Appy tiger in Lep Soc. News

[Ron Gatrelle]

I just read with interest the note in the latest issue of Lep. Soc. News by
G.O. Krizek on P. appalachiensis.  I am not sure I see the reproduced
photos as appalachiensis.  The text quoted can be taken to indeed
illustrate the way glaucus, canadensis, and appalachiensis were not
understood back in 1930.

The one error in the article is the statement that the illustration is
"typical" for appalachiensis.  Let me put it this way, if all the
appalachiensis look like that up in New England, then it is an undescribed
subspecies.  In "typical" appalachiensis the hindwing outer margin is
squarely stepped not scalloped, the VHW submarginal black/blue area has a
straight (not wavy) inner edge, and the anal (or inner) marginal black
stripe on the HW is thick not thin.  The forewings in the specimen look
like appalachiensis (and canadensis for that matter), but the hindwings
look just like normal early spring glaucus. Photos of the types of
appalachiensis are located at
http://tils-ttr.org/library.html

Now to that subspecies question.   Let's assume that the illustrated
specimen in indeed appalachiensis as it appears in the northeastern
portions of its range.  Some will say that it looks very much like southern
appalachiensis and thus shouldn't be considered a phenotypic subspecies.
When we are dealing with species groups where even species are darn hard to
tell apart, that does not mean subspecies should not be recognized - it
just means they are more subtitle than say Red-spotted Purples and White
Admirals.  When we have groups - like tiger swallowtails and spotted
blues - we have to major in minors.   Subspeciation is measured by a much
more refined scale.  When I look at the eastern subspecies of Deciduphagus
henrici (henrici, margaretae, yahwehus and viridissima) I see huge
differences.   Virtually everyone I know who does not specialize in dark
drab taxa don't see much a nuttin' goin' on.   I don't consider this a
matter of "eye of the beholder" either.   I consider it a matter of
sophisticated training to be able to recognize what one is seeing.  Or, I
could say it is a matter of the "split eye for the lumped guy."

Cheers
Ron



 
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