Discriminant analysis of androconia in the genus Pseudochazara de Lesse, 1951 (Lepidoptera: Satyridae).

Abstract

Multivariate discriminant analysis has been used to enhance the usefulness of male genitalia as taxonomic characters in European species of Pseudochazara butterflies (Wakeham-Dawson, 1996). Unlike male genitalia, which show little variation in structure between species of Pseudochazara, androconial scent-scales show much variation and have been useful as taxonomic characters for classifying species and identifying possible evolutionary relationships between species. Brown (1976) has divided Pseudochazara androconia into three categories and Gross (1978) has divided them into seven categories. The present paper uses multivariate discriminant analysis to investigate further similarities between the structure of androconia in 23 species and subspecies of Pseudochazara butterflies from Europe and Asia.