Speyeria edwardsii ( Reakirt, 1866 )

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 : 17-18

Speyeria edwardsii ( Reakirt, 1866)

( Figure 4D , 12 )

Argynnis Edwardsii Reakirt, 1866: 137 .

Acidalia Edwardsi montana Reuss, 1926: 439 .

Argynnis edwardsii Reakirt form edonis Gunder, 1934: 125.

Speyeria edwardsii (Reakirt) [ dos Passos and Grey 1945a].

Common names. Edward’s fritillary, green fritillary.

Type deposited. Lectotype (male) designated by dos Passos and Grey (1947) at Field Museum of Natural History ( Figure 12 ).

Type locality. California; Pike’s Peak, Teller County, Colorado Territory. Defined by dos Passos and Grey (1947) based on lectotype as Pike’s Peak, Teller County, Colorado. Subsequently defined by F. Brown (1965) as “Empire, Clear Creek County, Colorado ”.

Type label data. “ A. Edwardsii, Orig. Type, Reak Coll; Lectotype, Argynnis edwardsii Reakirt, Det. By dos Passos and Grey 1947 ; Argynnis edwardsii Reak., Col., Empire city. Reak., Orig. Types Originals of Edwd’s figs. In Butt. N.A. Strecker Colln. 13311, Field Museum Nat. Hist.; Lepidoptera Type Photograph No. 86, Field Museum”.

Identification, taxonomy, and variation. This is one of the larger Speyeria with pointed forewings. Adult wingspan ranges from 51-85 mm. The dorsal wing surface in both sexes is bright tawny and dark markings are moderate except along the margin where they are well marked with chevrons that point toward the wing base. The ventral forewings are bright pinkish orange at base and shading to yellow toward the distal margin with the same black pattern as upper side. The ventral hindwings bear oval or elongate silver spots and the disc is mottled with a dull greenish olive coloration. There are no subspecific names associated with S. edwardsii and there is little wing variation throughout its range. Speyeria callippe may be superficially similar in appearance where their ranges overlap, but S. callippe bears ventral hindwing marginal spots that are more pointed rather than rounded inwardly as they appear on S. edwardsii . Hammond (1990) hypothesized that S. edwardsii may have evolved directly from Speyeria callippe semivirida (McDunnough) (but see Scott 2008a: 80). Speyeria coronis is also similar but bears large, round median spots on the hindwing disc. The uncus on the male genitalia is clawed and slender, unlike the previous 5 species discussed above. The digitus ( Figure 4D ) on each valva is long and slender and unlike any other member in the genus (others have more or less a short, club-like digitus). Eggs are greenish yellow and generally shaped like the rest of Speyeria . Larvae are dark yellow dorsally, with gray laterally and a black dorsal stripe. The upper four rows of spines are gray at the base; the lower two rows of spines are orange at the base. The pupa is approximately 22 mm in length and brown with anterior portions reddish in color. The wing cases are yellow-brown with dark streaks along the veins. Detailed egg, larval instar, and pupal descriptions are included in Edwards (1888b).

Range. Speyeria edwardsii is known from southern Alberta east to Manitoba, south through the Dakotas, western Nebraska and Oklahoma, and west to northern New Mexico. They are seldom found above 10,000 ft in Colorado. Stray records also exist in Kansas ( Ely et al. 1983).

Life history. Habitat includes short grass prairie, foothills, meadows, glades, open pine forests, valleys and roadsides. Individuals are known to migrate into the mountains during the midsummer months with females moving back into the prairies during the late summer to lay eggs ( Opler and Wright 1999). Males will patrol for females all day in open areas regardless of topography ( Scott 1975). Flight period extends from mid-May through late October. Edwards (1888b) noted the egg stage is approximately 10 to 11 days. Larvae, which pass through five molts after overwintering as a first instar, feed for approximately 45 days before pupating. The duration of the pupal stage is approximately 15 days. Scott (1986 a, 2006b) reports various oviposition substrates for S. edwardsii .

Figures

Figure 4. Male genitalic armature. A) Speyeria idalia (locality unknown). B) Speyeria cybele (Nebraska). C) Speyeria hesperis (aedeagus removed) (Idaho). D) Digitus located on left valva, Speyeria edwardsii (Nebraska). Images by James C. Dunford.

Figure 11-15. Type images for Speyeria spp.; dorsal, ventral, and label images. 11) Speyeria nokomis lectotype, described as Argynnis Nokomis, male, AMNH. This specimen is not recognized as the name bearing type. 12) Speyeria edwardsii lectotype, described as Argynnis edwardsii, male, FMNH. 13) Speyeria coronis neotype, described as Argynnis Coronis, male, CMNH. 14) Speyeria zerene lectotype, described as Argynnis Zerene, male, NMNH. 15) Speyeria carolae holotype, described as Argynnis coronis carolae, male, CMNH. Images 11-13 and 15 by James C. Dunford; 14 by Robert Robbins.