Grishin, Zhang & Cong & Shen & Opler & Grishin, 2021

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui, Opler, Paul A. & Grishin, Nick V., 2021, Genomics-guided refinement of butterfly taxonomy, The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 9 (3), pp. 1-55 : 45

Ithra Grishin , new subgenus

http://zoobank.org/ BADF7F37-1CFB-4846-AC56-6B125E8B6708

Type species. Phyciodes ithra Kirby, 1900 .

Definition. Previously placed in Ortilia Higgins, 1981 (type species Papilio liriope Cramer, 1775 ), this group is not monophyletic with it. Instead it is sister to Dagon Higgins, 1981 (type species Eresia catula Hopffer, 1874 ), but not with decisive statistical support (Fig. 45), and therefore is a distinctive lineage of the same rank, i.e., subgenus. Diagnosed by male genitalia and the characters for this subgenus are as those given for Ortilia ithra on page 120 and illustrated in Figs. 318–320 in Higgins (1981). Keys out to Ortilia in Higgins (1981) due to the following combination of characters this new subgenus shares with Ortilia and Notilia subgen. n.: pear-shaped (not extended) antennal club, no elongated processes at aedeagus end, reduced tegumen with small scaphial extensions not armed with hooks or spines, saccus single, terminally narrower, without a cleft. Differs from Ortilia and Notilia subgen. n. in having larger genital capsule, longer and bulkier saccus, prominent but short in dorsal view tegumen with very short scaphial extensions, short apical sections of valvae with thicker and rather straight harpes directed caudodorsad, aedeagus narrowing from phallobase caudad in basal half.

Etymology. The name is a feminine noun in the nominative singular, tautonymous with the type species name.

Species included. Only the type species.

Parent taxon. Genus Eresia Boisduval, 1836 .