Vernia Grishin, new genus

http://zoobank.org/ 980834C1-C6C5-4172-B5BB- 151246 B12F1A

Type species. Pamphila verna Edwards, 1862 .

Definition. A genus in the same clade with Hesperia Fabricius, 1793 (type species: Papilio comma Linnaeus, 1758), Atalopedes Scudder, 1872 (type species Hesperia huron Edwards, 1863), and Pseudocopaeodes Skinner and Williams, 1923 (type species Copaeodes eunus Edwards, 1881), but not closely related with any particular one. Pompeius Evans, 1955 (type species Hesperia pompeius Latreille, [1824]), where species from this genus were placed previously, is in a different clade from them (Fig. 13). Keys to M.15.2 or M. 15.5 in Evans (1955). Distinguished from its relatives by divided uncus with short and stout arms; thin gnathos arms, longer than uncus; valva with harpe about half of its length, unturned, terminating with two broad teeth directed dorsocaudad, no bristles; apiculus of six segments, nudum not black; stigma tripartite on dorsal forewing of males; pale spot distad of stigma segment in dorsal forewing cell CuA 1 -CuA 2 occupies the whole width of the cell. In DNA, a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic: aly443.32.2:G99C, aly2487.36.2: T119 G, aly443.32.2:A97G, aly887.14.12:A1715G, aly2096.38.5:A32C.

Etymology. The name, a feminine noun in the nominative singular, reflects the type species name.

Species included. The type species and Hesperia dares Plötz, 1883 .

Parent taxon. Subtribe Hesperiina Latreille, 1809.