Abstract
The two syntypes of Melitaea phoebe nigrogygia Verity, 1939 present in the Florence University Natural History Museum are examined from high quality photographs of both sides. It is concluded that there is a high probability that they represent two different species: M. phoebe ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) and M. ornata Christoph, 1898. Alternatively one or both could be hybrids between the two species; hybrids have been encountered nearby in Slovenia. In order to solve the nomenclatural problem, a Lectotype has been chosen, which fixes the name nigrogygia Verity, 1939 to be associated with Melitaea ornata.
References
Christoph, H. (1893) Lepidoptera nova faunae Palaearcticae. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift ‘Iris’, 6, 86–89.
Denis, J.N.C.M. & Schiffermüller, I. (1775) Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend. Verlag Augustin Bernardi, Wien, 322 pp.
Popović, M. & Verovnik, R. (2018) Revised checklist of the butterflies of Serbia (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea). Zootaxa, 4438 (3), 505–527.
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4438.3.5
Russell, P. & Pateman, J. (2013a) To which Melitaea species does nigrogygia Verity, 1938 belong? Observations on a Croatian population of Melitaea phoebe ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), with rearing results and comments on f. occitanica Staudinger, 1871 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Entomologist’s Gazette, 64, 43–51.
Russell, P. & Pateman, J. (2013b) To which Melitaea species does nigrogygia Verity, 1938 belong? Observations on a Croatian population of Melitaea phoebe ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), with rearing results and comments on f. occitanica Staudinger, 1871 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)—corrigendum. Entomologist’s Gazette, 64, 84.
Russell, P. & Pateman, J. (2016) Further observations on Melitaea ornata Christoph, 1893 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Republic of Macedonia. Entomologist’s Gazette, 67, 15–22.
Russell, P., Pateman, J. & Verovnik, R. (2014) First record of Melitaea ornata Christoph, 1893, from Slovenia, with notes on its confirmed distribution and hybridisation with M phoebe ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). Entomologist’s Gazette, 65, 135–153.
Russell, P. & Tennent, W.J. (2016) A synonymic list of names associated with western Palaearctic Melitaea phoebe (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) species group taxa M. phoebe; M. punica Oberthür, 1876; M. ornata Christoph, 1893) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). Nota Lepidopterologica, 39 (1), 27–56.
https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.39.5929
Tóth, J.P. & Varga, Z. (2011) Inter- and intraspecific variation in the genitalia of the ‘Melitaea phoebe group’ (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). Zoologischer Anzeiger, 250, 258–268. [+ 6 pp. of appendix in the online version]
Verity, R. (1938–39) Supplement to “The Butterfly races and Zygaenae of Macedonia”. Entomologist’s Record and Journal of Variation, 50 (Supplement), 1–16. [colour pl. III; 51, (17)–(20)]
Verity R. (1950–1951) Le farfalle diurne d’Italia 4: Divisione Papilionida, Sezione Libytheina, Danaina e Nymphalina: Famiglie Apaturidae e Nymphalidae. Marzocco S.A., Firenze, xxv & 380 pp. [colour pls. 38–53, monochrome pls. 54, XV–XX (1951)]