Lasaia oaxacensis Grishin, 2024

Lasaia oaxacensis Grishin, 2024 , stat. nov. is a species distinct from Lasaia sessilis Schaus, 1890 View in CoL

Lasaia sessilis oaxacensis Grishin, 2024 (type locality in Mexico: Oaxaca) was described from a single specimen that was distinct from but closely related to Lasaia sessilis Schaus, 1890 (type locality in Mexico: Veracruz, Coatepec, syntype sequenced as NVG-18048A05). We found and sequenced two more specimens of L. sessilis oaxacensis and were able to carry out more detailed genomic comparison between this taxon and the nominate subspecies ( Fig. 9 View Fig ), leading to Fst (genetic differentiation) and Gmin (introgression) statistics (computed on the Z chromosome) of 0.42 and 0.01, respectively. These numbers are in better agreement with species-level differences between the two taxa. Sequenced specimens of L. sessilis sessilis from distant localities from Mexico ( San Luis Potosí and Veracruz) to Costa Rica cluster very closely with each other in genomic trees ( Fig. 9 View Fig blue) and are more distant from L. sessilis oaxacensis . Moreover, the genetic differentiation in the Z chromosome is larger between L. sessilis sessilis and L. sessilis oaxacensis ( Fig. 9a View Fig blue and red) than between the two species, Lasaia moeros Staudinger, 1888 (type locality in Peru: Chanchamayo) and Lasaia kennethi Weeks, 1901 (type locality in Bolivia) ( Fig. 9a View Fig purple and green). For all these reasons, we propose that Lasaia oaxacensis Grishin, 2024, stat. nov. is a species distinct from Lasaia sessilis Schaus, 1890 .