Monarch Subspecies MARTIN HONEY

Ron Gatrelle gatrelle at tils-ttr.org
Sun Oct 15 00:23:56 EDT 2000


>From Ron,
    Now Chris Durden has put forth the a proper start (below) -- a look at
the existing synonymy. I have done absolutely nothing in relation to monarch
subspeciation -- not even look at a check list. So, while I do think
subspeciation likely exists with plexippus, I have not looked at this
technically at all.
    Chris, the first thing I note on the list below is that the name
plexippus was first given to the east coastal "entity" and almost certainly
the southeast. This would not be the western Mexican migrant (90%?). I
suspect that all of the names below would be synonyms of the eastern
"entity" -- nominate plexippus. But not necessarily. This is why subspecific
research is actually harder to do right than that of most species.
    So there would be two possible "entities" to consider. The non-migratory
mountain monarch and that of the Western US. I have no intention (or time)
to research this. I wish someone would, whatever the conclusion. I will say
this. From my research I know that there are no North American Huber types
in existence. Martin Honey, you have just investigated the Linnaeus types.
Is the plexippus type existent? Can you offer advise on where it might have
been from?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris J. Durden" <drdn at mail.utexas.edu>
To: <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2000 7:44 PM
Subject: Re: Subspecies and protection


> Among the North American Monarchs it looks like only the non-migratory
> mountain monarch is in need if describing, with a name or names as
required.
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> MONARCH, (milkweed butterfly, black-veined brown,
> wanderer, storm fritillary, archippus, web-footed danay,
> queen of spain fritillary, bermuda butterfly, storm king,
> storm butterfly, monarque, monarca).
> *Danaus (Danaus) plexippus plexippus* (Linne, 1758);
> CAN.NF QUnw MBn SA AB BCsw southward
> USA.CAw&sw AZsw TXs FLnw&s MT SD & between
> MEX.MX MH NL TA HD GO ML OA DF QR
> BAH.
> GBR.BM
> CUB.
>
> MOUNTAIN MONARCH.
> *Danaus (Danaus) plexippus* subsp.;
> MEX.CL CS
> NIC.
> COR.
>
> CARIBBEAN MONARCH, (soldier Martinique, le manteau ducal).
> *Danaus (Danaus) plexippus megalippe* (Huebner, 1819);
> USA.GA FL NJstray
> MEX.TA
> HAI.
> DOM.
> USA.PR
> JAM.@
> GBR.CA
>
> CUBAN MONARCH
> *Danaus (Danaus) plexippus menippe* (Huebner, 1816);
> CUB.
>
> PUERTORICAN MONARCH
> *Danaus (Danaus) plexippus portoricensis* Clark, 1941;
> USA.PR
>
> ANTILLEAN MONARCH
> *Danaus (Danaus) plexippus leucogyne* Butler, 1884;
> USA.VI
> SKN.SK
> DMA
>
> JAMAICAN MONARCH.
> *Danaus (Danaus) cleophile* (Godart, 1819);
> HAI.
> DOM.
> USA.PR
> JAM.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>  ~~~~
> At 04:28  14/10/00 -0400, you wrote:
> >Bruce,
> >    Absolutely, where phenotype is not a factor, other, evidence for
> >subspeciation must be compelling. I consider the unique migration
phenomenon
> >in N.A. plexippus to be a blatantly, unarguably, obvious evidence of
> >subspeciation.
>  - - -
> >    At the subspecific level the geneticist is often left out because
there
> >may be no genetic evidence. Thought there may be molecular.
> >    I fully agree, a reviewer on this should not have a in-vested part in
> >the monarch $millions. Though the author surely can.
> >
> >-
>


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