Animal Biodiversity and Conservation. Volum 49.1 (2026) Pàgines: e0009-

Integrative evidence reveals the occurrence and parapatric distribution of Palaeophilotes panoptes and P. baton in southern France

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32800/abc.2026.49.0009

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Resum

Biodiversity is dynamic, and faunistics and taxonomy are ever-evolving fields that need constant update and refinement. Thus, species lists and distribution maps may need improvement even for well-studied countries. The current view is that Palaeophilotes panoptes is absent from southern France, where only P. baton occurs. Using COI mitochondrial genetic sequences, wing morphology, phenology, and conservatively reassigned citizen-science records, we document the presence of P. panoptes in a wide area in southeastern Occitanie and delineate a largely parapatric contact with P. baton with narrow contact zones. COI data recover three geographically structured lineages (two within P. baton and one corresponding to P. panoptes). Phenology indicates strict univoltinism in P. panoptes versus a partial second generation in P. baton at low elevation, while morphology shows consistent population-level trends but no unambiguously diagnostic individual characters. The observed genetic differentiation, spatial distribution and phenological patterns seem to rely on the host-plant specialization of P. panoptes on Thymus vulgaris, while P. baton is more plastic in its trophic preferences.

Paraules clau

Palaeophilotes baton, Palaeophilotes panoptes, Pseudophilotes, DNA barcoding, Citizen science, Parapatric distribution

Cita

Gaunet, A., Vila, R., 2026. Integrative evidence reveals the occurrence and parapatric distribution of Palaeophilotes panoptes and P. baton in southern France. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 49: e0009-, DOI: https://doi.org/10.32800/abc.2026.49.0009