Parnassian quandary

[Cris Guppy & Aud Fischer]

Chris,

May I suggest that you read the Shepard and Manley paper in which the old P. phoebus is split into several North American species? It is in the recent Emmel book on Systematics of Western North American Butterflies. You will note that the evidence of multiple species is based on many different carefully documented characters.

Your list of P. "phoebus" subspecies is also at least 25 years out of date. Many of them were eliminated in Howe's 1975 book (synonymized with other subspecies), and no-one since has seen any reason to resurrect them.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris J. Durden 
  To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu 
  Sent: August 3, 2000 10:43 AM
  Subject: Re: Parnassian quandary


  >From my working list (which is old and needs revising) I have the following -

  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus golovinus* Holland; USA- wAK
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus alaskaensis* Eisner; USA- cAK
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus apricatus* Stichel; USA- sAK
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus elias* Bryk; USA- sAK
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus yukonensis* Eisner; CAN- swYK, nBC
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus smintheus* Doubleday; CAN- eBC, wAB; USA- n&sMT
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus pseudocorybas* Verity; USA- wMT
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus xanthus* Ehrmann; USA- wWY, ID, wMT
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus maximus* Bryk & Eisner; USA- cMT, wWY
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus dakotaensis* Bryk & Eisner; USA- sMT, eWY, wSD, wNE
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus sayi* Edwards; USA- c&eCO, c&eWY, nNM
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus hollandi* Bryk & Eisner; USA- seUT
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus rubina* Wyatt; USA- NV
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus hermodur* H. Edwards; USA- CO
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus pseudorotgeri* Eisner; USA- c&swCO
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus idahoensis* Bryk & Eisner; USA- ID
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus olympianus* Burdick; CAN- swBC; USA- wWA
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus magnus* Wright; CAN- scBC; USA- wWA
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus sternitzkyi* McDunnough; USA- nCA
  *Parnassius (Parnassius) phoebus behrii* Edwards; USA- eCA

  I, as a notorious splitter, think on morphological grounds that *P. smintheus* falls within the present concept of *P. phoebus*. I think that if *P. smintheus* is found to be specifically distinct from *P. phoebus*, we shall be obliged to recognize several species among the old American *phoebus/smintheus*. In southern Montana there seem to be three ecotypes of this lineage that (in fresh specimens) can be distinguished morphologically and by pheromone odour, and by preferential habitat and flight season. With further work it may be possible to demonstrate if these are cryptic species. One of them seems to be *P. smintheus*.
  .......Chris Durden

  At 04:51 3/08/00 -0700, you wrote:
  >You wrote:
  >
  >>Hi Leps
  >>Yesterday I spent the day on Mt.Arrowsmith on Vancouver Island, B.C. and
  >>I observed what I belive to be two different species of Parnassian's on
  >>the lower reaches and the road up to the ski hill Clodius Parnassian
  >>(Parnassius clodius) was quite evident, but at the higher elavations a
  >>much whiter Parnassian was observed. This species showed some faint red
  >>spots on the upperwing and flew much slower than Clodius. Most specimens
  >>were quite worn and I must admit I foregot to look at the antennae to
  >>see if it was ringed or not. The problem is that The Butterflies of
  >>Canada suggests that it is Rocky Mountain Parnassian (parnassius
  >>smintheus), but the Checklist of North American Butterflies from NABA
  >>does not list this species. Any help you guys could give me would be
  >>much appreciated as this is possibly a new species for me. Derrick
  >>
  >>Derrick Marven
  >>Duncan, B.C.
  >>Canada
  >
  >Could it be that NABA lists Parnassius phoebus instead? Actually, 
  >this has puzzled me recently. I thought P. smintheus was just an old 
  >name for P. phoebus. Is it a new name? Were they split into far 
  >west and rocky mountain groups? What gives? Maybe Cris Guppy can 
  >help us out so we are all on the same page when talking about these 
  >things.
  >
  >The best of leps, Rich
  >
  >
  >
  >
  >
  >Richard A. Worth
  >Oregon Department of Agriculture
  >Plant Division
  >rworth at oda.state.or.us
  >(503) 986-6461
  >
  >

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