[leps-talk] Appy tiger in Lep Soc. News

Wed Dec 17 10:36:34 EST 2003

Granted, whatever is happening with the "Tigers" in New England is
speculation, at this time, but...

1. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, P. glaucus glaucus, appears to have a
middle spring flight in New England, from about the 3rd to 4th week of April
through much of May. This flight is fairly common in southern New England
(CT), and uncommon in eastern Mass., at least...Whether it occurs in
northern New England (VT, NH, Maine) would have be commented on
elsewhere...There is then, in eastern Mass., another flight of what appears
to be glaucus from mid/late July through August. From my observations,
nominate glaucus appears to range north to northeastern Mass. and perhaps
into southern VT, NH and Maine. Glaucus appears to be regular but uncommon
in northeastern Mass., more common in southeastern Mass. and common in CT.
Phenotypes of glaucus (males and females) that I have taken in eastern Mass.
in August are similar to phenotypes of glaucus from much further southward,
except for the overall size...I have NOT seen or taken a dark female in
Mass. but the dark form does occur sporadically in CT.

2. The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, P. canadensis,  is abundant in northern
new England, of course, in the Canadian Zone. It has a single brood, and
flies from about the 4th week of May through June with stragglers lasting to
about the 2nd week of July...The peak flight is during the second half of
June. From my observations, canadensis males, while being superficially
similar to and look rather like miniatures of appalachiensis, are
characterized by a narrow, noticeably triangular HW with a VERY straight
outer margin from apex to tail. This is somewhat different from Appy in
which the HW is also somewhat triangular, but also appears to me to have a
slightly concave (curved) outer margin. This is best seen with voucher
specimens compared side by side. The abdomen of the male canadensis is also
noticeably shorter than in Appy - in which the abdomen is "abnormal" in
length...

3. In eastern Mass., at least, there is a very large flight of something
that commences at about the same time as canadensis, at or just before
Memorial Day, and also lasts into mid-July. These occur, however, in a
different Life Zone than do canadensis, and they appear phenotypically to be
also closer to nominate appalachiensis...I have male specimens taken on June
10, 2002 at the base of Mt. Wachusett (Worcester Co., MA) at el. 950 feet,
which are almost exact miniatures of very large Appy males which I took two
weeks earlier in Greenbrier Co., WV. I also took a very interesting Tiger
(which for now I am referring to as appalachiensis) at Cross River,
Westchester Co., NY on May 30, 2003...The specimens was collected while
perching on a shaded gravel road inside an Upper Austral forested area. This
specimen cannot be glaucus, according to flight timetable, and while it
COULD be canadensis, my observation is that it is NOT: wrong habitat, wrong
Life Zone, wrong foodplants available in the area. Phenotypically it is
closer to appalachiensis. It is intermediate in size between Mass.
individuals of this same flight and the Appys of the southern Appalachian
Region (such as in Greenbrier Co., WV). I have found this phenotype in
southern NH and as far north as Lewiston, Maine...it has been reported as
far north also as near Grand Isle, VT...These demonstrate a marked different
flight...quicker, faster wingbeat...than the floating flight of typical
glaucus (which is noticeable, and can be referred to as a field mark, in
Mass. glaucus of late July/August). 

This flight appears to peak in eastern Mass., at stated above, during
mid-June. However, there appears also to be an interesting SECOND spike or
peak of males during early July, coincidental with the appearance of the
peaking of milkweed blossoms. I observed this "spike" clearly in 2001; this
second flight has been poor probably on account of poor weather during 2002
and 2003, so further observations are required. This situation is further
complicated by the occurrence of yet another flight if "Tigers" in the
second half of July; these individuals are noticeably larger and heavier
than (let's call it) the "Appy" flight of June/early July...yet, these also
appear to be intermediate between glaucus and "Appy" and also appear to be
somewhat different (wings not quite as broad, VFW light marginal band not
separated totally into distinct spots, tails not as thick etc.) from what I
have been referring to as "true glaucus" which definitely flies here in
August...  

A lot of observations and study are required in this region...At this time,
my suspicion is that a northern subspecies of appalachiensis ranges into
Transition Zone south/central New England, as far north as southern VT and
NH, and to about Lewiston, Maine...

Alex

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Ron Gatrelle [SMTP:gatrelle at tils-ttr.org]
> Sent:	Monday, December 15, 2003 3:37 PM
> To:	TILS talk; Leplist
> Subject:	[leps-talk] Appy tiger in Lep Soc. News
> 
> 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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