Vernia clara Zhang & Cong & Grishin 2023, new species
Creators: name: Zhang, Jing
name: Cong, Qian
name: Grishin, Nick V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Hesperiidae
Vernia
Vernia clara

description: Vernia clara Grishin, new species   
https://zoobank.org/ D20A8C16-E197-4F52-806F-01921EE16C07  
(Fig. 4 part, 99–100, 322–323)  
 Definition and diagnosis. Genomic analysis of specimens from Mexico and Panama identified as Vernia dares (Plötz, 1883) (type locality not specified) reveals that they differ significantly from the South American V. dares (Fig. 4): e.g., COI barcodes differ by 5.8% (38 bp) and, therefore, this complex consists of at least two species. Although we were not able to locate primary type specimens, according to the original description (Plötz 1883) and the illustration in Draudt (1921 –1924), which probably is a copy of an unpublished drawing by Plötz, V.dares is of a darker phenotype that corresponds to South American specimens. Therefore, North and Central American specimens that are characterized by more extensive yellow-orange coloration represent a new species. This new species keys to “ Pompeius dares ” (M.15.5) in Evans (1955), but differs from it by larger yellow-orange spots, more developed yellow-orange overscaling, and less contrasting dark spots on the ventral hindwing. Due to the cryptic nature of this species, most reliable identification is achieved by DNA and a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic in the nuclear genome: aly2487.24.2:T675G, aly2487.24.2:T765C, aly536.138.7:T78C, aly82.18.3:T303C, aly82.18.3:G321A, and COI barcode: T5C, 31C, T46C, T193C, A283T, T536C.   
 Barcode sequence of the holotype. Sample NVG-22035A08, GenBank OR837668, 658 base pairs: AACTCTATATTTTATTTTCGGTATTTGAGCCGGTATATTAGGAACCTCTCTAAGTTTATTAATTCGAACAGAATTAGGTAATCCTGGTTCTTTAATT GGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATACTATTGTTACAGCCCATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCAATTATAATTGGAGGGTTTGGAAACT GATTAGTCCCATTAATATTAGGAGCCCCTGACATAGCTTTCCCACGAATAAATAACATAAGATTTTGAATATTACCCCCATCTTTAACTCTTTTAAT CTCAAGTAGAATTGTAGAAAATGGTGCAGGAACAGGTTGAACTGTTTATCCTCCTTTATCATCAAATATTGCTCACCAAGGATCTTCTGTTGATTTA GCAATTTTTTCTCTTCATTTAGCTGGAATTTCATCTATTTTAGGAGCTATTAATTTTATTACAACAATTATTAATATACGAATTAAAAACTTATCAT TTGATCAAATACCTTTATTTGTTTGATCTGTAGGAATTACAGCTTTATTACTACTTTTATCTTTACCTGTTTTAGCTGGAGCTATTACAATATTACT TACTGATCGAAATTTAAACACTTCATTTTTTGATCCTGCTGGAGGAGGAGATCCAATTCTTTACCAACATCTTTTC   
 Type material. Holotype: ♂ deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA (USNM), illustrated in Fig. 99–100, bears the following three rectangular labels, two white: [Panama: Chiriqui | Santa Cruz | 10.VIII.1975 | G.B. Small], [DNA sample ID: | NVG-22035A08 | c/o Nick V. Grishin], and one red [HOLOTYPE ♂ | Vernia | clara Grishin]. Paratypes: 2♂♂ and 3♀♀: Mexico: 1♂ NVG-22102C01, CASENT 8566973 Nayarit, 20 air mi NE of San Blas, 23-Dec-1971, C. D. MacNeill leg. [CAS]; 1♀ NVG-18021D01 San Luis Potosi, Valles, 10-Jun-1966, H. A. Freeman leg. [AMNH]; Chiapas: 1♂ NVG-18115C04, USNMENT_01531564 35 mi W of Tuxtla Gutierrez, 16-Aug-1972, G. F. and S. Hevel leg. [USNM]; 1♀ NVG-21044A02 3 mi S of Simojovel, 3000′, 22-Jun-1989, J. Kemner leg., genitalia SRS-4469 [MGCL] and Panama: 1♀ NVG-18115C05, USNMENT_01531565 Panama, Cerro Campana, 2000 ′, GPS 8.6833, −79.9167, 9-Mar-1963, G. B. Small leg. [USNM].   
 Type locality. Panama: Chiriquí Province, Santa Cruz.   
 Etymology. The name clara, which is Latin for bright and clear, is given for the brighter colors of this species. The name is an adjective.   
 Distribution. From Mexico to Panama.
description: Published as part of Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian & Grishin, Nick V., 2023, Supplementary Materials and Appendix, pp. 1-115 in Insecta Mundi 2023 (26) on page 44, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10396362