Speyeria hesperis chitone (Edwards, 1879)

Dunford, James C., 2009, Taxonomic overview of the greater fritillary genus Speyeria Scudder and the atlantis - hesperis species complexes, with species accounts, type images, and relevant literature (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (90), pp. 1-74 : 40

Speyeria hesperis chitone (Edwards, 1879)

( Figure 40 )

Argynnis chitone Edwards, 1879b: 82 .

Speyeria atlantis chitone (Edwards) [ dos Passos and Grey 1947].

Speyeria hesperis chitone (Edwards) [ Scott et al. 1998].

Common name. Chitone fritillary.

Type deposited. Lectotype (male) designated by dos Passos and Grey (1947) at Carnegie Museum of Natural History ( Figure 40 ). Brown (1965), however, noted the specimen selected by dos Passos and Grey (1947) was not the specimen of Edward’s original description. That specimen is housed in the National Museum of Natural History. Dos Passos and Grey were, however, at liberty to select any syntype and they chose the only male in the Edwards’ Collection housed at Carnegie.

Type locality. Southern Utah and Arizona. Defined by dos Passos and Grey (1947) as Cedar Breaks National Monument, Iron County, Utah.

Type label data. “ type Chitone [male] So. Utah; lectotype Argynnis chitone [male] W. H. Edwards designated by dos Passos and Grey 1947 ” .

Identification, taxonomy, and variation. Adults of S. h. chitone are generally larger than S. h. wasatchia and have a heavier black patterning above. The ventral hindwing disc of S. h. chitone is either silver or unsilvered. Adult wingspan ranges from 50-55 mm.

Range. La Sal and Abajo Mountains in Utah. It is also found near Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Life history. Nothing could be gleaned from the literature.

Figures

Figure 36-40. Type images for Speyeria spp.; dorsal, ventral, and label images. 36) Speyeria hesperis viola holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis viola, male, AMNH. 37) Speyeria hesperis elko holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis elko, male, NVMC. 38) Speyeria hesperis tetonia holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis tetonia, male, AMNH. 39) Speyeria hesperis wasatchia holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis wasatchia, male, AMNH. 40) Speyeria hesperis chitone lectotype, described as Argynnis chitone, male, CMNH. Images 36 and 38-40 by James C. Dunford; 37 by George Baumgartner and Scott Klette.