Species vs. Subspecies

Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca
Tue Aug 14 16:30:31 EDT 2001


The perennial problem. I will refrain from mentioning the specifics to
protect the innocent and also because I am more interested in reaction to
the logic than the specifics of the case. But the case is real. Here is the
scenario: two taxa, allopatric by about 300 kilometres where they come
closest; they look plainly different and they have structural differences in
the genitalia. Seems like the normal taxonomic practice would be to rank
them as separate species. In fact these two taxa are treated in current
literature as subspecies.  I am interested in any thoughts on why different
looking butterflies with structural differences would be treated as
subspecies when the normal practice is to go the species route.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Norbert Kondla  P.Biol., RPBio.
Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management
845 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, British Columbia V1N 1H3
Phone 250-365-8610
Mailto:Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca       
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca


 
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