Molecular and Morphological Evidence Support Taxonomic Revision of the Arizona Viceroy Limenitis archippus obsoleta (Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae: Limenitidini)

Comparison of dorsal wing features in populations of the viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) from throughout its wide range in North America, together with molecular analysis of publicly available mitochondrial DNA barcodes, reveal that the subspecies from southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico, the Arizona viceroy L. a. obsoleta, shows diagnostic differences from all other populations that merit its elevation to a full species, L. obsoleta stat. rev. A brief review of the taxonomic history, ecology and potential conservation issues with the Arizona viceroy is provided.