Mimas tiliae subsp. kitchingi Melichar & Řezáč, 2015

Synonymized with Mimas tiliae as a subspecies by Kitching and Rougerie et al., 2018, Biodivers. Data J. 6: e22236. Mimas kitchingi differs from Mimas tiliae only in the consistently smoky-brown ground colour (although some montane specimens of Mimas tiliae, form montana, have a similar dark brown ground colour) and a slight difference in shape in the gnathos in the male genitalia. However, this latter difference is very minor in comparison with the difference in male genital structure between these two species and Mimas christophi, particularly in the shape of the harpe. As further justification for species status, Mimas kitchingi was stated to be at least 2.73% different in DNA barcode from Mimas tiliae. However, the minimum difference between Mimas tiliae and Mimas christophi is much greater, at about 6.24%, and the largest difference in BOLD between two specimens of Mimas tiliae, from the U.K. and Turkey, is about 2.96%. Consequently, following Pittaway (1997-2015), Mimas kitchingi is considered better treated as a subspecies of Mimas tiliae. As a minimum, breeding experiments should be undertaken to determine whether any reproductive barriers exist between the two taxa.