Speyeria hesperis irene ( 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 : 34-35

Speyeria hesperis irene ( Boisduval, 1869)

( Figure 33 )

Argynnis irene Boisduval, 1869: 60 .

Speyeria atlantis irene (Boisduval) [ dos Passos and Grey 1947].

Speyeria hesperis irene (Boisduval) [ Scott et al. 1998].

Common name. Irene fritillary.

Type deposited. Lectotype (female) designated by dos Passos and Grey (1947) at National Museum of Natural History ( Figure 33 ).

Type locality. Interior of California. Defined by dos Passos and Grey (1947) as Massack, Plumas County, California. However, Emmel et al. (1998a) stated that the restriction of the type locality to Massack, Plumas County is unsatisfactory and note that S. h. irene is not found in the immediate vicinity of Massack. Emmel et al. (1998a) defined the type locality to be Gold Lake, Sierra County, California, where the ‘ irene ’ phenotype is known to occur.

Type label data. “ Montivaga Behr irene Bd. Calif. ; Argynnis Egleis [female] ( Irene , Bdv. Lepid. Californie, p. 60) specim-typic.; EX MUSAEO Dris. BOISDUVAL; Oberthur Collection; Type irene Bdv. a/c Hofer; Barnes Collection” .

Identification, taxonomy, and variation. Adults are similar to Speyeria hesperis dodgei , S. hesperis hanseni , S. hesperis cottlei (see Emmel 1998c) as well as the sympatrically occurring S. zerene . Ventral hindwing spots are cream colored on S. h. irene . Adult wingspan ranges from 50-55 mm.

Range. Occurs in the northern Sierra Nevadas of California, south to Yosemite in isolated colonies.

Life history. Occurs in open, dry meadows.

Figures

Figure 31-35. Type images for Speyeria spp.; dorsal, ventral, and label images. 31) Speyeria hesperis greyi holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis greyi, male, AMNH. 32) Speyeria hesperis lurana holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis lurana, male, AMNH. 33) Speyeria hesperis irene lectotype, described as Argynnis irene, female, NMNH. 34) Speyeria hesperis hanseni holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis hanseni, male, LACM. 35) Speyeria hesperis dodgei holotype, described as Argynnis dodgei, male, AMNH. Images 31-32 and 35 by James C. Dunford; 33 by Robert Robbins; 34 by Weiping Xie.