missing out?

[Ron Gatrelle]

Since leps-l remains low in posts/threads, I thought I might forward a post
I just sent to our TILS leps-talk Yahoo group.  Sept. has been a bit low in
posts at leps-talk too with only 320 to date (in 03, most months have been
close to or above 500).  Anyway, if you are not subscribed just go to our
home page at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TILS-leps-talk/  and follow the steps where
it says "join this group".

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We took a bunch of Phyciodes photos last evening (9 to 12:30) which I
thought Joe was going to email over to me right away.  That didn't happen.
I had intended to work on the ones we took of antennal clubs and post a
couple on the site here.  We took one group photo of 8 specimens which
shows1) the variation in early May at one site, 2) the variation in
"tharos" and 3) the new sp. comparied to tharos.

The 6 tharos were all collected the same day (May 7) in the same general
area.  There are three completely different phenotypes and two distinct
sizes of "tharos" at that area.  I say tharos as they all have round black
clubs and are all much smaller than the 2 n sp individuals photographed
with them. The pair of n. sp were collected at the same area on 16 May a
year later (after I caught on that multiple taxa were there).   If I'm
lucky, I'll have these posted here no later than Thursday - perhaps this
evening.

I say general area rather than same area because two of the tharos (a pair)
were in a wooded glade amid the larger site area.   These are the same size
as phaon or a bit smaller.   There was a whole colony of these in this
small glade.  The other pair of tharos is "normal" sized and looking. Then
there are two males of normal tharos size but very broadly red above - more
so than cocyta.  This latter size, dark club, and phenotype occurs there
throughout the year but uncommonly.

The size and phenotype of the n. sp is pretty consistent at all four places
I have found it.  The one family I reared produced about 60 adults that
were all basically alike.

Ron

PS  It will be years and years before all the aspects of the tharos group
of Phyciodes are worked out.  Hundreds of rearings need to be carried out
all across the continent and data recorded.  One hypothesis I have is that
the orange color of the nudum is influenced by what species of Aster and/or
temps larvae are reared on/under.    Nudums can range from light orange to
dark red.  Is this genetic or environmental. I have one wild caught
specimen in which the red is so dark it looks almost black.  I have two
specimens where the nudum is black but the rest of the club is bright
orange.  Two with one black club and one orange club. All these are wild
caught and not determined as to species - they are toooo screwy.  Speaking
of screwy, I have to relay the follow from a post I got yesterday from
James Scott.

    "Yes I reared about 35 families at once one summer, and after 3 or so
years of that got pretty sick of rearing them, and I really think Phyciodes
are a ratty group of scummy species.  Why can't each species have a nice
purple spot or something distinctive to show it is a good species??"
:-)



 
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