1920's Scientific Names Needed

Pierre Zagatti zagatti at versailles.inra.fr
Tue Jul 28 12:42:03 EDT 1998


Kenelm Philip wrote:
> 
>...
> Hemiargus hanno,
> now known as Hemiargus ceraunus (Ceraunus Blue). 

Hi Ken,

I am working on the catalogue of the butterflies of the French Antilles 
and Ken's remark on 'Hemiargus hanno' raises some questions.

According to Smith, Miller and Miller (1994, The butterflies of the 
West Indies and South Florida), the name 'ceraunus' should apply
only to a subspecies (Hemiargus hanno ceraunus) found in Jamaica 
and Hispaniola (it has been introduced in some Bahamas Islands). 
This opinion is also expressed in Riley (1972, A field guide to 
the butterflies of the West Indies).
Smith et al. state that the genitalic differences between hanno and
ceraunus are not sufficient to separate them as species, and hanno
Stoll (1790) has priority over ceraunus Fabricius (1793).

Now other authors consider them as separate species (Schwartz, 1989).
This being, I don't understand why ceraunus should be used instead of
hanno:
	i) they belong to the same species, so hanno has the priority, or
	ii) they belong to different species, so ceraunus is the West
	Indian species and hanno inhabits continental America (except
	for Hemiargus ceraunus antibubastus, which occurs in southern Florida). 

I would greatly appreciate reading your opinion or more recent
references.

Thanks,
 
-- 
Pierre ZAGATTI
INRA Unite de Phytopharmacie et Mediateurs Chimiques
78026 Versailles Cedex
FRANCE
Tel: (33) 1 30 83 31 18
e-mail zagatti at versailles.inra.fr
http://www.jouy.inra.fr/papillon/


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