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Post by trehopr1 on Jul 2, 2021 0:09:32 GMT -8
Here in my state of Illinois we have (2) checkerspots ! We have the Baltimore -- lovely species... But, then we have that OTHER guy... Here he is below: Beyond the subtle differences noted above; the Field Guide to the Butterflies of Illinois also notes this additional difference... So, do any of you know of this fellow or have him in your state ? Or have you perhaps collected him and mistaken him for the Baltimore ??
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Post by exoticimports on Jul 2, 2021 1:37:43 GMT -8
I didn’t even know about ozarkae.
Interesting since ssp borealis, which last I knew was the dominant ssp name, is so variable.
I’m still catching up 20+ years of ignoring NA Leps.
Chuck
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Post by jshuey on Jul 2, 2021 4:39:06 GMT -8
Populations that are refereed to as ozarkae also feed on Aureolaria (False foxglove) as the host. In the OD, that was one of the big supposed differences between the two subspecies.
john
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Post by exoticimports on Jul 2, 2021 4:50:54 GMT -8
Ah, so apparently some time since childhood, ssp borealis was made synonymous with ssp phaeton. butterfliesofamerica.com/euphydryas_p_phaeton.htmAnyone know (or speculate) what good it does for the larvae to go quiet in their temporary nests rather than simply pupate? Chuck
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Jul 3, 2021 12:07:31 GMT -8
I forgot about ozarkae. I lived in Illinois and collected Euphydryas phaeton ozarkae North of Watseka, IL. However, it looks like Euphydryas phaeton to me. I would wager some serious coin the DNA is very very close.
I also collected Euphydryas phaeton ozarkae in near Watseka, IL.
I have a series of Euphydryas phaeton from southern Indiana north of the Ohio River. They look very similar to what I collected in central Kentucky and in northeast Ohio.
This is like splitting gene's with a sledgehammer.
I am going to dwell on this and respond later.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2021 14:18:43 GMT -8
The Ozark checkerspot is not a easy bug to find in my experience. I have none in my collection and have only photographed one. Fortunately for the checkerspot it was in a area that prohibits collecting.
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Post by jshuey on Jul 4, 2021 9:08:08 GMT -8
I also collected Euphydryas phaeton ozarkae in near Watseka, IL. These would be normal E. p. phaeton as I understand the subspecies. E. p. ozarkae would be be in the Shawnee National Forest region in extreme southern Illinois. Ozarkae specimens are generally larger with a less white above. And they are supposed to be exclusively feeding on False foxglove while phaeton feeds exclusively on turtlehead. Ozarkae is supposed to be an upland subspecies, while phaeton is restricted to wetlands. (note that when I say exclusively, this is the oviposition hostplant - after the larvae overwinter, they wander around and eat several different species of plants in the spring). But, as I mentioned previously, I have seen phaeton using the "wrong" hostplant and habitat in southern Michigan. This populations was permanent during the 5-year period I looked at it. And I bet, if people looked at the fens in the Ozark Mountains, they would find ozarkae in wetlands using turtle head as well. And, as Leroy mentioned earlier, some populations are switching to introduced plantain in New England. Apparently this common weed smells enough like turtlehead that females will lay eggs on it, and larvae thrive. John
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Post by jhyatt on Jul 5, 2021 5:59:49 GMT -8
My collection holds a good series of Jack Masters' E. p. ozarkae paratypes. They're pretty distinct from the phaeton I've collected in Tennessee, Virginia, and New Hampshire over the years. Must admit that I haven't seen one on the wing in many years; my local spots for them (all upland areas, not creekside) have been developed.
jh
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