Corrected synonymies: the identities of Strymon bicolor (Philippi, 1859) and Strymon heodes (Druce, 1909) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

The South American hairstreak species Strymon bicolor (Philippi, 1859) and S. heodes (Druce, 1909) are diagnosed and their synonymies are revised. The distribution of S. bicolor is restricted to the Andean-Patagonian region south of the Atacama Desert and represented now in Argentina and Chile by seven available species group names, considered as subjective synonyms. However, some of these names can most probably be considered as valid taxa. A key to identification is given for distinguishing the superficially most similar Strymon species patterned by orange scaling in the dorsal wing surfaces. It is noted that the Austral S. bicolor group and the Central Peruvian S. heodes appear to belong to a mimicry ring inhabiting the dry areas of the Andes

The identity of the nomen dubium Penaincisalia patagonaevaga Johnson, 1990 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae, Polyommatinae)

The holotype of Penaincisalia patagonaevaga Johnson, 1990 (type locality: Argentina, prov, Chubut, 40 km N of Rio Mayo) is a chimeric specimen as it is composed of parts belonging to two different species: the neotropical Penaincisalia penai Johnson, 1990 (forewings, genitalia) and the oriental Orthomiella rantaziana Wileman, 1910 (hindwings) or one of its relatives. For an unambiguous identity the hindwings are excluded from the holotype, resulting the new synonymy P. penai = P. patagonaevaga. The specimen is considered to be mislabelled because the genus Penaincisalia Johnson, 1990 (type species: Thecla culminicola Staudinger, 1894) is confined to the high Andean puna and is highly improbable that any of its representatives occurs in Patagonia

Notes on Pseudolucia jujuyensis (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae)

The polyommatine lycaenid butterfly Pseudolucia jujuyensis Bálint, Eisele et Johnson, 2000 (Lepidoptera) was described on the basis of a single male from Coraya, Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina; its bionomics has remained unknown. Based on subsequently collected materials the species is now recorded from Yavi in Argentina and Torotoro in Bolivia (the latter representing a new country record). Eggs are recorded from Cuscuta sp. (Convolvulaceae), a suspected host plant of the larva. The bionomics and behaviour of the species are discussed. The species is considered to be endemic to the cold arid steppe (Prepuna) vegetation of low diversity, found along the eastern side of the Andes below the Altiplano in Bolivia and Argentina

Phylogeny and palaeoecology of Polyommatus blue butterflies show Beringia was a climate-regulated gateway to the New World

Transcontinental dispersals by organisms usually represent improbable events that constitute a major challenge for biogeographers. By integrating molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography and palaeoecology, we test a bold hypothesis proposed by Vladimir Nabokov regarding the origin of Neotropical Polyommatus blue butterflies, and show that Beringia has served as a biological corridor for the dispersal of these insects from Asia into the New World. We present a novel method to estimate ancestral temperature tolerances using distribution range limits of extant organisms, and find that climatic conditions in Beringia acted as a decisive filter in determining which taxa crossed into the New World during five separate invasions over the past 11 Myr. Our results reveal a marked effect of the Miocene–Pleistocene global cooling, and demonstrate that palaeoclimatic conditions left a strong signal on the ecology of present-day taxa in the New World. The phylogenetic conservatism in thermal tolerances that we have identified may permit the reconstruction of the palaeoecology of ancestral organisms, especially mobile taxa that can easily escape from hostile environments rather than adapt to them

The Afrotropical breeding grounds of the Palearctic-African migratory painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui)

Migratory insects are key players in ecosystem functioning and services, but their spatiotemporal distributions are typically poorly known. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) may be used to predict species seasonal distributions, but the resulting hypotheses should eventually be validated by field data. The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) performs multigenerational migrations between Europe and Africa and has become a model species for insect movement ecology. While the annual migration cycle of this species is well understood for Europe and northernmost Africa, it is still unknown where most individuals spend the winter. Through ENM, we previously predicted suitable breeding grounds in the subhumid regions near the tropics between November and February. In this work, we assess the suitability of these predictions through i) extensive field surveys and ii) two-year monitoring in six countries: a large-scale monitoring scheme to study butterfly migration in Africa. We document new breeding locations, year-round phenological information, and hostplant use. Field observations were nearly always predicted with high probability by the previous ENM, and monitoring demonstrated the influence of the precipitation seasonality regime on migratory phenology. Using the updated dataset, we built a refined ENM for the Palearctic-African range of V. cardui. We confirm the relevance of the Afrotropical region and document the missing natural history pieces of the longest migratory cycle described in butterflies.This work was funded by the National Geographic Society (grant WW1-300R-18); by the British Ecological Society (grant LRB16/1015); by the Research and Conservation Projects of the Fundació Barcelona Zoo; by the grant PID2020-117739GA-I00/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Spanish State Research Agency to G.T.; by the grant LINKA20399 from the Spanish National Research Council iLink program to G.T., C.P.B., N.E.P., and R.V.; by fellowship FPU19/01593 of the program Formación de Profesorado Universitario (FPU) to A.G.-B.; by the Turkana Basin Institute, National Geographic Society, and Whitley Fund for Nature to D.J.M.; and by grant 2018-00738 of the New Frontiers in Research Fund (Government of Canada) to G.T. and C.P.B.Significance Abstract Results Field Surveys, Larval Hostplants, and Field-Based Model Validation Monitoring Results and Population Dynamics across Regions A Refined Model for the Afrotropical Region Discussion The Afrotropical Breeding Grounds of V. cardui: Multiple Generations Shift South Toward the Tropics Diversity and Phenology of Larval Hostplants in the Afrotropics The Ecological Relevance of Delimiting Spatiotemporal Distributions in Migratory Insects Conclusion Methods December-January Field Surveys and Year-Round Monitoring Spatiotemporal Ecological Niche Modeling Data, Materials, and Software Availability Acknowledgments Supporting Information Reference

New courtship posture in females of two Chilean butterflies: rejective or receptive?

Volume: 31Start Page: 291End Page: 29

Is Euchloe Falloui Allard, 1867 (Pieridae) the Butterfly with the Longest Diapause?

Volume: 31Start Page: 293End Page: 29