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Revision of the genus Neptis Fabricius, 1807 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Afrotropical Region: Currently described taxa
Abstract
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The Afrotropical taxa in the genus Neptis are revised based on barcodes, facies and genitalia. A provisional phylogeny is derived from barcodes using the neighbour joining method showing that the taxa can be assigned to eleven species groups. Within each group, it is shown that the form of the valve of the male genitalia and the sclerotisation of the female abdomen are distinctive. However, it is noted that the most noticeable aspects of the facies, the discal bands and the forewing cell markings, are not necessarily diagnostic as to the relationships between species. This paper covers the currently described taxa and further publications are envisaged to describe new species revealed by barcoding.The taxonomic changes stated in the review are as follows:
Neptis livingstonei Suffert, 1904 is declared a nomen nudum due to the lack of a type specimen and any potential lectotypes.
Neptis sextilla Mabille, 1882 is declared a nomen nudum due to the lack of a type specimen, any potential lectotypes and an image of a specimen.
Neptis vingerhoedti Pierre-Baltus, 2003 is synonymised with Neptis rothschildi Eltringham, 1921.
Neptis loma Condamin, 1971, Neptis angusta Condamin, 1966 and Neptis constantiae kaumba Condamin, 1966 are synonymised with nominate Neptis constantiae Carcasson, 1961.
Neptis troundi Pierre-Baltus, 1978 is synonymised with Neptis melicerta (Drury, 1773).
Neptis multiscoliata Pierre-Baltus, 2007 is synonymised with Neptis nysiades Hewitson, 1868.
Neptis claude Collins & Larsen, 2005 is synonymised with Neptis matilei Pierre-Baltus, 2000.
Neptis trigonophora intermedia Schultze, 1920 synonymised with Neptis trigonophora melicertula Strand, 1911.
The neotype of Neptis melicerta (Drury, 1773) from Sierra Leone and the paratypes from the Côte d’Ivoire designated in Pierre-Baltus (1978) are invalid.
Neptis nemetes margueritae Fox, 1968 is synonymised with nominate Neptis nemetes nemetes Hewitson, 1868.
Neptis neavei Rothschild, 1918 is reinstated as a species separate from Neptis swynnertoni Trimen, 1912.
Neptis agouale parallela Collins & Larsen, 1996 becomes Neptis melicerta parallela Collins & Larsen, 1996 comb. nov.
Neptis occidentalis batesii Hall, 1930 is promoted to species Neptis batesii Hall, 1930.
Neptis ochracea mildbraedi Gaede, 1915 is reinstated as a species Neptis mildbraedi Gaede, 1915
Neptis woodwardi translima Collins & Larsen, 1991 is promoted to species Neptis translima Collins & Larsen, 1991.
Neptis metella flavimacula Jackson, 1951 is promoted to species Neptis flavimacula Jackson, 1951.
All the currently described taxa are illustrated along with the type specimens, where important for resolving identification difficulties. Photomicrographs of the male valves and female abdomen are included for the majority of species.
