on earth, with sites more relevant than others, due to their intrinsic properties or their evolutionary and/or biogeographical context. The tropical Andes are globally acknowledged for their importance for preserving high biodiversity and endemism, and at the same time by the high level of anthropogenic pressure. In this study, we assessed the subtribe Pronophilina butterfly diversity, the dominant group in species richness and abundance in the higher Andes, in the influence area of the Páramo de Belmira, Antioquia, Colombia, in the northern part of the Central Cordillera. The contribution of this area to the overall regional Andean butterfly diversity reported for the northern tropical Andes was assessed. In Belmira, 50 Pronophilina species were found, representing approximately one fourth of the known Colombian species of this subtribe and 10% of the overall richness, including unique and geographically restricted species. These results provide evidence on the importance of isolated mountain formations in the northern end of the Andes and confirm the assumption that the Páramo de Belmira is a key conservation component for the high Andean butterfly diversity at the regional level, deserving stronger conservation actions and protection status. © 2017 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología.88240240