New World vs Old World Pyrgus

[Michael Gochfeld]

After reading Norbert's first question about Pyrgus genitalis, I was 
about to pose a question to the list about the status of the Appalachian 
Grizzled Skipper and its relationship to the Old World P. centaurae. 
Then I saw Norbert's post with essentially the same question. 

Here is the way we treated it in BUTTERFLIES OF NEW JERSEY.  

Appalachian Grizzled Skipper  Pyrgus wyandot (Edwards, 1863)
"We follow compelling arguments of Shapiro (1974a) and Schweitzer (1989) 
that this be treated as a distinct species. The NABA Checklist (1995) 
and many other sources treat it as a race of the Grizzled Skipper 
(P.centaurae), which is primarily a Eurasian species, but has a race P. 
centaurae freija extending from Alaska to eastern Canada...."

"Comment: Often treated as a race of the Grizzled Skipper (P.centaurae), 
but Shapiro (1974a) argued that wyandot was specifically distinct based 
on genitalia, and Schweitzer (1989) pointed out that habitat, food 
plants, and larval characteristics supported its distinctness."

The Shapiro reference is BUTTERFLIES AND SKIPPER OF NEW YORK STATE  
Search 4:1-60, a faunal work rather than a taxonomic treatise. 

The Schweitzer reference is A REVIEW OF CATEGORY 2 INSECTA IN USFWS 
REGIONS 3,4,5 Unpublished report for USFWS----a conservation 
publication rather than a taxonomic treatise. 

Given that neither of my sources of information was a standard 
systematic publication (yet compelled by the arguments, 
nonetheless), that was why I was going to pose the question about 
wyandot. If P.wyandot is specifically distinct from P.centaurae, it 
would still be necessary to address the relatedness of P. freija. Is it 
centaurae, wyandot or something distinct. Or is this an example of a 
ring species. 

Mike Gochfeld

 
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