Pythonides lera Grishin, 2023

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian & Grishin, Nick V., 2023, Supplementary Materials and Appendix, Insecta Mundi 2023 (26), pp. 1-115 : 18

Pythonides lera Grishin , new species

https://zoobank.org/ CE3F7AF8-AAA1-4496-8044-F42391762519

( Fig. 2 part, 35–36, 248–249)

Definition and diagnosis. A specimen from Peru identified as Pythonides lerina ( Hewitson, 1868) (type locality in French Guiana and Brazil: Para) is genetically differentiated from it (COI barcodes differ by 5% (33 bp)) ( Fig. 2) and therefore is a new species. This new species keys to P. lerina (E.41.4) in Evans (1953) and differs from it by a more elongated lower hyaline spot in the forewing discal cell, less developed network of brown “webbing” on the ventral hindwing ( Fig. 35–36), and more robust harpe that protrudes dorsad of costa (249). Due to the cryptic nature of this species, most reliable identification is achieved by DNA and a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic in the nuclear genome: aly393.15.7:G381C, aly393.15.7:A395T, aly531.17.6:C195T, aly82.4.5:A198T, aly173.28.2:A84G, aly345.5.1:C36C (not T), aly 2116.6.1:C247C (not T), aly221.16.10:A57A (not T), aly3512.5.3:T141T (not C), aly2012.21.2:C863C (not G), and COI barcode: T79C, T133T, A190T, T280C, T536C.

Barcode sequence of the holotype. Sample NVG-18018B09, GenBank OR837637, 658 base pairs: AACTTTATATTTTATTTTTGGAATTTGAGCTGGTATAGTTGGAACATCTTTAAGTTTATTAATTCGAACTGAACTAGGCAACCCTGGTTCTTTAATT GGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATACCATTGTAACTGCTCATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTAATACCTATTATAATTGGAGGATTTGGTAATT GACTAGTACCCCTTATACTAGGAGCTCCTGATATAGCCTTTCCTCGAATAAATAATATAAGTTTTTGACTATTACCTCCTTCTCTCACATTATTAAT TTCAAGAAGTATTGTAGAAAATGGAACTGGAACTGGATGAACAGTTTACCCCCCTCTTTCTTCTAATATTGCTCATCAAGGTTCTTCCGTAGATTTA GCTATTTTTTCCCTGCATTTAGCTGGAATTTCATCAATTTTAGGTGCTATTAATTTTATTACTACAATTATTAATATACGAATTAGAAACCTTTCTT TTGATCAAATACCTTTATTCGTTTGAGCAGTAGGAATTACAGCATTACTTCTACTATTATCATTACCTGTTTTAGCAGGAGCTATTACTATACTATT AACTGATCGAAATTTAAATACATCATTTTTTGACCCTGCTGGAGGAGGAGACCCAATTTTATATCAACATTTATTT

Type material. Holotype: ♂ currently deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC, USA ( USNM), illustrated in Fig. 35–36, bears the following four rectangular labels, three white: [ PERU: Cuzco 1050m | Quitacalzone | Cosnipata Road 1530 | 5.ii.2011 Kinyon], [DNA sample ID: | NVG-18018B09 | c/o Nick V. Grishin], [USNMENT | {QR Code} | 01450938], and one red [HOLOTYPE ♂ | Pythonides | lera Grishin ].

Type locality. Peru: Cuzco, Cosñipata Road, Quitacalzone, elevation 1050 m.

Etymology. The name is formed from its sister species name ler [in] a and is a feminine noun in apposition.

Distribution. Currently known only from the holotype collected in southern Peru.