|
|
Post by yorky on Dec 31, 2021 5:59:47 GMT -8
A conundrum, sold to me as nominate machaon but from Armenia, probably one for Adam.  |
|
|
|
Post by yorky on Dec 31, 2021 6:00:33 GMT -8
 Underside |
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Dec 31, 2021 9:35:38 GMT -8
This should be ssp. syriacus. Sturm treated many subspecies of machaon as the nominate subspecies in his 2017 part 45 of the Bauer & Frankenbach Butterflies of the world series, so presumably the seller followed that classification.
Happy New Year everyone!
Adam.
|
|
|
|
Post by yorky on Dec 31, 2021 9:45:48 GMT -8
 So the ssp from Cyprus is the same one? They look very different. |
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Dec 31, 2021 14:05:55 GMT -8
This is one of the problems of European machaon, one issue is that different generations can often look very different. The Middle Eastern populations still need more study.
Adam.
|
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jan 3, 2022 5:36:00 GMT -8
This is one of the problems of European machaon, one issue is that different generations can often look very different. The Middle Eastern populations still need more study. Adam. Adam, might you expound on that? I'm no expert on machaon, but enjoy the systematics. I enjoy reading little tidbits about conundrums and unknowns. Chuck |
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Jan 5, 2022 11:00:49 GMT -8
One way to illustrate the extremes of seasonal variation in machaon is to show you the huge difference in Japanese ssp. hippocrates:  At the top are a male (left) and female (right) of the spring generation, and below them the summer generation, with a dark form female at the bottom. While the seasonal variation in European machaon is not as extreme as this there can be distinct size and pattern differences. The problems in what is generally referred to as syriacus are partly because ssp. syriacus is considered to range from Greece through Turkey to Armenia and south to Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Iraq. Populations in western Iran may also belong to syriacus. I suspect that part of the variation could be due to environmental differences as well as seasonal variation. Here is my drawer of syriacus, with the two columns on the right Armenian specimens.  Adam. |
|
|
|
Post by exoticimports on Jan 5, 2022 12:26:38 GMT -8
That is so cool. Thanks Adam.
Of course, I'd followed for decades the evolution of our understanding of North American species, but once it gets overseas the topic is way too big for me. So I can only enjoy the tidbits of insight that gets shared.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jan 5, 2022 13:15:17 GMT -8
We have P.machaon here too. One just has to drive 1500km north.
I planned to do so for so many years but for one or the other reason it got postponed. I may plan for this season as I most likely will not be able to fly to Calgary this year and maybe first week of July when I suspect should be a pick season for ssp.hudsonius I’ll be able to organize the research, time will tell.
|
|
