Red-spotted Admirals??

[Kenn Kaufman]

Harry Pavulaan wrote:

> NABA has revised the common name of Limenitis arthemis astyanax to
> "Red-spotted Admiral".  I presume this was done in the name of
standardizing
> genus names.  Thus, all Limenitis (correctly Basilarchia?) are now
> "Admirals".  However, I wonder how many newcomers will now confuse Red
> Admirals with Red-spotted Admirals?

My comments are not meant as a defense of NABA (their latest
checklist strikes me as a step backwards in many ways) but as
a clarification.  I just looked at the list, and actually they apply the
name "Red-spotted Admiral" only to Limenitis arthemis in a
larger sense.  They continue to apply "Red-spotted Purple" to
L. a. astyanax, and "White Admiral" to L. a. arthemis.   Not stated,
but presumed, I suppose, is that L. a. rubrofasciata would also
be a White Admiral, and L. a. arizonensis would also be a
Red-spotted Purple, under this system.   In practice, the name
"Red-spotted Admiral" wouldn't apply to anything we would see
in the field or in the trays.   The problem with having such a name
at all is that birders coming into "butterflying" bring along a
prejudice against using English names for subspecies, and
they may think it's "correct" to use the larger group name for
anything in this complex that they see.  ---  Anyone on this list
who has influence at NABA might suggest that their members
be encouraged to continue to use the more precise names for
these taxa, and to not use "Red-spotted Admiral" at all.

Kenn Kaufman
Tucson, AZ
kennk at ix.netcom.com



 
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