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Michel Taymans 
Taymans M. & Cuvelier S. 2025.
Toward a revised checklist of the Western Palearctic butterflies, hyperlinked to the original descriptions at species, genus and family level (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) Part I: Rationale and framework for the Papilionidae.
Archives of Western Palearctic Lepidoptera 2025(2): 31-37 (url)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15723397
Abstract.
This article provides a comprehensive taxonomic reassessment of the Papilionidae family, focusing on the tribes Parnassiini and Zerynthiini, with particular emphasis on the genera Driopa and Allancastria and their associated nomenclatural issues. Building upon recent morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies, we support the recognition of Driopa as a distinct genus within Parnassiini. The consistent structural differences in male genitalia not only distinguish Driopa from Parnassius sensu stricto, but also corroborate the genetic divergence revealed by phylogenetic analyses. The status of Driopa nebrodensis is examined in light of historical nomenclature, with nebrodensis (Turati, 1907) emerging as the valid name under the Principle of Priority and First Reviser rules. The complex case of Parnassius phoebus is revisited, with ICZN Opinion 2488 (2023) confirming the continued use of the name despite early misidentifications. For Zerynthia cassandra, the article defends its validity over Z. demnosia, the latter being unavailable under ICZN Article 12. Finally, we maintain Allancastria as a valid genus based on distinctive morphological traits despite its genetic proximity to Zerynthia. Within this genus, Allancastria cerisyi is retained under its original name and authorship, following the earliest valid description and in accordance with ICZN criteria. This work contributes to stabilizing the taxonomy of Palearctic Papilionidae, integrating historical literature with modern phylogenetic and nomenclatural frameworks.
Taymans M. & Cuvelier S. 2025.
Exploration of Mount Žeden and discovery of Proterebia phegea (Borkhausen, 1788), a new species for the fauna of North Macedonia.
Brief summary of current knowledge on Proterebia phegea.
Archives of Western Palearctic Lepidoptera 2025(2): 21-30 (url)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15723544
Abstract.
The butterfly species Proterebia phegea (Borkhausen, 1788), previously unrecorded in North Macedonia, was discovered during field surveys on Mount Žeden in April 2025. This finding extends the known range of the species in the Balkan Peninsula, which includes populations in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Greece. Mount Žeden, located approximately 20 km west of Skopje, is characterised by a continental Mediterranean climate and diverse karstic topography, providing a unique habitat for various butterfly species. The discovery of P. phegea on Mount Žeden contributes to the understanding of the species' distribution and highlights the importance of this area for butterfly conservation.
Taymans M. & Cuvelier S. 2025.
A dynamic checklist of the Western Palearctic butterflies hyperlinked to the original descriptions at species, genus and family level (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)
Archives of Western Palearctic Lepidoptera 2025(1): 1-70 (url)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14733224
Abstract.
Numerous synonymous checklists or catalogs have been published for various countries or a more or less extensive region. These generally include a detailed list of species, in the genus/species binary format, followed by the name of the author and the date of publication. There are often more or less significant discrepancies among checklists. These differences are sometimes due to typing errors during editing but more often, they are the result of the taxonomic views of the authors. In the absence of an unanimously accepted list, professional or amateur lepidopterists have no clear guidelines regarding which reference to use in their work.
In this context, it seemed useful to establish an exhaustive list containing the complete taxonomic references of all butterfly (Papilionoidea) species from the Western Palearctic. This list is published as an internet webpage. This choice was dictated by the technical possibility to include links leading the reader with a simple click to pages related to the original description of the taxa. This will allow users to verify the components of the taxon and have direct access to the original text.
Each species has been placed in the different levels of the zoological classification from order to subgenus, including superfamily, family, subfamily, tribe, subtribe and genus and including the author, the year, the original combination, the type locality, the reference of the original publication and the Internet link(s). This project thus completes three recently published lists, which lacked links to the original descriptions of species or type localities. These are:
(i) an updated checklist for European butterflies (Wiemers et al. 2018)
(ii) a new comprehensive trait database for Europeand and Maghreb butterflies, Papilionoidea. (Middleton-Welling et al. 2020)
(iii) the Atlas of mitochondrial genetic diversity for Western Palearctic butterflies (Dapporto et al. 2022) which also deal with systematics.
Despite the objective efforts to develop the most reliable list possible, one must be aware that certain choices linked to the taxon, the author's references, the year of publication or its place in the classification may be subject of debate and revision. The authors therefore hope that the list will trigger numerous constructive criticisms in order to produce a list that generates the highest possible consensus among the lepidopterist´s community and it is therefore a useful tool. On the other hand, in recent years a number of new species have been described, often as a result of in-depth phylogenetic studies, based on molecular analyses. And it is also very likely that the validity or status of certain species will be reviewed when the techniques and methods of investigation are refined. It is therefore planned that the website will be updated regularly according to feedback, comments and new scientific publications.
Taymans M. & Cuvelier S. 2024.
A dynamic checklist of the Western Palearctic butterflies, hyperlinked to the original descriptions at species, genus and family level (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)
Lépidoptères - Revue des Lépidoptéristes de France 33(84): 18-21.
Introduction.
Numerous synonymous checklists or catalogs have been published for various countries or a more or less extensive region. They generally include a detailed list of species, in the genus/species binary format, followed by the name of the author and the date of publication. There are often more or less significant discrepancies among checklists. These differences are sometimes due to typing errors during editing but, more often, they are the result of the taxonomic views of the authors. In the absence of an unanimously accepted list, professional or amateur lepidopterists have no clear guidelines regarding which reference to use in their work. In this context, it seemed useful to establish an exhaustive list containing the complete taxonomic references of all butterfly (Papilionoidea) species from the Western Palearctic Region. This list is published as an internet webpage on the following url: https://archwestpalepido.be/checklist_Papilionoidea.html.
Taymans M. 2018.
Notes sur Pieris (Artogeia) mannii (Mayer, 1851) et confirmation de son exansion en Belgique.
Cercle des Lépidoptéristes de Belgique - Belgische Lepidopterologische Kring 47(2-3-4): 46-52.
Introduction.
Les premières observations de P. mannii en Belgique datent de 2016. Depuis cette date, l'espèce continue sa progression dans notre pays d'est en ouest. Les entomologistes belges devront être attentifs lors de leur leurs observations et devraient être capables d'identifier au mieux ce nouveau venu. Afin de mieux connaitre cette espèce, il m'a semblé utile de publier un article reprenant d'une part une synthèse des connaissances sur l'espèce et, d'autre part, la progression migratoire effectuée par celle-ci vers le nord à partir de 2008.
Taymans P. & Taymans M. 1998.
Document de travail sur la répartition des rhopalocères de la province de Luxembourg.
Cercle des Lépidoptéristes de Belgique XXVII/4: 138-175.
Taymans Ch., Taymans P. & Taymans M. 1993.
Contribution à la cartographie belge des Rhopalocera du genre Pyrgus Hübner 1819 (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae).
Lambillionea 93 : 3–28.
Avant-propos
Dans le cadre des diverses activités prévues par le Programme de Surveillance de l'état de l'environment wallon, un Groupe de Travail Lépidoptères, instauré en 1989, s'attribua comme objectif principal de recenser annuellement toutes les espèces de Rhopalocères, présentes sur environ 40 sites-échantillons de la Région Wallonne et de comparer ensuite les listes des ces espèces, dressées d'une année à l'autre.
C'est dans un contexte analogue que ce Groupe de Travail décida de procéder à l'élaboration d'une cartographie pour les Rhopalocères du genre Pyrgus Hübner, 1819 existant sur tout le territoire belge, avec l'appui des autorités scientifiques compétentes de la Faculté des Sciences agronomiques (Zoologie générale et appliquée) de Gembloux et de l'U.C.L. (Unité d'Ecologie et de Biogéographie) de Louvain-la-Neuve.
Le travail fut concrétisé sur base:
- de l'analyse des données obtenues auprès de la Banque faunique du Centre de Calcul et d'Information de la Faculté de Gembloux.
- des renseignements recueillis dans la collection des Lépidoptères belges du Département Entomologie de l'I.R.S.N.B. de Bruxelles et de plusieurs autres collections privées d'entomologistes amateurs.
- d'une étude contradictoire des textes et annotations repris dans l'ancienne littérature entomologique ayant trait à l'historique des Pyrgus susceptibles d'avoir vécus en Belgique.
La présente étude a permis de mettre en évidence que, pour des raisons diverses, beaucoup de citations, reprises dans les périodiques ou anciens catalogues, ainsi que les données apposées sur les étiquettes des imagos des Pyrgus ou de leurs préparations génitales, doivent être compulsées en connaissance de cause et avec les réserves scientifiques d'usage.
Devant le caractère aléatoire de l'identification de certaines espèces de Pyrgus, tous les cas douteux furent soumis à un examen minutieux des armures génitales.
Les préparations en laboratoire des armatures génitales ♂♂ et ♀♀ furent effectuées conjointement par Paul Taymans et Michel Taymans.
Les représentations des imagos et des genitalia sont l'œuvre de Michel Taymans.
Taymans Ch., De Bast B., Verstraeten Ch., Baguette M. & Ph. Goffart, 1992.
Mise à jour de la cartographie des Rhopalocères de la Belgique: genre Pyrgus Hübner, 1919 (Lepidoptera, Hesperidae).
In Van Goethem J.L. & P. Grootaert (eds): "Faunal Inventories of sites for cartography and nature conservation", Proceedings of the 8th international Colloqium of the European Invertebrate Survey (EIS), Brussels, 9-10 september 1991: 173-176.
Summary
The Lepidoptera Working Group intends to increase the knowledge about butterfly biogeography and ecology
in Belgium. It plans to supply a scientific basis for conservation of species ind their habitats.
The two main projects are (1) to achieve an updated mapping of Belgian butterflies, and (2) to monitor yearly
butterfly populations on a network of sites.
In connection with the project (1), one of us (Ch. TAYMANS) revised the Belgian distribution of the genus Pyrgus HUBNER, 1819. Species of this group are quite difficult to identify and genitalia preparation is sometimes
required.
Using the faunistic data bank (Gembloux), it has been possible to tum back to museum specimens and to check
old identifications. Eight species of Pyrgus have been quoted from Belgium in previous catalogues. Only five
have been really recorded, the others resulting of misidentifications.
Moreover, field work between 1985 and 1991 update the distributions of the five Belgian species. Three species
have disappeared, one is quite widely distributed and another is restricted to chalk grasslands in the Province
of Namur.
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