Polygonia gracilis

[Kenelm Philip]

> However, females of faunus often appear to lack the green spots and then
> become surprisingly difficult to distinguish (at least to me) from female
> gracilis.

	In Alaska, _faunus_ invariably have females lacking the ventral
green spots (and, in fact, without the overall ventral-side pattern of the
males). On the other hand, this form of sexual dimorphism is absent in
Alaskan _gracilis_. Female _faunus_ and _gracilis_ here may thus be
distinguished immediately and unambiguously.

							Ken Philip
fnkwp at uaf.edu




 
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