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It has long been suspected that Grammia oithona may be a form of G. phyllira, but concrete evidence has been lacking. The only obvious difference between G. oithona and G. phyllira is the presence of cream-colored scales outlining the veins of the forewing of G. oithona. A female G. oithona from Hampden County, Massachusetts, U.S.A., produced progeny consisting of 55 phyllira and 51 oithona. The following year a female G. phyllira from the same locality produced 33 phyllira and 40 oithona. Therefore the name oithona represents a wing pattern phenotype, not a species, at least in the population studied. Progeny of both wild females were bred in captivity, each cross consisting of a virgin female bred with a single male, with eight separate crosses producing offspring. The simplest, most parsimonious hypothesis consistent with the data from all eight crosses is that the wing pattern phenotype is inherited as a single autosomal gene with two alleles, a dominant phyllira allele and a recessive oithona allele; dominance may be incomplete in heterozygotes. Assuming G. phyllira and G. oithona to be conspecific across their composite range, the phyllira phenotype occurs with high frequency in most populations along the East Coast and in the Upper Midwest, and with low frequency in most populations to the west and south of this range. G. phyllira is of conservation concern in the northeastern U.S.A., where it has declined substantially during the past 50 to 100 years. The natural history of G. phyllira is typical of Grammia species, but its dependence on grassland and savanna habitat on dry, sandy soils is an important consideration in conservation and management efforts for this species.
Facies can fool taxonomists as well as predators. Neoxeniades molion (Godman)—one of the many, large neotropical skippers in the major mimicry group that includes all the cryptic species of the Astraptes fulgerator complex—is misclassified. It really relates to a species of Rhinthon that differs greatly from it in facies and size. In both sexes, the genitalia of Rhinthon molion, new combination, and R. osca (Plötz) are nearly identical, even down to a peculiar titillator on the left side of the aedeagus of the male. Males also share a secondary sex character along vein 2A of the forewing. DNA barcodes unite R. osca and R. molion in a tight, two-taxon cluster: their sequence divergence is about 3.5%. Caterpillars of the two species are alike but distinguishable, and, in Costa Rica, they have been found feeding on various native species of Marantaceae—seven of which are the same—and also on one and the same introduced species of Cannaceae (these are closely related plant families grouped in the order Zingiberales). Because Rhinthon is widespread and relatively speciose in Central and South America, it can no longer be considered a genus primarily of the Greater Antilles. DNA barcodes, which are useful for identifying known species and for indicating possible cryptic species, are useful in this study (in combination with other, more traditional, taxonomic characters) for pulling supposedly unrelated species together into the same genus.
Since its description Papilio hyllusCramer, 1775 has been linked to at least five lycaenine and thecline species of butterflies. Although most authors now consider P. hyllus to represent the same Nearctic species subsequently described as Polyommatus thoeGuérin-Méneville, [1832], some consider it to represent the Palearctic species described as Papilio thersamon Esper, 1784. For over three decades the name Lycaena hyllus has been employed for the Nearctic species, but the identity of Papilio hyllus remains contentious. The original watercolor drawings of Cramer's illustrated type specimen indicate that P. hyllus is a senior subjective synonym of P. thoe. A connection between the English entomologist Dru Drury (1725–1804) and the Dutch naturalist Hans Willem (Baron) Rengers (1722–1786) suggests that the illustrated type specimen of P. hyllus was collected by Thomas James in New York. A neotype is designated to objectively define the nominal species Papilio hyllus.
A 10-year survey was conducted within the pine rocklands of Everglades National Park to study the general status, phenology and natural history of Anaea troglodyta floridalis F. Johnson and Comstock. The response of A. t. floridalis populations to prescribed fires and hurricane activity within the Everglades was also noted. Anaea t. floridalis (n = 242) was encountered throughout the survey period, most frequently during the late fall to early spring. While the species was encountered throughout the pine rocklands of Long Pine Key its annual abundance varied considerably over the survey duration. Anaea t. floridalis was readily encountered within recently burned pine rocklands soon after prescribed fires. In addition, the species appeared to recover quickly after various hurricane events in the Everglades.
Plataea polychroma Ferris & McFarland is described from seven wild caught females and six reared adults of both sexes from Cochise Co., Arizona. The early stages, adults of both sexes and genitalia are figured.
Phaneta viridis and Phaneta hodgesi, new species, are described based largely on material in the United States Museum of Natural History collected by R. W. Hodges. Phaneta pastigiata (Heinrich), which has similarities with P. hodgesi, is reviewed. Adults and genitalia of the three species are illustrated.
Vertical and horizontal distributions of Oeneis norna have been investigated at the Hida mountain chain (Northern Japan Alps) in Japan. It is shown that the lower limit of the vertical distribution tends to decrease from the south to north. Linearity is seen between the lower and upper limits of the vertical distribution. The range of vertical distribution tends to narrow with lowering the upper altitudinal limit of the habitat. It is inferred from the horizontal distribution pattern of Oeneis norna in this area that the tephra (Tt-D) derived from the volcano of Mt. Tateyama and accumulated about 105 years ago, had an influence on the present distribution of this species in the Hida mountain chain.
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