The identity of Zale lunata (Drury, 1773) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in Chile: an integrative taxonomic approach with an updated national checklist of Erebidae

Abstract

The family Erebidae is the most diverse group of Lepidoptera, but its diversity in Chile remains poorly studied. For over 50 years, a Chilean population of Zale Hübner, 1818 has been identified as Zale lunata (Drury, 1773), despite showing marked morphological, ecological, and geographical differences from the North American species. In this study, we assess the taxonomic identity of this population using an integrative approach, combining bibliographic, morphological, phylogenetic, and species delimitation analyses. We examined specimens from Chilean and foreign collections and analyzed 177 COI sequences (658 bp) of Zale sp. and related species. The phylogeny, genetic distances, and primary species delimitation methods (mPTP and ASAP) consistently indicate that the Chilean population is not conspecific with Z. lunata, but instead represents a distinct species, endemic to Chile and congruent with the species originally described as Alamis polioides Guenée, 1852. Consequently, we propose the new combination Zale polioides (Guenée, 1852) n. comb., and present its redescribed morphology, distribution, and biology. This study corrects a long-standing misidentification and highlights the importance of integrative taxonomic approaches to uncover the diversity of cryptic species. We also provide an updated checklist of Erebidae for Chile, comprising 35 species with brief comments on their status.