Published May 1, 2022 | Version 1
Journal article Open

Genomic DNA sequencing reveals two new North American species of Staphylus (Hesperiidae: Pyrginae: Carcharodini)

  • 1. Eugene McDermott Center For Human Growth & Development, Dept. of Biophysics, Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  • 2. Dept. of Biophysics, Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  • 3. Depts. of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Description

Two new skipper butterfly (Hesperiidae) species are described from the United States: Staphylus floridus Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Florida, Volusia Co.) and Staphylus ecos Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Texas, Brewster Co.). They are cryptic and hence escaped recognition. They differ from their sister species by the relative size and morphology of genitalia and by genotype—including and beyond the COI barcode—thus suggesting genetic isolation that argues for their species-level status. A lectotype is designated for Helias ascalaphus Staudinger, 1876. Staphylus opites (Godman & Salvin, 1896), stat. rest. is a species-level taxon and not a synonym of Staphylus vincula (Plötz, 1886), while Pholisora iguala Williams & Bell, 1940, syn. n. is a junior subjective synonym of S. vincula.

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T REPORT 10(4) Two new species of Staphylus.pdf

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