Volume 2026
	Issue 3

A systematic and synonymic list of the Lycaenidae (part 2) of Western Palearctic butterflies hyperlinked to the original descriptions (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)
Taymans Michel & Cuvelier Sylvain
AWPL 2026(3): 1-24 — DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22302023
The present paper deals with the classification of the West Palaearctic species of the subfamily Polyommatinae (Lycaenidae). This subfamily is subdivided into several subtribes, following an arrangement that differs from that adopted in most recent studies on lepidopteran phylogeny, which recognise only the subtribe Polyommatini for the West Palaearctic fauna. This approach has been adopted in order to provide a more coherent framework for the relationships among the various monophyletic groups.
Several nomenclatural issues, including those concerning Maculinea/Phengaris and Pseudophilotes/Palaeophilotes, had to be addressed and resolved. In dealing with these issues, particular emphasis was placed on nomenclatural and taxonomic stability, which was considered the primary criterion for the classification adopted here.
In most cases, the external morphology (habitus) allows the reliable identification of the species included in these groups. However, examination of the genitalia remains necessary in some cases to distinguish closely related taxa, such as Cupido alcetas and Cupido decolorata, or among taxa belonging to the Pseudophilotes baton-complex.
Despite the considerable progress made in recent years, several taxonomic and systematic issues remain unresolved. Further phylogenetic studies will be necessary to clarify the specific or subspecific status of several taxa and to establish a more satisfactory generic classification. In particular, for some genera or species groups with a worldwide distribution that are treated in the present work, a reliable classification can only be established through a comprehensive study including all species of the group.
In this context, regular updates to a comprehensive systematic and synonymic reference are essential. A dynamic, continuously maintained reference offers clear advantages over fixed, paper-based publications, which cannot be revised once published and may rapidly become outdated as new taxonomic and phylogenetic insights emerge.

Toward a revised checklist of the Western Palearctic butterflies, hyperlinked to the original descriptions at species, genus and family level (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)
Part VI: Rationale and framework for the Lycaenidae (addendum part II)
Taymans Michel & Cuvelier Sylvain
AWPL 2026(3): 25-30 — DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20759567
This second review of taxonomic and nomenclatural issues in Lycaenidae examines the status of family-group names in the light of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), historical classification schemes, recent phylogenetic evidence, and current usage. Emphasis is placed on the classification of subfamilies and tribes, for which conflicts among older names, synonymies, and prevailing usage have required careful assessment under the Code.
The classification of all species within the genera and subgenera of the subfamily Polyommatinae, excluding the tribe Polyommatini, which will be treated in a future contribution, is critically reviewed and justified. Particular emphasis is placed on the generic classification of the tribe Scolitantidini, for which alternative taxonomic arrangements have been proposed and which remains a matter of taxonomic debate.