Problema

[herschel.raney at conwaycorp.net]

Problema - It really sounds like your females are really males. 
If so, then no problema.  If they are indeed females, then the 
behavior is indeed perplexing.

John


Well, I had decided that these must be male Problemas by 
behavior. And then this would mean that Glassberg's photos for the 
Byssus were, well, misleading. But looking again just to make 
absolutely sure, I have now discovered that the photos in 
Glassberg for the Florida form of the Byssus are very different from 
the shots for the western form. The difficulty was, I suppose, that I 
am in Arkansas and had presumed that though my county is 
completely out of Glassberg's range for any of the byssus forms we 
would more likely have the western form and not the Atlantic coast 
form in our little satellite. Since the photos I took look exactly like 
the males of the Florida form and their behavior is male-ish I am 
concluding that in the middle of Arkansas, near a Cypress Swamp 
we have been blessed with a subpopulation of the Eastern form of 
Problema byssus. And thus they are all males. Meaning that I have 
seen all males except for one and when I saw her, I didn't know 
what she was. I now see she is an Eastern form byssus female.

(Would be happy to send you a shot, Mister Shuey, of a male for 
your helpful comments.)

				Herschel Raney
				Conway Arkansas

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl