Euphyes dukesi calhouni and Euphyes pilatka klotsi Assemblies. Euphyes

Euphyes dukesi calhouni and E. pilatka klotsi (Hesperiidae) are two at-risk, non-migratory, specialist butterflies endemic to Florida. E. p. klotsi Miller (also called Klots sawgrass skipper or Palatka skipper), is a large grass-skipper butterfly, rusty-brown and endemic to freshwater wetlands of the Lower Florida Keys. E. d. calhouni Shuey (commonly called Dukes skipper), similar to E. pilatka, is a midsize light brown butterfly found in forested wetlands, marshes, and ditches endemic to Central Florida and the Florida Panhandle. Although nearly all of its habitat is located on conservation lands, E. p. klotsi populations are severely threatened by sea level rise, while the threats faced by E. d. calhouni habitat are based on fragmentation across its range and the continued urban development within its biome. Both taxa are currently under review for listing under the Endangered Species Act.This project aims to provide essential genomic resources to support the conservation of these at-risk skipper butterflies. Here, we present the first reference nuclear and mitochondrial genomes for E. p. klotsi and E. d. calhouni. (Project title: Population status and genetics of at-risk butterflies in Florida. Project number: F21AC03684-04)