Taxonomic position of several enigmatic Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) species (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from Central and Eastern Iran: insights from molecular and chromosomal data

Abstract. The species-rich subgenus Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) has become one of the best studied groups of Palearctic blue butterflies (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). However, the identity and phylogenetic position of some rare taxa from Iran have remained unclear. An enigmatic, recently described Central Iranian species Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) shirkuhensis ten Hagen et Eckweiler, 2001 has been considered as a taxon closely related either to Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) eckweileri ten Hagen, 1998 or to Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) baltazardi (de Lesse, 1962). Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) baltazardi, in its turn, was treated as a taxon close to Iranian-Pakistani Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) bogra Evans, 1932. Here we used a combination of molecular and chromosomal markers to show that none of these hypotheses was true. Instead, Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) shirkuhensis was recovered as a member of a species group close to Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) cyaneus (Staudinger, 1899). From genetically closest species, Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) kermansis (de Lesse, 1962), Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) cyaneus and Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) sennanensis (de Lesse, 1959), it differs by the wing coloration. From morphologically similar Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) mofidii (de Lesse, 1963) and Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) sorkhensis Eckweiler, 2003, it differs by its chromosome number, n=21. Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) bogra and Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) baltazardi were found to be members of two different species groups and, thus, are not closely related.