Questions about Bhutanitis lidderdalii subspecies

[sam9710]

Hi All
These days I got several specimens of B.lidderdalii, but I find there are some questions really puzzled me.I want your help.
I 've  consulted the taxonomy of B.lidderdalii on vikipedia，and It shows four subspecies like this：

B. lidderdalii lidderdalii Atkinson 1873 - (nominate) Buxa, Bhutan

B. lidderdalii spinosa Stichel, 1907 - Sichuan, China

B. lidderdalii ocellatomaculata Igarashi, 1979 - Chiang Mai, northern Thailand

B. lidderdalii nobucoae Morita, 1997 - north Kachin, Myanmar

Since，I have these problems:
The TL of B.lidderdalii lidderdalii is in Bhutan,and this subspecies also distributed in India?（B.lidderdalii lidderdalii= Bhutan India？）
I saw several specimens of B.lidderdalii spinosa was from Myanmar,is B.l.nobucoae=B.l.spionsa?(B.lidderdalii spinosa= Myanmar China?)
Is B.lidderdalii ocellatomaculata only distribute in Thailand?Are them really extinct？

Looking forward to your help
Sam

[Adam Cotton]

Here is the current synonymy of B. lidderdalii:

Bhutanitis lidderdalii Atkinson, 1873
ssp. lidderdalii Atkinson, 1873 (TL: Buxa, Bhutan Himalayas)
lidderdalei (Fruhstorfer, 1909) [ISS]
lidderdahli (Bryk, 1912) [ISS]
lidderdolei Li, 1987 [ISS]
ssp. spinosa Stichel, 1907 (TL: Szetchwan)
= ochracea (Tytler, 1939) (TL: Putao and Sadon, E.-E. Burma)
= yingjiangi Li, 1987 (TL: Yingjiang)
yingjiang Li, 1987 [IOS]
spionsa Li, 1987 [ISS]
= ailaonensis Li, 1994 (TL: Xujia Ba, 2600m, Jingdong County, Yunnan)
yingjianginensis Li, 1994 [ISS]
yigjianginensis Li, 1994 [ISS]
= nobucoae Morita, 1997 (TL: Northern Kachin State, Myanmer)
ssp. ocellatomaculata Igarashi, 1979 (TL: Chiang-Mai, Northern Thailand)


As you can see, one of the subspecies listed in Wikipedia (nobucoae) is not only a synonym of spinosa, but also of ochracea. The type specimen of spinosa is stated to have come from Sichuan, but probably it was actually collected in Yunnan, as lidderdalii has not been recorded anywhere in Sichuan.

In reply to your other questions, ssp. lidderdalii is also found in northern India near to Bhutan. B. lidderdalii ocellatomaculata was described from Doi Chiang Dao, a 2,000m limestone mountain about 90km north of my house. It lived and bred in a valley at about 1,500m on the mountain and has never been found at any other locality in Thailand or elsewhere. Probably it used to occur on other nearby mountains in Burma, and could still be present somewhere. Unfortunately in early 1983 there was a really bad fire, due to El Nino, on Doi Chiang Dao which destroyed the whole area where the ocellatomaculata would have been pupating, and none have been seen at all since then, so presumably it is extinct at the type locality, and maybe completely gone. Hopefully one day someone will find a new locality for this subspecies.

Adam.

ISS = Incorrect Subsequent Spelling
IOS = Incorrect Original Spelling

[sam9710]

It really did a great help！
You’re really a knowledgeble man，Adam！
Thank you ！
Sam