Revised classification of the family Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea) based on combined molecular and morphological data

Abstract

We propose a revised higher classification for the genera of Hesperiidae (skipper butterflies) of the world. We have augmented our published DNA data matrix with 49 morphological characters in order to infer relationships for taxa not sampled in the molecular study. We use the results of a combined analysis to identify morphological synapomorphies of the suprageneric clades of Hesperiidae, and to hypothesize a phylogenetic classification of the world's genera of Hesperiidae, the first of its kind for this diverse group. Monophyly of the family Hesperiidae is strongly supported, as are some of the traditionally recognized subfamilies. The results presented here largely corroborate those of our molecular study, but differ in several details. The Australian endemic Euschemon rafflesia is given subfamily status, as is Eudaminae. We recognize seven subfamilies of Hesperiidae: Coeliadinae, Euschemoninae (confirmed status), Eudaminae (new status), Pyrginae, Heteropterinae (confirmed status), Trapezitinae and Hesperiinae. We treat Pyrrhopygini, Tagiadini, Celaenorrhinini, Carcharodini, Achlyodidini, Erynnini and Pyrgini as tribes of Pyrginae. Circumscriptions of Achlyodidini and Pyrgini require further elucidation. Tribes of Hesperiinae include Aeromachini, Baorini, Taractrocerini, Thymelicini, Calpodini (reinstated status), Anthoptini (new tribe), Moncini and Hesperiini. The tribal placement of many Old World hesperiine genera remains ambiguous.

The ecological role of extremely long-proboscid Neotropical butterflies (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in plant-pollinator networks

“…Extremely long-proboscid skippers, such as the calpodines (Hesperiinae), are known to live in shady, forested habitats (Warren et al 2009). Calathea plants usually grow in the understory of the forest (Weber et al 2001), and thus probably have similar habitat requirements as extremely long-proboscid skippers.…”

“…Specimens were stored in 70 % ethanol. Classification of taxa follows the recent phylogeny of Hesperiidae (Warren et al 2009). …”

Reconstructing a 55-million-year-old butterfly (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

“…Cell length relative to wing length is variable throughout the Hesperiidae and a relative length of 60% does not place this fossil in any particular extant subfamily as recognized by Warren et al (2009). It cannot be decided whether M 2 approaches M 3 at their origins (indicating relationship with Hesperiinae), since the relevant part of the wing is too blurred, but it is unlikely that it approaches M 3 suddenly in the blurred basal part of the veins, since in the extant species where M 2 approaches M 3 , it does so very gradually.…”

“…in the single species of Euschemoninae, and in various genera of Pyrginae (e.g., Oxynetra Felder & Felder, 1862, Gerosis Mabille, 1903, and Tagiades Hübner, 1819 and Eudaminae (e.g., Phocides Hübner, 1819, Epargyreus Hübner, 1819). In the extensive phylogenetic analysis of the Hesperiidae by Warren et al (2008Warren et al ( , 2009) these subfamilies are successively basal in the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 7).…”

“…8 was obtained by analyzing 55 morphological characters and 26 species (representing all nine genera of Coeliadinae and fi ve outgroups) (de Jong, 2007). The only other tree available is a part of the large tree which includes 210 hesperiid taxa (Warren et al, 2009), of which only six are Coeliadinae (representing six of the nine genera currently recognized; Fig. 9).…”