Pyrgus centaureae wyandot

Neil Jones Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk
Wed May 17 10:13:23 EDT 2000


In article <3.0.5.32.20000516111810.007f3660 at mail.utexas.edu>
           drdn at mail.utexas.edu "Chris J. Durden" writes:
There is an example of an unique race of lepidopteron that was exterpated
by "human predation". The New Forest Burnet Moth Zygaena viciae ytenensis
was wiped out in the 1920's in the UK. (It has been discussed before
look in the archive.) The demise of this creature was predicted by the
collectors of the day because of heavy commercial collecting.
 Currently in the UK there is another race of this
species ssp. argylensis which occurs at one single site in Scotland.
It was for many years confined to single figures and found on only
one little cliff ledge a few metres square! It has now, thanks to
proper habitat management recolonised the rest of the site and is doing
quite well.  It could easily have been 
extirpated by any increase in predation by any species.

> The only butterfly population I have heard of that was allegedly wiped out
> by a "bad" collector was an artificial colony of *Araschnia levana* - MAP
> BUTTERFLY that had been started in Britain, outside the modern range of
> that species. The "bad" collector was a purist who did not want an
> introduction of an alien species. As I recall this successful extermination
> was reported in E. B. Ford's "Butterflies".
> .......Chris Durden
> 
> At 01:47  16/05/00 -0700, you wrote:
>  
> >I'm sure something must have been wiped out 
> >by bad collectors. Not that they are all bad.
> >
>  
> >
>  
> >
> >__________________________________________________________
> >Get your FREE personalized e-mail at http://www.canada.com
> >
> >
> 
> 

-- 
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve


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