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Molecular phylogeny and Biogeography of a highly diverse genus of Andean butterflies.

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The butterfly genus Catasticta, described by Butler in 1870, is the most diverse within the family Pieridae, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia. Its highest diversity is found in the middle and upper regions of the Andes.

Currently, many of the phylogenetic relationships among the species in this genus remain unresolved. Another lesser-known aspect is its natural history. Since 2010, I have been studying the systematics, biogeography, evolution, and natural history of this butterfly genus.

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Publications: 

2023. T.W. Pyrcz, C. Fahraeus, P. Boyer, O. Mahecha., J. Lorenc-Brudecka, K.S. Zajac, K.R. Willmott y S. Padrón. The sunny butterflies: new species of high montane pierids of the Catasticta poujadei group from the Peruvian Andes (Pieridae, Pierinae, Aporiina.

Zootaxa.

2021 B. Huertas, C. Prieto, F. Montero, M. Adams, J.F.F. Le Crom, M. Bollino, Y. Correa-Carmona & P.S. Padrón. One Hundred Years of Solitude: rediscovery of Catasticta lycurgus (Godman & Salvin, 1880),a yellow butterfly from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Zootaxa 4975(1):176-186.

2020. P.S. Padrón and A. Vélez. Description of the immature stages of the high Andean pierid butterfly Catasticta incerta incerta (Dognin, 1888) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).Tropical Lepidoptera Research. 30(2):65-71.

2020. P.S. Padrón, A. Vélez, N. Miorelli and K. R. Willmott. Urban areas as refuges for endemic fauna: description of the immature stages of Catasticta flisa duna (Eitschberger & T. Racheli, 1998)(Lepidoptera: Pieridae) and its ecological interactions.Neotropical Biodiversity, 6:1, 109-116.

2018. Nakahara, S. Macdonald, J.R., Delgado, F. & Padron, P.S. Discovery of a rare and striking new pierid butterfly from Panama (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Zootaxa.

2018. Dufour P.C., Willmott K.W., Padron P.S., Xing S., Bonebrake T.C., and Scheffers B.R. Divergent melanism strategies in Andean butterfly communities structure diversity patterns and climate responses. Journal of Biogeography.

2016.  Bollino, M. & Padrón, P.S.  Description of a new subspecies of Catasticta           fulva Joicey & Rosenberg, 1915, with    notes on several other species in the genus (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Tropical Lepidoptera Research. 26(1) 1-5.

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