Description of Emeryus Zacca, Mielke & Casagrande gen. nov. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) to accommodate three species formerly placed in Paryphthimoides Forster, 1964

Abstract

A new genus of Euptychiina, Emeryus Zacca, Casagrande & Mielke, gen. nov., is herein described using an integrative taxonomic approach to accommodate three species previously placed in Paryphthimoides Forster, 1964: Emeryus argulus argulus (Godart, [1824]), comb. nov. (type species), Emeryus difficilis (Forster, 1964), comb. nov. and Emeryus numeria (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867), comb. nov. Additionally, a new taxon Emeryus argulus magnum Zacca, Casagrande & Mielke, ssp. nov. from Venezuela (Aragua and Bolívar) and Brazil (Roraima), is described. A neotype is designated for Satyrus argulus Godart, [1824], and lectotypes are designated for Euptychia huebneri Butler, 1867, Euptychia ambigua Butler, 1867 and Neonympha numeria C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867. Female genitalia are described and illustrated for the first time for all of the above taxa. A Maximum Likelihood analysis using combined nuclear and mitochondrial genes supports the monophyly of the new genus. No DNA sequences could be obtained for E. numeria, but its inclusion in the genus is supported by morphological evidence. The genitalic morphology of both sexes of Emeryus species is helpful in distinguishing this genus from the other Euptychiina, although the male genitalia structures are highly conserved among congeners.

Combining target enrichment and Sanger sequencing data to clarify the systematics of the diverse Neotropical butterfly subtribe Euptychiina (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)

“…More data is needed to possibly resolve these relationships, but the very short branches in the backbonemight make this task difficult. Several recent papers have provided generic revisions and descriptions of new taxa from this clade (Zacca et al, 2014; Zacca, Casagrande, et al, 2017; Zacca, Casagrande, Mielke, Huertas, Barbosa, Freitas, et al, 2020 [ Paryphthimoides ], Zacca, Casagrande, Mielke, Huertas, Espeland, Freitas, et al, 2020 [ Vareuptychia ], Zacca, Casagrande, Mielke, Huertas, Barbosa, Freitas, & Willmott, 2020 [ Emeryus ]; Costa et al, 2016 [ Huberonympha , Stevenaria , Magneuptychia ]; Benmesbah et al, 2018, 2021 [ Malaveria , Modestia ]; Nakahara, Zacca, et al, 2018 [ Caeruleuptychia ], Nakahara, Lamas, et al, 2020 [ Scriptor ], Nakahara et al, 2023 [ Caeruleuptychia ]; Andrade‐Correa et al, 2019 [ Omacha ]; Viloria, 2022 [ Malaveria ]). Andrade‐Correa et al (2019) described Colombeia as a monotypic genus with Euptychia mycalesis as type species, but our molecular data show that species to be a member of a strongly supported clade containing two other species, which we here also transfer to Colombeia ( Colombeia nossis comb.n.…”

Description of a new genus and species of Euptychiina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

“…This group used to be one of the least studied within Nymphalidae. The systematics of the subtribe were a matter of taxonomic and phylogenetic challenge for a long time due primarily to the drab wing colour pattern and the crypsis of the species (Barbosa et al 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022; Freitas et al 2016; Seraphim et al 2014; Zacca et al 2020). Recently, a large international collaborative project focusing on the systematics and evolution of Euptychiina resulted in major advances solving several aspects related to the diversity, natural history, phylogeny, and taxonomy of this group (see http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/museum-voices/euptychiina/ for a more detailed list of publications).…”