[Ctleps-l] Dark female E Tiger Swallowtail

hpazures at aol.com hpazures at aol.com
Tue Aug 18 21:18:39 EDT 2015


All:
 
OK, I've given this image a good looking and here's what I think.  First, I can see where Alex believes this might be a black female appalachiensis ("appy"), it does appear very much like black appy, more so than southern typical glaucus.  Southern glaucus females, esp. black females, have extensive blue wash on the HW, whereas Appalachian appy has virtually NO blue on the interior portion of the HW.  The August date would not be unreasonable for the tail end of a hypothetical appy flight in New England.  However...
 
Let's back up a bit and look at Tiger Swallowtail evolution in the northeast.  An earlier glacial epoch separated two main populations of proto-glaucus/canadensis, resulting in speciation of the two Tigers.  So we have glaucus (more adapted to warm temperate climates) in the south, and cold-adapted canadensis in the north.  Apparently, during a more recent glacial maxima, perhaps the last one, canadensis must have been pushed southward into the southern Appalachians, well into the range of glaucus.  Since glaucus and canadensis were so recently evolved, they were able to hybridize extensively to the point where canadensis genes introgressed into glaucus where their ranges overlapped.  As the glaciers receded, and the climate warmed, canadensis retreated northward and now ranges south into NE PA and northern NY and New England.  What was a glaucus/canadensis hybrid swarm in the Appalachians, was able to retreat to higher elevations and continue breeding, thus "speciating" via past hybrid introgression.  Thus, appy is the result of canadensis genes introgressing into glaucus.

As far as we know, the northern limit of "true" appalachiensis is insufficiently known.  What is happening now is that, at the southern edge of the range of canadensis, there is hypothetical introgression going on, but this time in the opposite direction - glaucus genes introgressing into canadensis.  This was studied by Mark Scriber's team, who studied the apparent hybrid swarm, or "second flight" of canadensis in Vermont.  This is the early stages of hybrid speciation, likely what happed in the early days of proto-appalachiensis.

Now, what are all these appalachiensis-like Tigers found throughout New England and much of New York?  Some may be appy, perhaps trying to establish itself northward over thousands of years.  However, the presence of the glaucus/canadensis hybrid zone to the north, and other recent introgression events may have created a mess in the region.  I have another theory.  For example, in Rhode Island, we have what appears to be two early spring taxa: one is bivoltine "southern" glaucus and the other a canadensis-like univoltine, or it may be canadensis.  Glaucus certainly produces a summer brood in places like Connecticut and Rhode Island and black females should look like southern black glaucus, with considerable blue wash on the interior of the HW.  However, there is an appalachiensis-like Tiger that emerges in Rhode Island in June (certainly Connecticut too), that essentially has the same markings as appy but has the more rounded wing shape of glaucus.  The flight apparently goes well into August, when the second flight of glaucus erupts.  Black females are present but rare and the relationship to Battus philenor is evident (in places like the West Virginia highlands, black appy is frequent, and philenor is common).  So do we call these appy?  I won't dispute Alex's assertion, but personally, I'll reserve my final judgment pending further DNA work.  I suspect the southern New England "appy" might be yet another hybrid-introgressed "neospecies", possibly from population clusters separate from where Appalachian appy formed.  

I do often wonder why I find these appy types flying with glaucus in Rhode Island, well into summer.  They may have an extended flight (June to mid-August) or there may be another taxon expressing itself as an appalachiensis-like Tiger in August.  DNA work will need to resolve this.

Now, to complicate things further, Alex has informed me that there may yet be an additional taxon in Massachusetts that appears to be a smaller version of appy.  I have not seen that one, but it does pick my interest.  There may yet be additional "neospecies" in New England - what we call "canadensis" might consist of different population groupings, with some specimens approaching western rutulus in northern New England.  All this makes for an interesting and rewarding study for a student in evolutionary biology, and frankly, I'm surprised nobody's picked up on this yet!!  It's also a headache for taxonomists, who get frustrated with trying to make things fit into the categories of species, subspecies, semispecies, superspecies, microspecies, neospecies, biotypes, ecotypes, etc. etc. etc.  

Whew,
Harry Pavulaan
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter De Gennaro <degennap at bc.edu>
To: Grkovich, Alex <AG at balatmp.com>; harrypav <harrypav at hotmail.com>
Cc: ctleps-l <ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Sent: Tue, Aug 18, 2015 8:17 pm
Subject: Re: [Ctleps-l] Dark female E Tiger Swallowtail


 
  Appalachiensis was off my radar because its flight should be over by now and they are not, to my knowledge known from CT. However, Eric Cummings photographed one in NY (one of only a handful of records) this year on July 22, which would normally be far past its flight:   https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.butterfliesandmoths.org_sighting-5Fdetails_1057059&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wPbNkt6T_H4X7m_PlvSFCGU2a9-csNvfRK2IVMi-mp0&m=aFn0QQcLSoHDDxc7hvuoB1adxzuvT8C47BlcuZS50JQ&s=9GB8ldFcFOHRXCjp2ndepflGn30yvvo2uVBLZDL6Vag&e= .  
  
   
  
  
   FWIW, this individual was massive; it looked like a bat flying out there. But glaucus also ge   t big this time of year...  
  
   
  
  
   Anyone else have any opinions?   
  
   
  
  
   Peter DeGennaro  
  
   Naugatuck  
  
   
   
On Tue, Aug 18, 2015 at 5:18 PM, Grkovich, Alex     <AG at balatmp.com> wrote:    
    
Yes, Rick...But remember that we are talking here about southern New England.....not the southern Appalachians.     
      
 In eastern Massachusetts, we start seeing these large non-glaucus types (the males) in early July.......and we see large females in good to excellent condition in late July/early August (I collected one recently - about 10 days ago - near West Newbury, MA...so a somewhat worn "appalachiensis" female in mid-August is not to be unexpected.     
      
 Examine the phenotype of this female closely - wingshape (FW in particular), that strong yellow FW bar at the cell-end, the characters of the blue on the HW etc. Then compare to Appy female on the BofA and in Pavulaan and Wrght's TILS papers on Appy.     
      
 Again, I do not think this is a glaucus female.....     
      
 Alex     
 ________________________________________     
 From: Rick Borchelt [     rborchelt at gmail.com]     
 Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 2:04 PM     
 To: Grkovich, Alex     
 Cc: Peter De Gennaro;      ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu     
 Subject: Re: [Ctleps-l] Dark female E Tiger Swallowtail     
      
 But isn't appalachiensis univoltine?
 
      On Tue, Aug 18, 2015 at 8:59 AM, Grkovich, Alex <AG at balatmp.com<mailto:AG at balatmp.com>> wrote:
 Peter,
 
 That looks more like a female Appalachiensis..............I don't think that is glaucus. Check the comparative photos of female glaucus and appalachiensis on the (Welcome to) Butterflies of America.....
 
 Alex
 ________________________________________
 From:      ctleps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:     ctleps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> [     ctleps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:     ctleps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>] On Behalf Of Peter De Gennaro [     degennap at bc.edu<mailto:     degennap at bc.edu>]     
      Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 10:23 PM
 To:      ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:     ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu>     
      Subject: [Ctleps-l] Dark female E Tiger Swallowtail
 
 8/17 - Naugatuck yard - I had a dark female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail today on buddleia when I came home from work. They are annual in my yard.
 
 Dorsal shot: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.flickr.com_photos_connecticutpete_20049483773_&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wPbNkt6T_H4X7m_PlvSFCGU2a9-csNvfRK2IVMi-mp0&m=0MfvfnZdJgaZL7LNNEh4keeS4SSV8VIMG3yT56K9tDg&s=BQyZvMzaAqftEQeKV-lSHgZyCR5h_Kd5yZNgIpwu2-0&e= <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.flickr.com_photos_connecticutpete_20049483773_&d=AwMFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wPbNkt6T_H4X7m_PlvSFCGU2a9-csNvfRK2IVMi-mp0&m=bgZ6kDQeJt7G712CA7PzDHLLCbNgqxFMig4OokhLnUU&s=jy2P4pre3X8vpoBbtK57dPcuL5sy6ecnccqOLZ60bnc&e=>
 
 Ventral shot: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.flickr.com_photos_connecticutpete_20483702129_&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wPbNkt6T_H4X7m_PlvSFCGU2a9-csNvfRK2IVMi-mp0&m=0MfvfnZdJgaZL7LNNEh4keeS4SSV8VIMG3yT56K9tDg&s=2xe0a-alH5pQzMeS5w5p23MjVAWkDIrCmxnkvgphgWo&e= <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.flickr.com_photos_connecticutpete_20483702129_&d=AwMFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wPbNkt6T_H4X7m_PlvSFCGU2a9-csNvfRK2IVMi-mp0&m=bgZ6kDQeJt7G712CA7PzDHLLCbNgqxFMig4OokhLnUU&s=uNFqagzbzgmq_bVRQUF3ouYP5_-WHB8Q7JlbhedsO98&e=>
 
 Peter DeGennaro
 Naugatuck
 _______________________________________________
 Ctleps-l mailing list
      Ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:     Ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu>     
      
      
       http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/ctleps-l       
        
        
        
 --       
 Rick Borchelt       
 College Park, MD       
 preferred personal email:  rborchelt |AT| gmail |DOT| com       
        
        https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__leplog.wordpress.com&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wPbNkt6T_H4X7m_PlvSFCGU2a9-csNvfRK2IVMi-mp0&m=aFn0QQcLSoHDDxc7hvuoB1adxzuvT8C47BlcuZS50JQ&s=GLhEE_txLRd7_47cTb6qbo-INjGZ7pArdaIhSzvmaMU&e=        
       
     
    
   
   
  
 
 

_______________________________________________
Ctleps-l mailing
list
Ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu
http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/ctleps-l

 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/ctleps-l/attachments/20150818/c4cadaad/attachment-0001.html 


More information about the Ctleps-l mailing list