Superspecies

A superspecies is a group of at least two distinctive species with approximately parapatric distributions. Not all species complexes, whether cryptices or ring species are superspecies, and vice versa, but many are. A superspecies consisting of two sister species is called a species pair.

Examples include:

• Puffinus puffinus group of shearwaters – not a superspecies, but the P. yelkouan group formerly contained therein is indeed one.
• Phylloscopus collybita group of leaf warblers
• Tapaculos

See also

• Ring species
• Cryptic species complex
• Species group

References

• Stanford article: Superspecies