Synargis flavicauda cosita, Zhang & Cong & Shen & Song & Grishin, 2024

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui, Song, Leina & Grishin, Nick V., 2024, New taxa of butterflies supported by genomic analysis, The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 12 (3), pp. 1-63 : 11-13

Synargis flavicauda cosita Grishin, new subspecies

http://zoobank.org/ 5DD01B37-C398-435A-BDC6-F726DBF1F0D6

( Figs. 8 part, 10a, 11)

Definition and diagnosis. A male from Guyana that is sister to other Synargis flavicauda Grishin, 2024 (type locality Peru: Rio Pachitea, Monte Alegre ) shows moderate genetic differentiation from the Peruvian specimens ( Fig. 8), e.g., their COI barcodes differ by 1.5% (10 bp), and therefore represents a new taxon. We conservatively regard it as a subspecies of S. flavicauda . This new subspecies is similar to the nominate but differs from it by being darker and smaller overall. In addition, the yellow discal bar on the dorsal forewing does not reach as far into the discal cell and is more rounded anteriad, the outer margin of the yellow discal band on the hindwing is more concave, somewhat angular, and on the ventral side extends into a small tooth along the costal margin, and the outer edge of the yellow postdiscal hindwing band is more sinuous. Due to unexplored phenotypic variation, most reliable identification is achieved by DNA, and a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic in the nuclear genome: Type locality. Guyana: Eastern Kanuku Mountains, Two Hat Mountain south slope summit, elevation 850'–1200', GPS 3.1133, −59.0983.

Etymology. In Spanish, cosita means little thing or little object and refers to a smaller size of this subspecies than many other Synargis from the regulus group. The name is a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Currently known only from the holotype collected in Guyana.

A correction to the sample number of a smaller Synargis regulus (Fabricius, 1793)

In Zhang et al. (2024:18), we stated: “However, not all S. regulus specimens are that large, and NVG-21119F08 is smaller than an average S. attilius ,” where NVG-21119F08 was given by mistake. NVG-21119F08 refers to the “ holotype ” of an infrasubspecific name Nymula regulus regulus forma ingens Stichel, 1925 (from Brazil: Espirito Santo). It is a large specimen with a wingspan of about 42 mm. A smaller specimen is NVG-22117D10, also from Espirito Santo ( Leopoldina ) [ MFNB], and its wingspan is about 34 mm. The number 21119F08 should be corrected to 22117D10. Both specimens are illustrated on the Butterflies of America website ( Warren et al. 2024) .