A review of the Melitaea arduinna (Esper, 1783) species complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) with description of a new species from Iran

Abstract

DNA barcoding of samples from the entire range of Melitaea arduinna (Esper, 1783) confirms the species status for Melitaea avinovi Sheljuzhko, 1914 and Melitaea evanescens Staudinger, 1886 stat. nov., and reveals an overlooked species from the northeastern parts of the Zagros Mountains in Iran, here described as Melitaea nazarii sp. nov. The new species shows a genetic distance of 1.8–2.3% from its closest relatives, and morphologically differs from M. arduinna by narrower and more elongate forewings with a straight costa, lighter ground color with fewer black markings on both wings in both sexes, and veins that are the same color as the ground color. Taxonomy of the M. arduinna species complex is discussed.