Fifty new genera of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera)

Abstract

Genomic sequencing and analysis of worldwide skipper butterfly (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) fauna points to imperfections in their current classification. Some tribes, subtribes and genera as they are circumscribed today are not monophyletic. Rationalizing genomic results from the perspective of phenotypic characters suggests two new tribes, two new subtribes and 50 new genera that are named here: Ceratrichiini Grishin, trib. n., Gretnini Grishin, trib. n., Falgina Grishin, subtr. n., Apaustina Grishin, subtr. n., Flattoides Grishin, gen. n., Aurivittia Grishin, gen. n., Viuria Grishin, gen. n., Clytius Grishin, gen. n., Incisus Grishin, gen. n., Perus Grishin, gen. n., Livida Grishin, gen. n., Festivia Grishin, gen. n., Hoodus Grishin, gen. n., Anaxas Grishin, gen. n., Chiothion Grishin, gen. n., Crenda Grishin, gen. n., Santa Grishin, gen. n., Canesia Grishin, gen. n., Bralus Grishin, gen. n., Ladda Grishin, gen. n., Willema Grishin, gen. n., Argemma Grishin, gen. n., Nervia Grishin, gen. n., Dotta Grishin, gen. n., Lissia Grishin, gen. n., Xanthonymus Grishin, gen. n., Cerba Grishin, gen. n., Avestia Grishin, gen. n., Zetka Grishin, gen. n., Turmosa Grishin, gen. n., Mielkeus Grishin, gen. n., Coolus Grishin, gen. n., Daron Grishin, gen. n., Barrolla Grishin, gen. n., Brownus Grishin, gen. n., Tava Grishin, gen. n., Rigga Grishin, gen. n., Haza Grishin, gen. n., Dubia Grishin, gen. n., Pares Grishin, gen. n., Chitta Grishin, gen. n., Artonia Grishin, gen. n., Lurida Grishin, gen. n., Corra Grishin, gen. n., Fidius Grishin, gen. n., Veadda Grishin, gen. n., Tricrista Grishin, gen. n., Viridina Grishin, gen. n., Alychna Grishin, gen. n., Ralis Grishin, gen. n., Testia Grishin, gen. n., Buzella Grishin, gen. n., Vernia Grishin, gen. n., and Lon Grishin, gen. n. In addition, the following taxonomic changes are suggested. Prada Evans is transferred from Hesperiinae to Trapezitinae. Echelatus Godman and Salvin, Systaspes Weeks, and Oenides Mabille are removed from synonymy and are treated as valid genera. The following genera are new junior subjective synonyms: Tosta Evans of Eantis Boisduval; Turmada Evans of Neoxeniades Hayward, Arita Evans of Tigasis Godman, and Alera Mabille of Perichares Scudder. Eantis pallida (R. Felder) (not Achlyodes Hübner), Gindanes kelso (Evans) (not Onenses Godman and Salvin), Isoteinon abjecta (Snellen) (not Astictopterus C. and R. Felder), Neoxeniades ethoda (Hewitson) (not Xeniades Godman), Moeris anna (Mabille) (not Vidius Evans), and Molo pelta Evans (not Lychnuchus Hübner) are new genus-species combinations. The following are species-level taxa: Livida assecla (Mabille) (not a subspecies of Livida grandis (Mabille), formerly Pythonides Hübner) and Alychna zenus (E. Bell) (not a junior subjective synonym of Alychna exclamationis (Mabille), formerly Psoralis Mabille); and Barrolla molla E. Bell (formerly Vacerra Godman) is a junior subjective synonym of Barrolla barroni Evans (formerly Paratrytone Godman). All these changes to taxonomic status of names are propagated to all names currently treated as subspecies (for species), subgenera (for genera) and synonyms of these taxa. Finally, taxa not mentioned in this work are considered to remain at the ranks and in taxonomic groups they have been previously assigned to.