Treasures of the Dalean Collection. Lepidoptera & Coleoptera

From the alfacariensis entry in our Colias book:

The name alfacariensis was unavailable from its first publication in 1905, because of Ribbe’s application of the prefix “ab.”, although it was discussed as a geographical form distinguishable from those that occur in other regions. Some authors considered the name validated because of the original application of the name for a “geographical form”, principally Reissinger (1971, 1987, 1989, 1990) and Reissinger & Wagener (1990). Some correctly maintained that if alfacariensis was deemed unavailable from its first publication by Ribbe (1905), it should still be considered available from the subsequent discussions by Ribbe (1906, 1907, 1910, 1912) wherein he gave it the status of “varietas”. Kudrna (1982) held a different opinion and discussed the situation at some length, claiming the oldest available name for the species to be alfacariensis Berger, 1948. At the time it seemed a correct and sensible solution to ascribe the species name to the Belgian lepidopterist who first recognised it as specifically distinct from C. hyale (Linnaeus, 1758), but this became irrelevant after a ruling of the IZCN. The proposal was eventually submitted that the IZCN should confirm the availability of the name, and so establish its priority over others such as australis Verity, 1911 and alfacariensis Berger, 1948 (Whitebread et al. 1988). The Commission did this in Opinion 1657 (ICZN 1991), by placing alfacariensis Ribbe, 1905 on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology, therefore ending almost half a century of nomenclatural instability.

Bob

Were L. hippothoe and L virgaureae ever British

There are a number of historic specimens of the Purple Edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe in the Dale collection, but all could be fraudulent examples. Nevertheless, they remain valuable because of their age and they have an interesting story to tell. In the Dale collection there are three specimens of Lycaena hippothoe labelled as British. They have the data, Woodside, Epping - September 1818 from Dr Leach [ J.C.Dale.] In his British Entomology, John Curtis [1791-1862] wrote that L. hippothoe was abundant in August and September 1818 at Woodside in Epping. Dr Leach received a fine series of L. hippothoe from Epping during this period for several successive seasons. However, what Curtis, Dale and Dr Leach did not then realise, that the specimens of L. hippothoe may not come from the wilds of Epping, but from the breeding cages of a very shady dealer called George Plastead who lived there. George Plastead then of Chelsea, had laid down his ground work early because he reported that he had captured a single specimen of a new British insect L. hippothoe in a well known locality for other rare lepidoptera, Ashdown Forest in Sussex during 1808. J.C. Dale was a friend and a patron of the great entomological artist John Curtis. In 1825 Curtis and Dale made a collecting tour of Scotland, which at that time was hardly visited by entomologists and they discovered thirty unknown species of insects.

In the Dale collection there is also a series of eight specimens of Lycaena virgaureae [Linnaeus 1758], which was known to the early British collectors as the Scarce Copper. Was this species ever British? There are a number of specimens of L. virgaureae in historical British collections. Are some of them genuine British examples or are they all fraudulent and were they provided by disreputable dealers, which in the 19th century so plagued the entomological community. As the butterfly fauna was not then entirely known, those dishonest characters were eager to make money from unsuspecting collectors who were so eager to add any new British butterflies to their collection. One female in the Dale collection, which has a very old British entomological pin, has the data C.H. Capel-Cure, Cromer, Norfolk - August 26 1868. Two specimens have L. dispar localities: one has the data Isle of Ely, Yaxley, Dr Leach , the latter was very eminent and highly regarded entomologist, but he is known to have purchased specimens from that rogue George Plastead, the other specimen is labelled the Haworth sale, Isle of Ely, 1824. The five others are labelled Museum Bloomsbury from James Francis Stephens . Stephens [1792-1852] helped curate the early insect collections at the British Museum. If this species was once British, why are there no recorded written accounts by the legion of collectors who operated in the 19th century. Perhaps their silence on this matter speaks volumes.


Lycaena hippothoe - Dale collection.


Lycaena virgaureae - Dale collection.

Was Iphiclides podalirius ever British

Iphiclides podalirius [ Linnaeus 1758 ] is known in Britain as the Scarce Swallowtail because there have been very few records of this fine butterfly. Iphiclides podalirius was first mentioned as British as far back as 1710. Most works quote that the first authoritative record of a capture of this species in Britain was by the Reverend Charles Abbot at Clapham Park Wood near Bedford in May 1803. Abbot also mentions that he saw another Scarce Swallowtail shortly afterwards, but missed it. Dale acquired the I. podalirius specimen when he purchased the Charles Abbot collection in 1817. Abbot seems to have been fortunate with finding rare immigrants because he also took a Pontia daplidice and a Issoria lathonia in the nearby Gamlingay Wood a month later in June 1803. Both specimens are in the Dale collection and like Abbot's I. podalirius specimen are in very poor condition and were probably only included because of their extreme rarity and historical interest. Did the Reverend Abbot take a genuine vagrant I. podalirius one sunny day in Clapham Park Wood. Those that read the Bedford Large Blue article in this thread, will know that Abbot discovered the new British skipper Carterocephalus palaemon in the same wood in 1798 and he appears to have been a highly regarded naturalist who also wrote a Flora of Bedfordshire in 1798. However, when Dale examined the Abbot collection, he also found two exotic Skippers Hesperia bucephalus and Pyrgus oileus that were also taken in Clapham Park Wood. So what was going on! To some, Abbot's reputation was tarnished by the unusual rarities that he had captured. It seems to me, and as others have suggested, the dear Reverend had been the target of the activities of an entomologist who was not looking for new species, but carefully releasing them. The most likely candidate was the entomological dealer George Plastead , who was known to have released species for others to find. There would have been nothing better than to have a distinguished naturalist, who had already found a new and local butterfly, capture others that were new or rare to the British list. When the dealer sold others of the same species, if there was any question of them being genuine he could point out the captures of the Reverend at Bedford.

The wealthy Reverend Frederick William Hope [1797-1862 ] who founded the Hope Department and Entomological collections at Oxford, took a specimen of Iphiclides podalirius at Netley in Shropshire on the 14th September 1822. Hope wrote to C.W.Dale " my own successes have far outran my expectations, & it will be a piece of news to inform you that I have captured the long desired & doubted Papilio podalirius, since then I have seen another on the wing, but could not obtain it". Over the next six years Hope saw I. podalirius at Netley. So somewhere near his home Allan [1980] suggested there must have been a breeding population. In 1829 Hope saw another specimen of his Scarce Swallowtail feeding on fallen fruit but missed it. One of the specimens of I. podalirius that Hope captured at Netley survives at in the entomological department Oxford which he founded . There has been much speculation as to the origin of the Netley specimens. Salmon [2000] mention that a lady at nearby Longnor painted butterflies including this species, so did she release those specimens that Hope took? We will never know.


The Charles Abbot I. podalirius specimen from Bedford 1803.


A fine plate of I. podalirius by the great artist John Curtis. From his British Entomology 1820-1840.

Hi dunc, they do behind the seen tours around that time, but if you really want to see the Dale collection you could try the email I will PM you. By the Way I have finally gained permission to visit the Delias collection at the British Museum this coming Tuesday.

I do hope some of you are enjoying the history and specimens of these historic British Insects.

The first British Cupido argiades

The Short-tailed Blue - Cupido argiades is a common species in Central and Southern Europe, but it is a very rare immigrant to Britain with just 17 recorded. This species was first noted as new to Britain in 1885 when the entomologist Reverend O. Pickard Cambridge and his son captured two specimens on Bloxworth Heath near Wareham in Dorset. For many years British entomologists knew this species as the Bloxworth Blue. The same year Philip Tudor took a specimen in his garden in the nearby coastal town of Bournemouth. Because of the sudden interest of a new butterfly for Britain, the Reverend J. Seymour St John recorded in the journal ' The Entomologist ' that he had discovered that a male and a female had been taken by a Dr Marsh in a quarry two miles from his home at Whatley near Frome in Somerset during 1874. These two specimens were acquired for the Dale collection and were figued by E.B. Ford in his New Naturalist volume ' Butterflies ' in 1945. The pair from Bloxworth are also in the collections at Oxford and can be viewed at this link.
www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species_historic.php?genus=Cupido&species=argiades&subspecies=argiades&form=argiades



Cupido argiades pair from Whatley, Somerset 1874. Dale collection.



Two other British specimens of Cupido argiades in a private collection.

Ah, I wonder what Worldwide Butterflies would sell that specimen of C. argiades for today, and Abbey butterflies located in the old market-Roman town of Cirencester. I had many pleasant days in their shop taking butterflies during the 1980's.

When I write articles I try to get accurate references, however sometimes mistakes do occur especially in the case of a post here - The Bedford Large Blue. Because Bedford was placed at its side , I took this for a variety of M. arion although M. alcon is also clearly seen on the labels placed above the specimen. Dale recorded that he took a single specimen of M. arion at Bedford in 1819 and was in his collection, although this is clearly not that specimen, but in fact a specimen of Maculinea alcon, a species not known to be British. What has become of Dale's single M. arion specimen remains a mystery. All the early British entomologists took the alcon specimen to be a variety of M. arion, which it is certainly not. James Walker of Oxford rightly thought that this is a specimen of M. alcon in his review of the Dale collection in the Entomologist for 1907. In the register of the collection that was kept by C.W. Dale, the alcon specimen was captured in the early 19th century at Cliefden in Buckinghamshire by a Mr H. Jones and was given to the famous British entomologist Haworth and then later acquired at the sale of the collection by C.W. Dale. So where did this specimen really originate from- was it really caught in the Chilterns or was it given to Jones from another source. If there was once an ancient British population of the M. alcon, why is there only one specimen. It has been suggested because there are coastal populations of M. alcon in Holland it might have been blown or flown across the channel, but then one would have expected the capture to have been made on the Kent coast not many miles inland. when I have time I will rewrite the Large Blue article. Peter.


The Maculinea alcon specimen in the Dale collection. British example?

I'm also forgetting my manners. Thanks so much for taking the time to compile this thread, Peter. It's a fabulous read, and I'm enjoying it immensely. I think it must have passed me by when I was away in Ecuador earlier this year, or I'd have been all over it like a rash at the time.

Jon