Systematics of Opsiphanes Doubleday, [1849] (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Brassolini): an integrative approach
Authors: PIOVESAN MÔNICA , CASAGRANDE MIRNA MARTINS , MIELKE OLAF HERMANN HENDRIK 
Published: December 2022

Opsiphanes Doubleday, [1849] (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Brassolini) is an exclusively Neotropical genus, occurring from Argentina to Mexico. Until the present study, Opsiphanes was considered to contain 14 species, 60 subspecies, and 38 synonyms. The considerable phenotypic variation of species and subspecies of the genus has affected the taxonomy of the group by causing the proliferation of several names that have been proposed to represent their diversity, taxa that have often not been adequately described and/or delimited. The present study analyzed information on the immature stages and morphology, with molecular data and distribution data, in order to provide revised taxonomic hypotheses for Opsiphanes species and subspecies. These analyses of approximately 5,500 specimens and all species known for the genus made it possible to define two groups: “cassiae” and “quiteria”. The “quiteria” group was subdivided into seven subgroups: “boisduvallii”, “camena”, “zelotes”, “sallei”, “quiteria”, “fabricii”, and “invirae”. The statuses of three species and two subespecies are reinstated: Opsiphanes badius Stichel, 1902 stat. rest., Opsiphanes quirinus Godman & Salvin, 1881 stat. rest., Opsiphanes merianae Stichel, 1902 stat. rest., Opsiphanes bogotanus castaneus Stichel, 1904 stat. rest. and Opsiphanes badius cauca Röber, 1906 stat. rest. Six subspecies are here treated as species: Opsiphanes mexicana Bristow, 1991 stat. nov., Opsiphanes zelus Stichel, 1908 stat. nov., Opsiphanes farrago Stichel, 1904 stat. nov., Opsiphanes barkeri Bristow, 1991 stat. nov., Opsiphanes caliensis Bristow, 1991 stat. nov., and Opsiphanes cuspidatus Stichel, 1904 stat. nov. One subjective synonym is treated as a valid subspecies: Opsiphanes invirae pernambucoensis Bristow, 1991 stat. rev. One species is treated as a subspecies: Opsiphanes cassiae tamarindi C. Felder & R. Felder, 1861 stat. nov. Eight new statuses are proposed: Opsiphanes cassiae incolumis Stichel, 1904 stat. nov., Opsiphanes cassiae tamarindi C. Felder & R. Felder, 1861 stat. nov., Opsiphanes badius angostura Bristow, 1979 stat. nov., Opsiphanes fabricii camposi Bristow, 1991 stat. nov., Opsiphanes fabricii numatius Fruhstorfer, 1912 stat. nov., Opsiphanes merianae notanda Stichel, 1904 stat. nov., Opsiphanes periphetes Fruhstorfer, 1912 stat. nov., and Opsiphanes cuspidatus relucens Fruhstorfer, 1907 stat. nov. Seven subjective synonyms are reinstated: Opsiphanes crameri C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862 syn. rest. of Opsiphanes cassiae cassiae (Linnaeus, 1758); Opsiphanes tamarindi latifascia Rothschild, 1916 syn. rest. of Opsiphanes cassiae incolumis Stichel, 1904 stat. nov.; Opsiphanes erebus Röber, 1927 syn. rest. of Opsiphanes quiteria quirinalis Staudinger, 1887; Opsiphanes cassina aequatorialis Stichel, 1902 syn. rest., Opsiphanes invirae pseudophilon Fruhstorfer, 1907 syn. rest., Opsiphanes invirae remoliatus Fruhstorfer, 1907 syn. rest., and Opsiphanes invirae agasthenes Fruhstorfer, 1907 syn. rest. of Opsiphanes invirae invirae (Hübner, [1808]). Twenty-five new synonyms are proposed: Pavonia Godart [1824] syn. nov. of Bia Hübner, [1819]; Opsiphanes bogotanus phrataphernes Fruhstorfer, 1912 syn. nov., and Opsiphanes bogotanus blandini Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes bogotanus bogotanus Distant, 1875; Opsiphanes cassiae alajuela Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes bogotanus castaneus Stichel, 1904 stat. rest.; Opsiphanes cassiae rubigatus Stichel, 1904 syn. nov., Opsiphanes cassiae strophios Fruhstorfer, 1907 syn. nov., and Opsiphanes tamarindi xiphos Fruhstorfer, 1907 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes cassiae cassiae (Linnaeus, 1758); Opsiphanes tamarindi corrosus Stichel, 1904 syn. nov., and Opsiphanes tamarindi kleisthenes Fruhstorfer, 1912 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes cassiae tamarindi C. Felder & R. Felder, 1861 stat. nov.; Opsiphanes mutatus parodizi Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes farrago Stichel, 1904 stat. nov.; Opsiphanes sallei kennerleyi Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes sallei colombiana Bristow, 1991; Opsiphanes quiteria talamancensis Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes quirinus Godman & Salvin, 1881 stat. rest.; Opsiphanes quiteria quaestor Stichel, 1902 syn. nov., Opsiphanes quiteria bolivianus Stichel, 1902 syn. nov., and Opsiphanes quiteria cardenasi Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes quiteria quiteria (Stoll, 1780); Opsiphanes quiteria phylas Fruhstorfer, 1912 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes quiteria quirinalis Staudinger, 1887; Opsiphanes cassina chiriquensis Stichel, 1902 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes fabricii fabricii (Boisduval, 1870); Opsiphanes cassina milesi Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes merianae notanda Stichel, 1904 stat. nov.; Opsiphanes cassina aucotti Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes periphetes Fruhstorfer, 1912 stat. nov.; Opsiphanes cassina C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862 syn. nov., Opsiphanes invirae intermedius Stichel, 1902 syn. nov., Opsiphanes invirae amplificatus Stichel, 1904 syn. nov., Opsiphanes sticheli Röber, 1906 syn. nov., Opsiphanes invirae roraimaensis Bristow, 1991 syn. nov., and Opsiphanes invirae sieberti Bristow, 1991 syn. nov. of Opsiphanes invirae invirae (Hübner, [1808]). To ensure unambiguous identification of names, nine neotypes were designated for: Opsiphanes bogotanus Distant, 1875, Opsiphanes aurivillii Röber, 1906, Papilio glycerie Fabricius, 1787, Opsiphanes zelotes zelus Stichel, 1908, Opsiphanes badius var. cauca Röber, 1906, Opsiphanes erebus Röber, 1927, Potamis invirae Hübner, [1808], Opsiphanes sticheli Röber, 1906, and Opsiphanes invirae ledon Fruhstorfer, 1912; and nine lectotypes for: Opsiphanes bogotanus phrataphernes Fruhstorfer, 1912, Opsiphanes tamarindi cherocles Fruhstorfer, 1912, Caligo tamarindi Boisduval, 1870, Opsiphanes sallei nicandrus Fruhstorfer, 1912, Opsiphanes quiteria augeias Fruhstorfer, 1912, Opsiphanes quirinus Godman & Salvin, 1881, Opsiphanes quiteria var. meridionalis Staudinger, 1887, Opsiphanes quiteria oresbios Fruhstorfer, 1912, and Opsiphanes quiteria phylas Fruhstorfer, 1912, . The present taxonomic scheme proposed for Opsiphanes includes 23 species, 23 subspecies, and 69 synonyms.