Taxonomic Advances Driven by the Genomic Analysis of Butterflies

This study presents new findings based on a large-scale analysis of butterfly genomic sequences. Focusing on species identification through comparative genomics, we define subspecies as populations differentiated to a lesser extent than distinct species ("species in the making"). Additionally, we propose further adjustments to the current butterfly classification. As a result, 3 subgenera, 12 species, and 4 subspecies are described as new. New subgenera are (type species in parenthesis): Grishin, ( E. Doubleday, 1846) of Hübner, [1821] (Papilionidae Latreille, [1802]) and Grishin, ( Freyer, 1851) of Scudder, 1872 and Grishin, ( Wallengren, 1860) of Scudder, 1876 (Lycaenidae [Leach], [1815]). New species are (type localities in parenthesis): () Grishin, (Panama: Chiriquí), () Grishin, (Panama: Cerro Jefe), () Grishin, (Peru: Cuzco), Grishin, (Venezuela: Maracay), Grishin, (Peru: Chanchamayo), Grishin, (Brazil: Pará), Grishin, (Peru: Rio Pachitea, Monte Alegre), Grishin, (Brazil: Bahia), and Grishin, (French Guiana) in Riodinidae Grote, 1895 (1827) and () Grishin, (Mexico: Oaxaca), Grishin, (Brazil: Goiás), and Grishin, (Peru: Lima, Chancay River valley) in Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809. New subspecies are: Grishin, (Colombia: Bogota), and Grishin, (USA: Alaska, Seward Peninsula) in Nymphalidae Rafinesque, 1815; Grishin, (Mexico: Oaxaca) in Riodinidae; and () Grishin, (USA: North Carolina, Mecklenburg Co.) in Lycaenidae [Leach], [1815]. A number of taxonomic changes are proposed. The following taxa are species (not subspecies): (Röber, 1909) and (Chavannes, 1850) (not (Cramer, 1777) and Llorente & Luis, 1987 (not (Cramer, 1775)) (Pieridae Swainson, 1820); J. Hall, 2005 (not Godman & Salvin, 1878), Clench, 1972 (not (Latreille, [1809])), and (Stichel, 1925) (not (Fabricius, 1793)) (Riodinidae); and (Plötz, 1884) (not (Moore, 1884)), Evans, 1955 (not (Cramer, 1777)), (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) (not (Latreille, [1824])), and (Evans, 1955) (not (E. Bell, 1930)) (Hesperiidae). The following taxa are junior subjective synonyms: W. G. Wright, 1905 of (Godart, [1824]) (Lycaenidae) and Evans, 1955 of Godman, 1900 (Hesperiidae). Nicéville, 1889 and ? Tytler, 1915 are junior subjective synonyms of , not . Tutt, 1909 is a genus distinct from Hübner, [1819]. Della Bruna, Gallo, Lucarelli & Sbordoni, 2000 is a valid genus, and Nakatani, 2017 is its junior subjective synonym. The following are subgenera, not genera or synonyms: Bethune-Baker, 1914 of Scudder, 1876, Tutt, 1909 of Hübner, [1819], and Bálint, 2022 of Kluk, 1780 (Lycaenidae) and Lemes, Siewert, O. Mielke, Casagrande & A. Warren, 2023 of Mabille, 1903 (Hesperiidae). We propose new genus-subgenus combinations (Gallard, 2006) (not in Hübner, [1819]) and Evans, 1955 (not in Godman, 1900) and new species-subspecies combination (Jörgensen, 1932) (not (Cramer, 1777)). We present the genomic phylogeny of all known species of Austin, 2008 (Hesperiidae). are designated for Godart, [1824] (type locality in USA: California, as deduced by genomic comparison) (Lycaenidae) and Plötz, 1884 (type locality unknown, possibly in eastern India or Bangladesh) (Hesperiidae).