Post by nomad on Nov 4, 2012 5:07:27 GMT -8
Hi everyone,
Some time ago in this forum there was a interesting debate as to whether or not Ornithoptera paradisea arfakensis should remain as a subspecies or be given full species rank.
There was I believe going to be further investigation in the field but I never saw anymore posts.
If, as many say, arfakensis is only a high elevation subspecies of paradisea, what about the lowland occurrence of occidentalis from Sorong and galatea on Salawati which both show to be close affinities of arfakensis. None of the latter resemble the true paradisea found in the Doberai Peninsula subspecies chrysanthemum.
Bernard d Abrera in his lavish Birdwing Butterflies of the World- 2003 separated arfakensis from paradisea and has occidentalis and galatea as subspecies of arfakensis. I would like to say that I do believe Abrera along with Oliver Schaffler is right here.
The taxon arfakensis is known to have a different larva from paradisea which can be seen from the very good photograph in A Natural History of Birdwing Butterfies by Hirotaka Matsuka [2001].
It may be that because of the many irrelevant subspecies names being given to certain Ornithoptera for purely commercial gain, this may have blinded as to the fact that arfakensis has always been a good species.
Peter.
Some time ago in this forum there was a interesting debate as to whether or not Ornithoptera paradisea arfakensis should remain as a subspecies or be given full species rank.
There was I believe going to be further investigation in the field but I never saw anymore posts.
If, as many say, arfakensis is only a high elevation subspecies of paradisea, what about the lowland occurrence of occidentalis from Sorong and galatea on Salawati which both show to be close affinities of arfakensis. None of the latter resemble the true paradisea found in the Doberai Peninsula subspecies chrysanthemum.
Bernard d Abrera in his lavish Birdwing Butterflies of the World- 2003 separated arfakensis from paradisea and has occidentalis and galatea as subspecies of arfakensis. I would like to say that I do believe Abrera along with Oliver Schaffler is right here.
The taxon arfakensis is known to have a different larva from paradisea which can be seen from the very good photograph in A Natural History of Birdwing Butterfies by Hirotaka Matsuka [2001].
It may be that because of the many irrelevant subspecies names being given to certain Ornithoptera for purely commercial gain, this may have blinded as to the fact that arfakensis has always been a good species.
Peter.
