Polites origenes or P. themistocles?

[Robert Dana]

This has been pretty well worked over, but I'll go ahead and add another vote. If these individuals were from MN they would both be P. themistocles almost certainly. P. origines females here rarely have much "fulvous" on the forewings, and it is usually a colder (greener) shade, not the bright orange of the photographs. The markings on the ventral hw of females of origines are usually more pronounced than in themistocles, but both are quite variable.

Ron Gatrelle's comments about the coastal SC themistocles are interesting. In northeastern MN (the mixed conifer hardwood northern forest) themistocles is quite small and very dark; males have greatly reduced fulvous, and females are typically almost devoid of any (like females of origines, though the latter doesn't occur in northern MN). In the rest of the state we have a larger, brighter phenotype, "typical" themistocles. I haven't done enough collecting to determine where and just how the change occurs.

Robert

*************************************************************
Robert Dana, Ph.D.
MN DNR
Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program
500 Lafayette Rd, Box 25
St. Paul, MN 55155
651 297-2367
Email: robert.dana at dnr.state.mn.us
*************************************************************

>>> Will Cook <cwcook at duke.edu> 10/30/01 10:33:44 AM >>>
Anyone care to give an opinion on these two individuals?

http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/pix/xlineskipper.html 

I've gotten two expert opinions so far - one calls them both Crossline
Skippers (P. origenes) and the other calls them both Tawny-edged
Skippers (P. themistocles)...

Thanks,

-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook at duke.edu 
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708

 
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