Cheimas opalinus iosephi x Ch. opalinus rosalinus (Figs. 3E–F, 4E–F, 10F) Material examined: VENEZUELA, Cordillera de Mérida, Mérida State: 6 ♂: El Batallón, Antena—Cenegón, 2900–2950 m, 01.II.2008, T. Pyrcz leg.; 19 ♂: El Batallón, Quebrada de Los Píos, 2900–2950 m, 03.XII.2005, T. Pyrcz leg., 1 prep. genit. 386/ 30.05.2016 J. Lorenc; 5 ♂: El Batallón, Quebrada de Los Píos, 2900–2950 m, 29.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg.; 6 ♂: El Batallón, Quebrada de Los Píos, 2900–2950 m, 10.II.2007, T. Pyrcz leg.; 2 ♂: El Batallón, Quebrada de Los Píos, 2850–2900 m, 04.III.1996, T. Pyrcz leg., 1 prep. genit. 04/ 07.05.2005 T. Pyrcz, CEP-MZUJ; 2 ♂: El Batallón, Quebrada de Los Píos, 2900–2950 m, 29.XI.2005, T. Pyrcz leg., 1 ♂: El Batallón, Quebrada de Los Píos, 2900–2950 m, 03.XII.2005, T. Pyrcz leg., HNHM; 11 ♂: La Grita vers Pregonero km 28, bifurcation de Bailadores vers Pregonero km 2.1, 2900 m, 29.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg.; 12 ♂: Bailadores vers Pregonero km 28, 2.2 km après jonction de la Grita, 2900 m, 02.XII.2005, P. Boyer leg.; 4 ♂: Mesa Alta, la Grita–Pregonero km 33.5, bifurcation Bailadores vers Pregonero km 5.6, 2850 m, 29.XI.2005, P. Boyer leg.; 2 ♂: Mesa Alta, Bailadores vers Pregonero km 33.5, 5.5 km après jonction de la Grita, 2750 m, 2.XII.2005, P. Boyer leg., PBF. A. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus male, PARATPE, El Rosal B. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus female, PARATYPE, El Rosal C. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus male, PARATYPE, El Rosal D. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus female, PARATYPE, El Rosal E. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus x iosephi male, Qda. de Los Píos F. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus x iosephi male, Qda. de Los Píos A. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus male, PARATPE, El Rosal B. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus female, PARATYPE, El Rosal C. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus male, PARATYPE, El Rosal D. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus female, PARATYPE, El Rosal E. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus x iosephi male, Qda. de Los Píos F. Cheimas opalinus rosalinus x iosephi male, Qda. de Los Píos Remarks. The populations occurring on the northern slopes of the Páramo de Batallón are characterized by individual variation beyond the usual range in Cheimas, and features intermediate between C. opalinus rosalinus n. ssp. and C. opalinus iosephi n. ssp. Such individuals are found in the Quebrada de Los Píos and vía Antenas. It appears that the two subspecies hybridize rather easily, judged by the number of individuals, and the hybrid zone is stable.

Published as part of Pyrcz, Tomasz W., Lorenc-Brudecka, Jadwiga, Boyer, Pierre & Zubek, Anna, 2018, Subspecies-level systematics and affinities of Cheimas Thieme - an endemic genus of the subparamo of the Venezuelan Cordillera de Mérida (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), pp. 219-243 in Zootaxa 4422 (2) on pages 226-229, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4422.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/1251513