A review of the South American metalmark genus Alesa Doubleday, 1847 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae: Eurybiini) with the description of two new species Author Santos, Wildio Ikaro Da Graça 0000-0003-3466-5820 Laboratório de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, PO Box 19020, 81.531 - 980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil & wildio. ikaro @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3466 - 5820 wildio.ikaro@gmail.com Author Dolibaina, Diego Rodrigo 0000-0001-5258-3787 Laboratório de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, PO Box 19020, 81.531 - 980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil & Reserva Serra Bonita, PO Box 001, 45.880 - 970, Camacan, Bahia, Brazil & dirodrido @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 5258 - 3787 dirodrido@gmail.com Author Dias, Fernando Maia Silva 0000-0002-7198-7792 Laboratório de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, PO Box 19020, 81.531 - 980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil & Departamento de Biologia Animal e Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PO Box 10011, 86.057 - 970, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil & fernandodias @ uel. br; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 7198 - 7792 fernandodias@uel.br Author Mielke, Olaf Hermann Hendrik 0000-0003-3655-4606 Laboratório de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, PO Box 19020, 81.531 - 980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil & omhesp @ ufpr. br; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3655 - 4606 omhesp@ufpr.br Author Casagrande, Mirna Martins 0000-0002-6076-8463 Laboratório de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, PO Box 19020, 81.531 - 980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil & mibras @ ufpr. br; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6076 - 8463 mibras@ufpr.br text Zootaxa 2023 2023-05-10 5284 1 77 120 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5284.1.3 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5284.1.3 1175-5326 7919001 7334FB57-41A0-47CA-BCBF-FA108B13CEC1 “ telephae group” This group includes the mid-sized species of the genus. Males are characterized by the lateral areas of the frons and paraocular areas yellowish cream; eyes dorso-posteriorly surrounded by a strip of reddish scales; tip of antenna black; thorax dorsally reddish (pale brown in A. suzana ); forewing more elongated and rounded than in other species groups (about 1/4 longer than wide), apex rounded, reddish at the base (less perceptible in A. suzana ); wing pattern of the upper side with reddish or whitish transversal bands; hindwing upper side with iridescent pale purple sheen visible when observed at an angle; abdomen with pale rings at the distal margins of the terga; distal part of transtilla exceeding outer posterior process of valva; the outer posterior process of valva mostly membranous; valva with a short callus-like process at the ventral margin of the outer posterior process; inner posterior process of valva bearing thick setae. Females brown, without metallic scales on the wings upper side and with whitish to pale brown bands; corpus bursae longer than half length of ductus bursae; a pair of long cylindrical signa about uniform in width inserted near ductus bursae; papilla analis triangular with the anterior area smooth, shorter than the setose posterior area. Included species. A. telephae , A. humilis , A. negra R̂ber, 1931, stat. rev. and A. suzana . Key for males from the “ telephae group” 1 Wings upper side spots reddish.......................................................................... 2 1’ Wings upper side spots whitish...................................................................... suzana 2 Wings upper side without purple iridescence covering all reddish spots........................................... 3 2’ Wings upper side with purple iridescence covering all reddish spots.................................. negra stat. rev. 3 Wings upper side with intervenal iridescent rays....................................................... telephae 3’ Wings upper side without intervenal iridescent rays..................................................... humilis Key for females from the “ telephae group” (females of A. humilis and A. suzana are unknown) 1 Hindwing upper side submarginal spots orangish yellow; postdiscal white area of hindwing wide................ telephae 1’ Hindwing upper side submarginal spots cream; postdiscal white area of hindwing narrow........................ negra