Systematics of the Ogyris aenone (Waterhouse, 1902) complex (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): threatened Australian butterflies of national conservation significance

Abstract

The butterfly genus Ogyris Angas, 1847 consists of several striking but poorly resolved complexes endemic to Australia and New Guinea, many of which have an obligate association with ants. Here, we revise the systematics of the Ogyris aenone (Waterhouse, 1902) complex through an integrative taxonomic approach based on molecular phylogenetic analysis, morphological examination, life histories and ecology. Mitochondrial sequence data based on concatenated cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (cytb) (total of 1203 bp) for 36 ingroup samples were generated and combined with sequences available on NCBI GenBank for Ogyris. Phylogenetic analysis inferred by maximum likelihood methods resolved five taxa within this group, with one taxon, Ogyris caelestia Beaver & Braby sp. nov., described as a new species and another, O. doddi stat. rev., raised to full species. Phylogenetic relationships among the five taxa are as follows: (O. caelestia + O. aenone) + (O. ianthis + (O. iphis + O. doddi)). This revision brings the number of recognised Ogyris species to 16 and for the tribe Ogyrini to 18. This group of butterflies was found to be scarce – field samples of host trees that had the co-occurrence of both mistletoe and the appropriate attendant ant at 12 locations in eastern and northern Australia revealed low rates of occupancy (<50%, with an overall average of 17%) based on the presence of immature stages of the five butterfly species. The complete life histories, general biology and ecology of all members of this species-group are illustrated and diagnosed for the first time and confusing aspects of the literature are clarified. Several taxa are of conservation significance, including the new species, and future directions are discussed in relation to this. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FC258ED6-AA1F-4E11-BFE1-D0A612E4F166

Systematic revision of the Ogyris idmo (Hewitson, 1862) species group (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): implications for the conservation management of Australia’s most threatened butterflies

“…Recognition of both Ogyris arcana and O. petrina as distinct species is based on the divergent morphology correlated with the reciprocal monophyly compared with that of the previously proposed sister subspecies status. Moreover, the uncorrected p-distances between these taxa (Table 1) are larger than those of sister species in the O. aenone complex (Beaver et al 2023). Furthermore, the total number of adult morphological character state differences between these two species pairs (15 for O. arcana and O. otanes, and 18 for O. petrina and O. subterrestris) is similar to that recorded for the sister species O. aenone (Waterhouse, 1902) and O. caelestia Beaver & Braby, 2023, in which there are 20 character state differences (Beaver et al 2023).…”

“…Moreover, the uncorrected p-distances between these taxa (Table 1) are larger than those of sister species in the O. aenone complex (Beaver et al 2023). Furthermore, the total number of adult morphological character state differences between these two species pairs (15 for O. arcana and O. otanes, and 18 for O. petrina and O. subterrestris) is similar to that recorded for the sister species O. aenone (Waterhouse, 1902) and O. caelestia Beaver & Braby, 2023, in which there are 20 character state differences (Beaver et al 2023). This number does not include other known character differences, such as divergent life histories or differences in the morphology of the immature stages.…”

“…11.1.5, Biomatters, New Zealand, see https://www.geneious.com). Information on taxon sampling, PCR and sequencing is discussed by Schmidt et al (2014) and Beaver et al (2023) who obtained these sequences prior to our study.…”

“…Female genitalia not dissectedthis feature is diagnostically uninformative in Ogyris spp. among closely related species (Beaver et al 2023).…”