Danaus gilippus bernice

[Ron Gatrelle]

Rob, Alex & all,
    In the recent thread on "Queens" in the DC area I mentioned remembering
an article by John Burns (USNM) on this butterfly in the Carolinas.  Well,
since the thread is still alive on leps-l, I decided to dig for it. Not
only did I find the reprint of it but another reprint of a paper on this
taxon in Mississippi by Bryant Mather.  First let me say that those who
don't ever look at research papers or subscribe to things like the Journal
of the Lepidopterists' Society or The Taxonomic Report that you are missing
a lot of fascinating information.
    Burns' paper was published in 1983 in Proclamations of the
Entomological Society of Washington. The title is "Queen of the Carolinas
(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae: Danus Gilippus).  It gives the
intriguing history of probably all records of Danaus gilippus bernice in
North and South Carolina.
    Mather's paper does the same for Mississippi. It was published in the
Lepidopterists' News in 1955. That paper is titled "Danaus Gilippus in
Mississippi".
    I wish I could just relay everything in these two papers - they are
that jam packed and interesting. But...  Just some highlights. Burns
uncovered records from 1899 to 1982 in SC and from 1904 to 1982 in NC.
Burns also found a record for Martha's Vineyard, Mass 8 July 1934. Mather's
Mississippi records are from 198? to 1953.
    The earliest Miss. record is 12 May 1952. The earliest SC record is 19
April 1934. The earliest NC record is 4 May 1908 Moore County. Burns
concludes, "I believe that the Queen is neither the casual visitor some
think it is nor a potential endangered species now 'Rare in S.C.' though
'common in S.C. to the 1930's ' (Brooks et.al., 1979:51) but, instead, a
species that actually breeds in the coastal Carolinas in most years."
Also, "...possibility of overwintering in sheltered situations on the
Carolina coast itself in the mildest years."
    Burns records finding larvae and pupae on Cynanchum palustre in beach
environs in N. and S. Carolina.  He also laments - as I continue to
lament - the widespread destruction of the unique flora and fauna of the
Carolinas' coast to make way for expensive resorts and housing. He found
this to be wiping out the breeding habitat of both D. gilippus and D.
plexippus along the coastal islands.
    In relation to plexippus, he noted that in his many personal visits to
the coastal areas of N. and S. Carolina he found gilippus bernice more
frequent. The historical records from Brimley, 1923 also state the same for
NC.  Sharpe 1914 found the Queen "common" in Charleston in 1912 and 13.
    The Martha's Vineyard specimens was in fresh condition indicating it
had not traveled a great distance. Burns stated that the Queen is a very
"mobile species" - contrary to various published reports to it not being a
"wanderer".  This makes sense to me too as its host plants are of disturbed
and changing environs dictating that the species continually be in movement
to locate and colonize new areas or perish.
    Well, there is more but this is email. One does not find this kind of
info in the shallow field guides of current sales. One has to get out of
print books like Clark and Clark's Butterflies of Virginia, Forbes'
Butterflies of New York and Neighboring States, or back to Scudder or
Edwards.
Ron

PS   Yes, those were the days when there were loads of real lepidopterists.
State books like Gochfeld's on NJ, Allen's on WVA, Harris' Butterflies of
Gerogia and other such books have good information - which is why I do not
need (own) many of the "popular" guides.

PPS  I just cringe every time I see D. g. bernice and D. g. strigosus both
called "Queen".  This is like calling all your kids (boys and girls) "Ed"
just because they are all in your family. Evolutionally and biologically
strigosus and bernice are greatly different - and of EQUAL RANK. If people
insist on common names then please use them correctly. Bernice is the
"Queen" and strigosus is "Striated Queen".  The Queen does not occur in
California!!!!!!!!!!


 
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