Phylogeography of the small grass yellow Eurema brigitta (Stoll, 1780) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) unveils the existence of distinct taxa within the Palaeotropics

• DOI: 10.1111/aen.12665
• Publication Date: 2023-12-20T04:27:53Z
• Authors: Meenakshi Irungbam; Jatishwor Singh I...; Michal Rindos; Jana Papp Maresova; Zdenek Faltynek Fric
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences

Abstract Eurema brigitta (Stoll, 1780) is one of the few butterfly species distributed in most Old World tropics. In 2017, we documented its occurrence Socotra, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Now, clarify origin this specimen and further describe phylogeographic pattern by comparing Afrotropical, Malagasy Oriental‐Australian populations using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I marker. We found deep split between Afrotropical taxon, which are separated Indian Ocean dry eremic habitats on northern coasts. A less but significant also exists E. b. from mainland Africa pulchella (Boisduval, 1833) Madagascar surrounding islands. The individual Socotra clearly originates Africa. addition, accordance with genetic known morphological evidence, propose to transfer into separate species, drona (Horsfield, 1829) reinst. stat.