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Issue: Vol. 5862 No. 3: 6 Aug. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-08-06
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5862.3.6
Page range: 507-522
Abstract views: 180
PDF downloaded: 28

Taxonomic review of six Asian Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) species with name-bearing type specimens studied by Maruyama (1991)

B. P. Bishop Museum; 1525 Bernice Street; Honolulu; HI 96817-0916; USA
Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; 5323 Harry Hines Blvd.; Dallas; TX 75390-9050; USA
4-18 Narashoinodai # 2-303; Funabashi-Shi; Chiba Pref. 274-0063; Japan
Departamento de Entomología; Museo de Historia Natural; Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Apartado 14-0434; Lima-14; Peru
Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change; Museum Koenig; Adenauerallee 127; Bonn 53113; Germany
Lepidoptera borneo Hesperiinae India Indonesia Tagiadinae genitalia

Abstract

Combining morphological studies with genomic sequence analysis, we revisit the taxonomic treatment of six Asian Hesperiidae species with name-bearing type specimens deposited in Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (MfN) studied by Maruyama in 1990. Overall, we largely corroborate Maruyama’s taxonomic treatments for five of these species and refine the taxonomy further in the light of genomic analysis, and proposing a different solution for the sixth species. We confirm that Maruyama validly designated lectotypes for five species, whereas one was described from the holotype (by monotypy). We conclude that all six taxa are valid species and summarize the taxonomic treatments related to them as follows. Tagiades litigiosa Möschler, 1878, stat. rest., now in the subgenus Daimio Murray, 1875 in the genus Tagiades Hübner, 1819, is a distinct species sister to Tagiades ceylonica Evans, 1932, and the abdomen is excluded from the lectotype of T. litigiosa since it belongs to a specimen of Tagiades (Damio) menaka (Moore, 1866). Goniloba protoclea Herrich-Schäffer, 1869, currently a species of Isma Distant, 1886, whose type locality is in Indonesia: Java as deduced by genomic comparison, is a valid species with Isma obscura vulsina Evans, 1949, syn. nov. as its junior subjective synonym and with Isma iapis (Nicéville, 1890), Isma bicolor Evans, 1926, stat. nov., Isma vulso (Mabille, 1893), stat. rest., and Isma obscura Distant, 1886, stat. rest. (with Isma obscura purpurascens Elwes & Edwards 1897 stat. nov. as its subspecies) being distinct species and Isma obscura fonta Evans, 1949, stat. rest. being a valid subspecies. Sepa guttulifera Elwes & Edwards, 1897 is a valid species of Isma. Proteides excellens Staudinger, 1889, currently a species of Zela Nicéville, 1895, is a valid species with its former synonym Zela adorabilis (Fruhstorfer, 1911), stat. rest. being a distinct species. Pamphila fettingi Möschler, 1878, currently a taxon of Potanthus Scudder, 1872 (nominotypical subgenus), is a valid species with Potanthus taxilus alma Evans, 1934 as its junior subjective synonym (syn. nov.) and Potanthus (Potanthus) euria (Plötz, 1883) confirmed as a valid species. Hesperia acalle Hopffer, 1874, currently a species of Cephrenes Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914, is a valid species and sister to Cephrenes oceanica (Mabille, 1904), stat. rest. The adults of all type material of the six taxa and components of the male are illustrated.

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How to Cite

Chiba, H., Grishin, N.V., Tsukiyama, H., Lamas, G. & Huang, S.-Y. (2026) Taxonomic review of six Asian Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) species with name-bearing type specimens studied by Maruyama (1991). Zootaxa, 5862 (3), 507–522. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.3.6