Speyeria egleis kutoyisiks, Kohler, 2020

Kohler, Steve, 2020, Review of the Speyeria egleis complex in Montana, with the description of two new subspecies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae), The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 8 (8), pp. 1-19 : 6-7

Speyeria egleis kutoyisiks – new subspecies

(Figs. 93-126)

ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8A673343-B55C-4DFE-AE7E-662764D91DC5

The “Island Ranges” of central Montana rise up from the surrounding prairies in contrast to the main mass of the Rocky Mountains to the west where the mountains dominate the intervening valleys. Montana’s island ranges include the Sweet Grass Hills, Bears Paw Mts., Little Rocky Mts., Highwood Mts., Judith and Moccasin Mts., Little Snowy Mts., Big Snowy Mts., Little Belt Mts., Big Belt Mts., Castle Mts., and Crazy Mts. Because of their separation from the Rockies and from each other, the possibility exists that distinct populations of species of butterflies are present in these island ranges that that differ substantially. Subspecies albrighti is restricted to a group of island ranges including the Highwood, Judith, Little Snowy, Big Snowy, Little Belt, Big Belt and Crazy Mts. Of all the island ranges, the most isolated are the Sweet Grass Hills, Bears Paw Mts. and the Little Rocky Mts. It comes as no surprise then, that another distinct subspecies of egleis would be present in this group of island ranges. Norbert Kondla, my neighbor to the north in Canada first brought this population to my attention in 1989.

Definition: This is the largest of the Montana subspecies, with forewing length of males averaging 29.1 mm with a range of 21.0 to 32.0 mm, and females averaging 31.5 mm, with a range of 28.0 to 35.0 mm. Dorsally, the wings have the least amount of basal suffusion of black scales, and the maculation is the least heavy, allowing a greater amount of the orange ground color to show. The ground color of the discal area of the under hindwing in many male individuals is a warm golden buff, overlaid with only a slightest dull greenish brown sheen, while others display this sheen of variable intensity. Females have more brownish tone to this sheen, but overall the ventral hindwing has a light appearance. The dorsal wing surface has a noticeable two-tone appearance, where the orange ground color in the post-median wing areas is a lighter shade. This character is present in both sexes, but is more pronounced in the females. (Figs. 93-126) ( Table 1 ).

Etomology: Kutoyisiks is the Blackfeet Indian word for the Sweet Grass Hills, and means “sweet pine hills. The Sweet Grass Hills possess special significance to the Blackfeet Indians and to other tribes on the northern Great Plains. According to legend, the creator Napi fashioned the hills in the dim past out of the rocks left over from the formation of the Rocky Mountains. Napi liked his creation so much that the hills became a favored resting place for the old trickster. Located in the heart of a fertile bison hunting ground, the hills served as a vantage point for game and as a lookout for enemies trespassing in Blackfeet territory. Because of the isolation and connection with the creation of the earth, they have deep cultural significance to the Blackfeet as a spiritual refuge where teenage boys made vision quests to help guide them into adulthood. Many of the Blackfeet’s traditional stories take place in and around the hills. One of those involves the Blackfeet culture hero Kutoyis (Blood-Clot Boy) who sought to rid the world of evil in the early history of the world. It was in the Sweet Grass Hills that Kutoyis defeated Lizard or Frog Man after an epic battle that lasted many days. The Blackfeet paid tribute to his memory by naming the hills “Kutoyisiks” in his honor (Montana Department of Transportation Historical Highway Marker).

Distribution and Phenology: This subspecies is found only in the Sweet Grass Hills, Bears Paw Mts. and Little Rocky Mts. of northcentral Montana ( Fig. 127 ). It flies in a single brood from late June through July, depending on progression of the season. Peak flight at the type locality is normally from early to mid-July.

Types: Holotype male: MONTANA: Toole Co.: Pratt Canyon, 4470-5000’, West Butte Sweet Grass Hills , 1 July 2019, S Kohler Coll . Allotype female: MONTANA: Toole Co.: Pratt Canyon, 4460-4800’, West Butte Sweet Grass Hills , 16 July 2019, S. Kohler Coll . Paratypes (249 males, 86 females): MONTANA: Toole Co.: Pratt Canyon, 4705’, West Butte, Sweet Grass Hills , 9 July 2001, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll. ; Pratt Canyon, West Butte, Sweet Grass Hills , 10 July 2001, 2♂ 2♀ , 24 July 2002, 16♂ 3♀ , 22 July 2003, 2♂ 3♀, S. Kohler Coll. ; Pratt Canyon, 4800’, West Butte, Sweet Grass Hills , 29 July 2004, 1♂, 12 July 2007 , 10♂, 12 July 2007 , 10♂, 24 June 2009 , 4♂, 25 June 2009 , 2♂, S. Kohler Coll. ; Pratt Canyon, 4470-5000’, West Butte, Sweet Grass Hills , 26 June 2019, 4♂, 1 July 2019 , 51♂ 2♀, S. Kohler Coll. ; Pratt Canyon, 4430-4800’, West Butte, Sweet Grass Hills , 9 July 2019, 79♂ 4♀, S. Kohler Coll. ; Pratt Canyon, 4460-4800’, West Butte, Sweet Grass Hills , 12 July 2019, 40♂ 23♀, 16 July 2019 , 26♂ 42♀, 19 July 2019 , 2♂ 8♀, S. Kohler Coll .

Deposition of types: The holotype male, allotype female, and three male and three female paratypes will be deposited in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Gainsville , Florida. The remaining paratypes are in the author’s collection.

Type Locality: Montana: Toole County: Pratt Canyon, 4430-5000’, West Butte, Sweet Grass Hills. The Sweet Grass Hills in the northern parts of Toole and Liberty counties near the Alberta-Montana border in northcentral Montana are unique in that they are the highest isolated peaks in the United States. Of volcanic origin, the Sweet Grass Hills are prominent landmarks, rising nearly 3000’ above the surrounding prairie with rolling hills extending to the north almost to the Alberta-Montana border. They are visible for more than 50 miles and consist of three distinct butte complexes with scattered grassy hills connecting them. The three buttes are West Butte (elevation 6983’), Middle or Gold Butte (elevation 6512’) and East Butte (elevation 6958’). The stream that flows in Pratt Canyon is Simmons Creek. The high peaks of the Sweet Grass Hills rise abruptly from the surrounding prairie and support montane plant communities, including coniferous forests, which have their closest counterparts in the Cordilleran Rocky Mountains over 80 miles to the west ( Thompson and Kuijt, 1976). These authors conducted the first detailed study of the montane and subalpine flora of this isolated mountain range. They found Viola adunca and V. canadensis in the riparian forests along Simmons Creek, extending well into the montane region, and V. canadensis in the aspen grovelands. Open groves of Populus tremuloides surrounded by grasslands are found on grassy south-facing slopes as high as 1800m. Both of these violets could be considered possible host plants for S. e. kutoyisiks.

Additional Material Studied: MONTANA: Blaine Co.: N. Fork Little Peoples Cr., 3800-4500’, Little Rocky Mts., SE Hays, 26 June 2018, 3♂, 3 July 2018, 1♂, 4 July 2018, 1♂, 6 July 2018, 1♂, 10 July 2019, 1♂, 17 July 2019, 1♂, 23 June 2020, 5♂, 25 June 2020, 3♂, 15 July 2020, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; N. ridge N. Fork Little Peoples Cr., Little Rocky Mts. , SE Hays, 5 July 2018, 4♂ 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; hill W. jct. CR 303 & 304, 4300’, 4.3 mi. S. Lloyd, Bears Paw Mts. , 11 July 2019, 2♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Chouteau Co. : Sandy Creek Rd. , 4300-4800’, SE Rocky Boy, Bears Paw Mts. , 24 June 2020, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Hill Co. : Miners Gulch, 4350-4850', E. Beaver Creek Rd. , Bears Paw Mts. , S. Havre, 14 July 2020, 5♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Miners Gulch, 4340-4900’, E. Beaver Creek Rd. , Bears Paw Mts. , S. Havre, 21 July 2020, 1♂, 22 July 2020, 2♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Liberty Co. : Breed Creek , East Butte , Sweet Grass Hills, 5 August 2003, 1♀, 28 July 2005, 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Mount Royal , East Butte , Sweet Grass Hills, 30 July 2004, 1♂ 2♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Breed Creek , 4720-4800’, East Butte , Sweet Grass Hills, 6-7 mi. SE Whitlash, 15 July 2009, 2♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Phillips Co. : Beaver Creek Rd. , Little Rocky Mts. , NE Zortman, 4 July 2018, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Toole Co. : West Butte , Sweet Grass Hills, 12 July 1980, 1♂ 2♀, N. G. Kondla Coll.; Limekiln Creek , West Butte , Sweet Grass Hills, 10 July 2002, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.

There is the possibility that either one or both of the new subspecies of egleis will be found in Canada, due the close proximity to the border, of some of the Montana records. Layberry, Hall and Lafontaine (1998), commented on egleis in Canada. “This species has been reported several times from southwestern Alberta and southwestern British Columbia (Guppy et al., 1994). All of these records have proved to be misidentifications. The Great Basin Fritillary does occur close to the Canadian Border in Montana and may still be discovered in southern Alberta ”.

Figures

Fig. 127. Distribution of Speyeria egleis subspecies in Montana.