Daimio Murray, 1875

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 : 25

Daimio Murray, 1875 and Pterygospidea Wallengren, 1857 are subgenera of Tagiades Hübner, [1819]

Genome-based phylogenetic tree reveals that Tagiades Hübner, [1819] (type species Papilio japetus Stoll, [1781] ) consists of three prominent clades ( Fig. 3 , 4 ) that could be given subgenus status. Each clade contains one type species of an available genus-group name that we assign to the clade. Subgenus Pterygospidea Wallengren, 1857 , revised status (type species Papilio ophion Stoll, [1790] , which is a junior subjective synonym of Papilio flesus Fabricius, 1781 ), consists of Afrotropical Tagiades species. Subgenus Tagiades is the japetus group of Evans (1949). Notably, the nestus group of Evans (1949) belongs to the subgenus Daimio Murray, 1875 , revised status (type species Pyrgus tethys Ménétriés, 1857 ), together with Tagiades (Daimio) tethys as defined by Evans (1949). We think that denoting the distinct phylogenetic groups with the genus Tagiades as subgenera is instructive about the relationships between the many species of the genus, and we prefer not to synonymize Daimio as proposed recently ( Huang et al. 2020). We also considered an alternative solution of breaking Tagiades into three genera, but decided against it. Tagiades sensu lato forms a more prominent phylogenetic group than its subgenera ( Fig. 3 ). It includes species that are similar in appearance making them immediately recognizable as Tagiades , for which reason they were historically included in it. We are in agreement with Huang et al (2020) that inclusion of Daimio in Tagiades is preferable to splitting of Tagiades into several genera. It is interesting that the type species of Daimio is the most distinct in appearance out of all Tagiades , both in wing patterns and wing shapes, while being closer related to a subgroup of Tagiades species that are in turn more similar in appearance to more distant from Daimio species of Tagiades . Additionally, superficial similarity of Daimio tethys with some species of Gerosis Mabille, 1903 indicates convergent evolution.

Figures

Figure 3. Genomic tree of Tagiadinae. See Fig. 1 legend for notations.

Figure 4. Genomic tree of Tagiades. See Fig. 1 legend for notations.