Post by monasteria on Jun 9, 2015 10:17:36 GMT -8
In another thread about the color change of Phoebis Avellaneda is the story mentioned about a subspecies of Phoebis Avellaneda which is extinct for a long time and has become a rarity today. I too have heard that story before and I think that it is based on a confusion with Phoebis thalestris (philea) ssp. huebneri. There even is an article in the Cuban entomological publication "Poeyana" which determines that "P.avellaneda must be considered a polymorphic but monotypical species" (Poeyana #366 from 1989).
Regarding Phoebis thalestris ssp. huebneri it is a different thing. Some consider that butterfly as a subspecies of P.philea others say that P.thalestris is a specific species with the nominate ssp. living on Hispaniola and ssp. huebneri living on Cuba. The Cuban ssp. has always been rare and local. The pure ssp. huebneri is said to be extinct today. I don't know if there was a major hurricane in the Caribbean at that time, but the first Phoebis philea ssp. philea have been found around 1960 on Cuba (most likely they migrated from Mexico) and since then the population has mixed with ssp. huebneri and led to the sympatric form/species which is found on Cuba today. These recent Cuban huebneris still have traces from the original ssp., but the orange and red colors on the butterfly are not as intense as they were some decades ago and the colored areas are smaller.
Regarding Phoebis thalestris ssp. huebneri it is a different thing. Some consider that butterfly as a subspecies of P.philea others say that P.thalestris is a specific species with the nominate ssp. living on Hispaniola and ssp. huebneri living on Cuba. The Cuban ssp. has always been rare and local. The pure ssp. huebneri is said to be extinct today. I don't know if there was a major hurricane in the Caribbean at that time, but the first Phoebis philea ssp. philea have been found around 1960 on Cuba (most likely they migrated from Mexico) and since then the population has mixed with ssp. huebneri and led to the sympatric form/species which is found on Cuba today. These recent Cuban huebneris still have traces from the original ssp., but the orange and red colors on the butterfly are not as intense as they were some decades ago and the colored areas are smaller.