Hesperiidae : Eudaminae
Urbanus cubanus Grishin, 2024
(un-named) Skipper
Urbanus cubanus Grishin, 2024
(un-named) Skipper
Description and Similar Species: A new species of Urbanus skipper that has just been described (August 2024) from Cuba. It is endemic and very similar to the Common Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus. A specimen caught near Habana has been subjected to DNA analysis and found to be a separate species. It has been named Urbanus cubanus Grishin. Another specimen collected collected from Habana nearly 100 years ago (on 3 March 1927) has also been found to be U. cubanus. It has been placed in the phylogenetic tree between Urbanus proteus and its sister species Urbanus velinus which is found in South America.
What we don't know at this stage is the distribution of the two species in Cuba. We don't know if they are sympatric or whether they are separated zonally. And it's not clear to me yet if they can be safely differentiated on upperwing pattern alone. The paper describing it says it differs from its closest relative U. proteus in broader and straighter ventral hindwing dark bands and a darker area by mid-costa, hyaline spot in forewing cell CuA1-CuA2 closer aligned with the spot in discal cell rather than shifted distad, absent or small submarginal hyaline spots in forewing cells M1-M2 and M2-M3 and also differences in the genitalia.
Range: Unknown.
Status: Endemic to Cuba.
Nectar Plants: Unknown.
Larval Foodplants: Unknown.
What we don't know at this stage is the distribution of the two species in Cuba. We don't know if they are sympatric or whether they are separated zonally. And it's not clear to me yet if they can be safely differentiated on upperwing pattern alone. The paper describing it says it differs from its closest relative U. proteus in broader and straighter ventral hindwing dark bands and a darker area by mid-costa, hyaline spot in forewing cell CuA1-CuA2 closer aligned with the spot in discal cell rather than shifted distad, absent or small submarginal hyaline spots in forewing cells M1-M2 and M2-M3 and also differences in the genitalia.
Range: Unknown.
Status: Endemic to Cuba.
Nectar Plants: Unknown.
Larval Foodplants: Unknown.