Species delimitation and evolutionary relationships among Phoebis

The most accepted taxonomic treatment of the New World sulphurs of the genus Phoebis Hübner, [1819] recognizes 16 species including those in the current synonyms Aphrissa and Rhabdodryas. This total conflicts with the results of several recent pierid DNA barcode studies across the Neotropics. We used a five-locus dataset to carry out species delimitation analyses using the coalescence-based method implemented in bpp software. After testing the resulting species hypotheses using marginal likelihood estimates, we inferred their phylogenetic relationships and performed an ancestral range reconstruction with biogeobears. Our analyses recovered two different hypotheses, 26 and 24 species, that scored the highest marginal likelihood estimate. Differences between these two hypotheses, when reconciled with barcode clusters and morphology, indicated that 24 is the most likely number of species. Phoebis neocypris stat. rev., Phoebis rurina stat. rev., Phoebis virgo stat. rev., Phoebis marcellina stat. rev., Phoebis thalestris stat. rev., and Phoebis rorata stat. rev. are raised to the species rank. We dated the crown age of Phoebis to the mid-Miocene, with the islands of the Greater Antilles as the most probable ancestral range. Three main clades of Phoebis diverged early in the evolutionary history of the genus, but most extant species-level diversity arose after the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary. Our analyses recovered alternate range expansions and contractions, and dispersal from the islands to the continent and back, in the three main clades. Both sympatric and allopatric speciation seem to have shaped the current species richness

Nomenclatural Changes in the Neotropical Eumaeini (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclinae)

Nomenclatural actions are taken in the Neotropical Eumaeini in advance of publication of the Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera Checklist. Lectotypes are designated for eleven species group names: Lycaena astiocha Prittwitz, 1865; Thecla azia Hewitson, 1873; Thecla beroea Hewitson, 1868; Thecla cupa Druce, 1907; Thecla daraba Hewitson, 1867; Thecla duma Hewitson, 1878; Thecla erenea Hewitson, 1867; Thecla galliena Hewitson, 1867; Thecla guacanagari Wallengren, 1860; Thecla stagira Hewitson, 1867; and Thecla thoria Hewitson, 1867. Thecla duma Hewitson, 1878 and Thecla columbinia Strand, 1916 are transferred from Eumaeini to Deudorigini (Theclinae). Lycaena vanessoides Prittwitz, 1865 is transferred from Polyommatinae to Theclinae (Eumaeini). Six type localities are changed: Colombia to Africa for Thecla columbinia Strand, 1916; Amazon to Guayaquil for Thecla daraba Hewitson, 1867; Colombia to Southeast Asia for Thecla duma Hewitson, 1878; Bolivia to Westem North America for Ignata illepida K. Johnson, 1992; Argentina to the United States for Strymon nivnix K. Johnson, Eisele & MacPherson, 1990; and Dominican Republic to mainland Central and South America for Tmolus victoria K. Johnson & Matusik, 1989. Seven new synonyms are: Lycaena vanessoides Prittwitz, 1865 = Thecla hygela Hewitson, 1868 syn. nov.; Thecla saepium Boisduval, 1852 = Ignata illepida K. Johnson, 1992 syn. nov.; Thecla tyriam H.H. Druce, 1907 = Zigirina minutia K. Johnson & Adams, 1997 syn. nov.; Thecla halciones Butler & H. Druce, 1872 = Decussata colombiana K. Johnson, Austin, Le Crom & Sal azar, 1997 syn. nov.; Papilio celmus Cramer, 1775 = Tmolus victoria K. Johnson & Matusik, 1989 syn. nov.; Thecla daraba Hewitson, 1867 = Thecla tyleri Dyar, 1913 syn. nov.; and Thecla galliena Hewitson, 1877 = Thecla iopas Godman & Salvin, 1887 syn. nov. The generic name Decussata K. Johnson, Austin, Le Crom & Salazar, 1997 is a new junior synonym of Ostrinotes K. Johnson, Austin, Le Crom & Salazar, 1997. The unavailable infra-subspecific name Thecla orobiana forma ♀ cosmophila Tessmann, 1928 is available as Thecla cosmophila Bridges, 1988. Seven new combinations are: Hypokopelates columbinia (Strand, 1916) comb. nov.; Mithras cosmophila Bridges, 1988 comb. nov.; Nicolaea cupa (Druce, 1907) comb. nov.; Salazaria elizabetha (Salazar, Vélez & K. Johnson, 1997) comb. nov.; Ostrinotes halciones (Butler & H. Druce, 1872) comb. nov.; Strephonota tyriam (H.H. Druce, 1907) comb. nov.; and Aubergina vanessoides (Prittwitz, 1865) comb. nov. The holotypes of seven eumaeines are composed of parts belonging to different species: Strymon andrewi K. Johnson & Matusik, 1988; Decussata colombiana K. Johnson, Austin, Le Crom & Salazar, 1997; Trochusinus elizabetha Salazar, Vélez & K. Johnson, 1997; lgnata illepida K. Johnson, 1992; Zigirina minutia K. Johnson & Adams, 1997; Strymon nivnix K. Johnson, Eisele & MacPherson, 1990; and Tmolus victoria K. Johnson & Matusik, 1989. Some parts of these holotypes are excluded to clarify the identity of these names. Three chronic misspellings are corrected: Papilio ganimedes Crarner, 1775, for Papilio ganymedes [sic] Fabricius, 1776;Thecla atnius Herrich-Schäffer, [1853], for Thecla atrius [sic] Herrich-Schäffer, [1858]; and Rusticus minyas Hübner, [1809], for Rusticus minijas [sic] Poey, 1832. The name Electrostrymon minikyanos K. Johnson & Matusik, 1988, is treated as a nomen dubium. The subjective synonymy of Thecla guacanagari Wallengren, 1860, and Thecla azia Hewitson, 1873, is referred to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature for conditional suppression of the first name. Precedence for the names Papilio dion Schaller, 1788, and Hesperia columella Fabricius, 1793, is reversed under Article 23.9.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature