Pseudonascus Austin, 2008

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui & Grishin, Nick V., 2022, Taxonomic changes suggested by the genomic analysis of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera), Insecta Mundi 2022 (921), pp. 1-135 : 20

Pseudonascus Austin, 2008 is a subgenus of Nascus Watson, 1893

Although without overwhelming statistical support, Papilio paulliniae Sepp, [1842] , the type species of Pseudonascus Austin, 2008 , appears monophyletic with Papilio phocus Cramer, 1777 , the type species of Nascus Watson, 1893 with exclusion of other species, such as Nascus prax Evans, 1952 , Telemiades solon Plötz, 1882 , and Papilio broteas Cramer, 1780 ( Fig. 1 ). For this reason, if this tree is correct, and if Pseudonascus is kept as a genus, these other species would belong to a new genus or genera. To avoid naming this genus (or genera), an alternative solution would be to consider Pseudonascus a subgenus, new status, within Nascus . This broader Nascus would include all the species placed in it by Evans (1952). As reported previously ( Warren et al. 2008, 2009; Li et al. 2019), Nascus is closely allied to Phocides Hübner, [1819] , and it is even conceivable to take the next step and consider it a subgenus of Phocides . This broader Phocides would be strongly monophyletic, while Nascus is more weakly supported ( Fig. 1 ), suggesting evolutionary irregularities such as incomplete lineage sorting and introgression between ancestors of these lineages. We do not propose this radical taxonomic step here, but offer it for discussion. Due to morphological differences that prompted Austin (2008) to erect this genus and its genetic differentiation from Nascus , we agree that Pseudonascus is sufficiently distinct to keep it at least as a subgenus instead of a synonym. Therefore, the other two clades of approximately the same genetic differentiation from each other as Nascus from Pseudonascus are named as subgenera next.

Figures

Figure 1. Genomic tree of Eudaminae. The tree is constructed from protein-coding regions. The tree is rooted with Pterourus glaucus (Linnaeus, 1758) (NVG-1670), not shown. Statistical support values are shown on nodes. For each specimen, its name adopted in this work is given first, and a previously used name is listed in square brackets (if different), supplemented with the DNA sample number, type status (see Table 2 caption for abbreviations) and general locality. See Table S1 in the Supplemental file for additional data about these specimens. Synonyms are given in parentheses preceded by “=”, and in addition by “‡” for unavailable names. The type status refers to this synonym, if the synonym name is provided. Clades corresponding to new genera, subgenera and species are colored in red, orange and green, respectively, and the names of new taxa are highlighted accordingly. Names of selected tribes, subtribes, genera, and subgenera are labeled at their clades. Clades corresponding to some genera are highlighted in yellow to compare their genetic diversifications (length of the highlight in horizontal dimension) with each other. Groups of similar genetic diversification would ideally correspond to genera. The