Superspecies

A superspecies is a group of at least two distinctive species but closely related species with allopatric 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