Papilio joanae

[DR. JAMES ADAMS]

Hey Felix and Listers,
 
        I agree with the approach that both Doug and Felix suggest
about subspecies.  I'm not entirely against their use, however, you
better have a damn good reason to use a subspecific name.  You
who have been on this list for a while know how opinionated I am
on this topic.
 
        As for P. joannae.  I grew up in the Kansas City area, and John
Richard Heitzman was my lep mentor.  He took a very methodical
approach in naming P. joannae.  He reared it several times, and
discovered larval morphs (just *some* mind you) that were always
assignable as P. joannae and never show up in P. polyxenes.  He
found different larval *preferences* (different growth
rates/survivorship on different foodplants), though he could usually
get some of each "species" through on acceptable plants.  He also
did crosses and backcrosses from offspring.  Although most F1's
were apparently completely fertile, some significant hybrid
breakdown occurred in both F2's and backcrosses, and he was
never able to get beyond an F3.  So he *didn't* name this species
haphazardly.  Habitat choice is also a bit different, though you can
find both species feeding at flowers on a roadside in the woods.
Having had personal experience with this "species", you can tell
virtually all individuals apart solely on appearance, so at least
"subspecific status" would seem reasonable -- certainly this falls
withing Felix's criteria for subspecies.  Full specific status is
certainly not out of the question, as Felix suggests.
 
        My two cents.
 
                James
 
Dr. James K. Adams
Dept. of Natural Science and Math
Dalton State College
213 N. College Drive
Dalton, GA  30720
Phone: (706)272-4427; fax: (706)272-2533
U of Michigan's President James Angell's
  Secret of Success: "Grow antennae, not horns"
 
 
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