Speyeria hydaspe ( Boisduval, 1869 )

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 : 44-45

Speyeria hydaspe ( Boisduval, 1869)

( Figure 47 )

Argynnis Hydaspe Boisduval, 1869: 60 .

Speyeria hydaspe (Boisduval) [ dos Passos and Grey 1945a].

Common names. Hydaspe fritillary, lavender fritillary.

Type deposited. Lectotype (male) designated by dos Passos and Grey (1947) at National Museum of Natural History ( Figure 47 ).

Type locality. Southern California. Defined by dos Passos and Grey (1947) as Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, California. Redefined by Emmel at al. (1998a) to Gold Lake, Sierra County, California.

Type label data. “ Monticola Behr. Hydaspe Bd. Californ. ; EX MUSAEO Dris. BOISDUVAL; Argynnis Hydaspe Bdv Californie; Argynnis Hydaspe [male], Boisduv. ex 2 typic. specim.; Type hydaspe a/c Hofer; Oberthur Collection; Barnes Collection ” .

Identification, taxonomy, and variation. There are approximately 7 described subspecies in the hydaspe complex. Adult wingspan is 41-58 mm. The subspecific taxa are fairly uniform in wing patterning and color. The dorsal wing surface is red-orange with a heavy black pattern, especially at the base. The ventral surface is purplish brown with hindwing spots relatively round and unsilvered in most populations (some individuals in the Northwest have silver spots-i.e., Vancouver Island), cream colored and edged with black. Spots located in the median band are large, first three approximately equal in size, touching or nearly so. The submarginal spots are larger in southern populations, smaller in the north and occasionally partly silvered. Some S. hesperis populations in the Pacific Northwest and California Sierra Nevada Mountains resemble S. hydaspe . Kondla (2001) clarified the taxonomic relationships and nomenclature associated with S. hydaspe forms in British Columbia. Eggs are cream colored and somewhat purple in color before hatching ( Pyle 2002). Larvae are mostly black with yellow-orange spines laterally; in some forms, these spines are black. The upper two rows of spines are typically black; lower four rows of spines orange-brown to yellow. There are also pale yellow mid-dorsal stripes; these are much paler than those in similar looking S. zerene . Larval coloration is likely variable throughout the range of S. hydaspe due to various local climatic conditions.

Range. Forms of S. hydaspe occur from central British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, south in mountainous areas to southern Sierra Nevada in California, northern Utah, and northern Colorado.

Life history. This species occurs in openings in moist montane coniferous forests, often near aspens, and in mountain meadows and along roadsides. It also occurs in drier areas in British Columbia ( Layberry et al. 1998). Flight period is from June to September.

Larval host plants. Viola adunca , V. glabella , V. nuttallii , V. orbiculata , V. purpurea , V. sheltonii ( Scott 1986 b, Robinson et al. 2002).

Adult food resources. Pussypaws, asters, thistles, mints ( Pyle 1995, Opler and Wright 1999); also often scat/feces (Cliff Ferris, pers. comm.).

Figures

Figure 46-48. Type images for Speyeria spp.; dorsal, ventral, and label images. 46) Speyeria hesperis capitanensis holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis capitanensis, male, AMNH. 47) Speyeria hydaspe lectotype, described as Argynnis Hydaspe, male, NMNH. 48) Speyeria mormonia lectotype, described as Argynnis Mormonia, male, NMNH. Image 46 by James C. Dunford; 47-48 by Robert Robbins.