Abstract

Summary Erebia serotina was described in 1953 as a scarce, low-elevation endemic Pyrenean species flying late in the season. At least 34 individuals are known from various locations. However, the absence of females suggests a hybrid origin, and E. epiphron and either E. pronoe or E. manto have been proposed as possible parents. Electrophoretic analysis of five allozyme loci and sequencing of three mitochondrial DNA segments and one nuclear gene now demonstrate that E. serotina results from the cross between E. epiphron females and E. pronoe males. We have used our and previously published sequence data to generate a molecular phylogenetic tree of the genus Erebia which shows that these two species are only distantly related. The question of why they happen to hybridize on a seemingly routine basis is thus raised.

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