Combining target enrichment and Sanger sequencing data to clarify the systematics of the diverse Neotropical butterfly subtribe Euptychiina (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)
Author
Espeland, Marianne
Author
Nakahara, Shinichi
Author
Zacca, Thamara
Author
Barbosa, Eduardo P.
Author
Huertas, Blanca
Author
Marín, Mario A.
Author
Lamas, Gerardo
Author
Benmesbah, Mohamed
Author
Brévignon, Christian
Author
Casagrande, Mirna M.
Author
Fåhraeus, Christer
Author
Grishin, Nick
Author
Kawahara, Akito Y.
Author
Mielke, Olaf H. H.
Author
Miller, Jacqueline Y.
Author
Nakamura, Ichiro
Author
Navas, Vanessa
Author
Patrusky, Brooke
Author
Pyrcz, Tomasz W.
Author
Richards, Lindsay
Author
Tan, Denise
Author
Tyler, Stephanie
Author
Viloria, Angel
Author
Warren, Andrew D.
Author
Xiao, Lei
Author
Freitas, André V. L.
Author
Willmott, Keith R.
text
Zoological Research
2023
2023-02-15
2023
1
73
journal article
58039
10.1111/syen.12590
bfb878f3-8a74-46d3-a104-36485c32aaba
7909395
Hermeuptychia
clade
The ‘
Hermeuptychia
clade’ is well-supported (
FULL
dataset 98.8/99) and composed of two genera,
Hermeuptychia
and
Saurona
gen.n.
(
Figures 5
,
S
2
and
S
3
), that superficially look very different. Currently, 18 species of
Hermeuptychia
and two species of
Saurona
gen.n.
are described, but the actual diversity of the clade is likely to be at least twice as high. Several species of
Hermeuptychia
have been described recently (
Cong et al., 2021
;
Cong & Grishin, 2014
; Nakahara, Tan, et al., 2016), and there have been multiple recent taxonomic rearrangements (
Cong et al., 2021
;
Viloria, 2021
;
Zacca et al., 2021
). DNA barcoding data (
COI
) further suggest the existence of a number of cryptic species (
Seraphim et al., 2014
;
Tan et al., 2021
). Members of the ‘
Hermeuptychia
clade’ are relatively small, with the forewing length often less than
20 mm
. Apart from a few species, they have sexually monomorphic wing patterns with the females being slightly paler than males. Members of
Hermeuptychia
are exceptionally uniform and drab in coloration, while
Saurona
gen.n.
contains two colourful described species with rather modified ventral hindwing markings. Possible synapomorphies and distinctive characters for the clade include the following: (a) absence of cephalic horns in all instars of the larvae (
Cong & Grishin, 2014
;
Cosmo et al., 2014
;
Janzen & Hallwachs, 2022
), remaining to be confirmed in
Saurona
; (b) presence of a short, dark dash on VFW between submedial and medial lines, along discocellular veins (not well-marked in some
Saurona
males). Members of the ‘
Hermeuptychia
clade’ range from southern USA to Argentina, and from sea level to almost
3000 m
, in a wide variety of habitats, from grasslands to dry forest, rain forest to cloud forest. There is an apparent slight centre of diversity in the western Amazon and east Andean foothills, where half-a-dozen species may be found in sympatry. As is typical for most members of
Euptychiina
, with the exception of
Euptychia
, known hostplants for members of this clade are either bamboos or other grasses in the family
Poaceae
, as well as species of
Cyperaceae
and
Marantaceae
(
Beccaloni et al., 2008
;
Cong & Grishin, 2014
;
Cosmo et al., 2014
;
Janzen & Hallwachs, 2022
;
Murray, 2001b
). A number of species also likely utilize non-native grasses as larval hostplants, as evidenced by the abundance of some
Hermeuptychia
species
in highly disturbed habitats, garden lawns and cattle pastures (see also
Cong & Grishin, 2014
).