Papilio talaus Linnaeus, 1763

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian, Shen, Jinhui, Song, Leina & Grishin, Nick V., 2025, Advancing butterfly systematics through genomic analysis, The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 12 (5), pp. 1-201 : 41

Neotype designation for Papilio talaus Linnaeus, 1763

The lectotype of Papilio talaus Linnaeus, 1763 (type locality in “Indiis”) has been designated by Aurivillius (1882) as the specimen illustrated on the pl. 45, fig. 1 by Clerck ([1764]), The illustration of the lectotype shows a female with larger white spots than in its relatives, including the discal spot on the dorsal hindwing and better aligned larger spots in the forewing discal cell and the cell CuA 1 -CuA 2, with these two spots and the spot in the cell CuA 2 -1A+2A forming a white band. To learn more about the taxonomic identity of this species, we searched for its lectotype among Hesperiidae holdings in all major collections that are listed in the Acknowledgments section. In particular, N.V.G. paid special attention to Entheus Hübner, [1819] specimens in the NHRS collection, where Clerck’s specimens are preserved, because the lectotype is a specimen illustrated by Clerck ([1764]). The lectotype was not found, which agrees with the statement in Honey and Scoble (2001) that they have not located Linnaean specimens of this species. Not finding the lectotype, we proceeded with the neotype designation. There is an exceptional need for the neotype of P. talaus to define this taxon objectively because several cryptic species are present among its relatives and its type locality is poorly defined (“Indiis”). For the neotype, we selected a female, which looks particularly similar in wing patterns to Clerck’s illustration among the specimens we examined. This specimen is the lectotype of Phareas serenus Plötz, 1883 (type locality in South America: the Amazonian region). Hereby, N.V. G. designates the lectotype of P. serenus in MFNB shown in Figs. 33d and 51d (DNA sample NVG-22091A04) as the neotype of Papilio talaus Linnaeus, 1763 . As a result of the neotype designation, Phareas serenus Plötz, 1883 becomes a junior objective synonym of Papilio talaus Linnaeus, 1763 .

This neotype satisfies all requirements set forth by the ICZN Article 75.3, namely: 75.3.1. It is designated to clarify the taxonomic identity of P. talaus , which is necessary because new species are present among its close relatives, and to define the type locality that was stated in the original description as “Indiis”; 75.3.2. The characters to differentiate this taxon from others are revealed from the illustrations of its lectotype in Clerck ([1764]) and are given above, i.e., larger white spots, such as the discal spot on spots and the spot in the cell CuA 2 -1A+2A form a white band, two white spots are present in the forewing cell CuA 2 -1A+2A of the lectotype, white area on the ventral hindwing reaches the inner margin and is angled rather than rounded distad of the discal cell; 75.3.3. The neotype specimen is a female bearing the following eight rectangular white labels (4 th and the last three printed, others handwritten): [341 | Weymer], [Talaus | Cr393c], [Talaus var | Serenus Wmr i. l | 341 best. v. Plötz.], [Coll. Weymer], [60:2.], [DNA sample ID: | NVG-22091A04 | c/o Nick V. Grishin ], [DNA sample ID: | NVG-23082A08 | c/o Nick V. Grishin ], [genitalia: | NVG240817-38 | c/o Nick V. Grishin ] and shown in Figs. 33d and 51d; this specimen is also the lectotype of Phareas serenu s Plötz, 1883 (see the lectotype designation section above for additional details about this specimen and its labels); 75.3.4. We failed to find the lectotype and paralectotypes of P. talaus among Hesperiidae holdings in all collections we visited (see Acknowledgments for their list) and therefore, taking into account similarly negative reports in literature ( Honey and Scoble 2001), believe that they were lost; 75.3.5. The neotype closely agrees with the illustration of the P. talaus lectotype in all characters, as evidenced by comparing the neotype shown in Figs. 33d and 51d with the illustration on the pl. 45, fig. 1 in Clerck ([1764]) and the characters for this taxon listed above (75.3.2.), e.g., even a semi-hyaline spot by the 1A+2A vein on the forewing is present in the neotype and lectotype; 75.3.6. The neotype is from unknown locality identified as in the Amazonian region of South America (possibly in Brazil: Pará) by genomic analysis and the original type locality given as “Indiis” is deemed to include this area, because for non-insular specimens from the New World it typically referred to the Guianas region ( Honey and Scoble 2001). The type locality will be further refined by genomic comparisons with additional specimens from across South America; 75.3.7. The neotype is in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany (MFNB). The COI barcode sequence of the neotype is given above in the section “ Lectotype designation for Phareas serenus Plötz, 1883 .”