A systematic and synonymic list of the Hesperiidae of Western Palearctic butterflies hyperlinked to the original descriptions (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)
Submitted: 14.xi.2025 | Accepted: 08.xii.2025 | Published online: 30.xii.2025.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17793560
Introduction
Research on species within this family has long been neglected due to these identification difficulties. Whether owing to scarce material or simple oversight, early authors frequently confused species or grouped several taxa under a single name, resulting in a chaotic classification of the group. Linnaeus described only three species for the European fauna, and his successors made little progress. It was not until Rambur (1839), who described seven new Pyrgus species in the same publication, that a coherent outline of the European Hesperiidae fauna began to emerge.
Hesperiidae were traditionally assigned to the superfamily Hesperioidea. The reclassification of the family within Papilionoidea was proposed following significant advances in molecular phylogenetics over the past two decades, as reported by Warren et al. (2009) and subsequent studies.
For the Western Palaearctic fauna, the implications of these studies remain limited, yet they can occasionally prompt substantial reorganisation within certain groups, such as Carcharodus. It is therefore crucial to monitor the current literature closely and to integrate these findings into the systematics of Western Palaearctic species.
Regularly updating a comprehensive systematic and synonymic reference list is therefore essential. A dynamic, continuously maintained list offers clear advantages over fixed, paper-based publications, which cannot be revised once issued and may become outdated relatively quickly as new taxonomic findings emerge.
Conclusion
This synonymic list offers a foundation for the taxonomy of Western Palearctic Hesperiidae.
By linking each name to its original description, it enhances transparency, accessibility, and historical accuracy. However, the list is not yet complete, and gaps remain in both hyperlinks and taxonomic data. Researchers, lepidopterists and enthusiasts are warmly invited to contribute by submitting missing hyperlinks, overlooked synonyms, or other relevant information.
Author contribution
Michel Taymans: conceptualisation, analysis, visualisation, writing - original draft, writing – review and editing.
Sylvain Cuvelier: analysis, validation, visualisation, writing – review and editing.
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