Speyeria egleis macdunnoughi ( Gunder, 1932 )

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 : 1-3

Speyeria egleis macdunnoughi ( Gunder, 1932)

( Figs.1-20 )

Argynnis macdunnoughi Gunder, 1932 , Can. Entomol. 64(12): 280-281.

Argynnis macdunnoughi Gund. ; McDunnough, 1938, Mem. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 15.

Speyeria (Speyeria) egleis macdunnoughi (Gunder) ; dos Passos and Grey, 1947, Amer. Mus. Novit. (1370): 5, 18; dos Passos, 1964, Mem. Lepid. Soc. (1): 94.

Speyeria egleis macdunnoughi (Gunder) ; Miller and Brown, 1981, Mem. Lepid. Soc. (2): 142; Pelham, 2008, J. Res. Lepid. 40: 318; Pelham, 2020, www. butterfliesofamerica.com/US-Can-Cat.htm.

The type locality of macdunnoughi , as stated by Gunder is “Elkhorn Ranch Resort, Gallatin County, Mont.” He also added a note, which read, “For the convenience of future students who may wish to know the definite type locality of macdunnoughi , I quote from a letter received from Dr. McDunnough, ‘If you go up what they call (at the Resort) Spring Creek for about half a mile, the path branches to the right about where the water ceases to flow and rises sharply over a ridge, ending in an open meadow. If you cross this meadow to the top of the slope, you will find Argynnis plentiful in the open woods to the right. Slightly earlier than my date might be a better collecting time.’” The additional data, “ 7000 feet, Upper Gallatin Canyon” was added by dos Passos and Grey (1947).

Gunder named macdunnoughi for Dr. James H. McDunnough, who collected the holotype male, allotype female and two male paratypes, and placed the specimens in the Canadian National Collection at Ottawa. Dr. McDunnough is among some of the best-known names in Canadian butterfly study. He was a tireless collector and systematist in the first half of the 19 th century who built up the Canadian National Collection considerably ( Gunder, 1932; Layberry, Hall and Lafontaine, 1998). The material examined by Gunder (1932) and upon which he based the description of macdunnoughi consisted of the four Canadian National Collection specimens (holotype, allotype and two male paratypes) all collected by Dr. McDunnough at the type locality Aug. 1, 1928, and an additional two males and one female paratypes in Gunder’s collection, “together with a series of males and females taken by Mr. Hutchins, Mr. Wind and Dr. Albright of Great Falls, Montana, in the same general region, including the Teton Range South in Wyoming ” ( Gunder, 1932).

The original description was brief, and not much definitive information can be extracted from it. Gunder said, “in size and superficial appearance near to oweni Edw. from the Mt. Shasta, Calif. but on the upper sides obviously related to the chitone Edw. group, though dwarfed in size in comparison. Oweni has an almost uniform dark ground color above, while macdunnoughi has a lighter aspect through the limbal areas. Also in macdunnoughi the yellow band on the under side secondaries is more pronounced or definite. Macdunnoughi also is of a drab greyish appearance in some specimens on the under side. (One paratype in Canadian coll. is unsilvered...)”. The taxon chitone is now a subspecies of hesperis .

This subspecies is characterized by the usually medium-brown color of the discal area of the under hindwing. The lighter aspect of the dorsal ground color in the limbal (post-median) wing areas is present in both sexes, but is more extensive in females. It becomes more obvious in flight-worn individuals. The under hindwing discal spots of macdunnoughi may be silvered or un-silvered ( Figs. 13- 18 ) ( Table 1 ). In the material examined for this study, approximately 25% of specimens were unsilvered.

The distribution of macdunnoughi in Montana is shown in Fig. 127 . It extends south into northwestern Wyoming and has been recorded in the following counties: Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Park, Sheridan, Teton and Washakie. The distribution also includes parts of southern Idaho. Probable records for that region include the following counties: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Boise, Bonneville, Caribou, Clearwater, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Idaho, Jefferson, Latah, Lemhi, Madison, Power, Teton, Valley, and Washington (Pelham, pers. com). Both Dornfeld (1980) and Hinchliff (1994) reported macdunnoughi from northeastern Oregon. However, Warren (2005) said, “until geographic variation of S.egleis in eastern Oregon and Idaho can be studied in more detail, populations throughout the Ochoco, Aldrich, Blue and Wallowa mountains are herein called Speyeria egleis nr. macdunnoughi .” He listed its occurrence in the following counties: Baker, Crook, Grant, Harney, Umatilla and Union. A Grant Co. specimen is shown in Figs. 21-22. Pelham (2020, pers. com.) also cited nr. macdunnoughi records for Columbia and Garfield counties in southeastern Washington. Throughout its range, macdunnoughi flies in a single brood from late June through August, depending on elevation and progression of the season. Peak flight is normally from early to mid-July.

James and Nunalee (2011) gave the life history details for S. egleis nr. macdunnoughi. They reared it twice from gravid females collected near Mt. Misery, Garfield Co., Washington. They listed the recorded host plants of egleis as Viola nuttallii (Nuttall’s Violet), V. praemorsa (Prairie Violet) , V. adunca (Blue Violet) , V. purpurea (Goosefoot Violet) and V. walteri (Prostrate Blue Violet) . Of these, nuttallii , praemorsa and adunca are common and widespread in Montana and could be the presumed host plants for our egleis . No life history work has been done for any of the Montana populations. Typical macdunnoughi adults are shown in Figs. 1-20 . For this study 52 males and 12 females were examined. Average forewing length of males was 26.7 mm, with a range of 25.0 to 29.0 mm. Average forewing length of females was 28.7 mm, with a range of 27.5 to 30.0 mm. Average forewing length of the series of 8 males of near macdunnoughi from Grant Co. Oregon was 27.8 mm, with a range of 27.0 to 30.5 mm.

Material Studied: MONTANA: Beaverhead Co.: Baily Hill, Jackson , 3 July 1942, 1♂, H. A. Howland Coll.; Polaris, 16 July 1943, 1♂, 22 July 1943, 1♂, 16 July 1944, 9♂, 18 July 1944, 6♂, H. A. Howland Coll.; 7 mi. NW Bannock Pass, 22 July 1986, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Broadwater Co. : Avalanche Gulch, 6.5 mi. up, 8 July 2005, 1♂, S Kohler Coll.; Carbon Co. : vic. MT-WY state line, 8100’, Main Fork Rock Cr., SW Red Lodge, 23 July 2019, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Gallatin Co. : Jackson Cr. Trailhead, Bridger Mts. , NE Bozeman, 23 June 2014, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; below Sacajawea Pass, 8550’, Bridger Mts. , 25 July 2013, 1♂, S Kohler Collector; Sacajawea Peak, Bridger Mts. , 19 July 2007, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; above Fairy Lake , 7600’, Bridger Mts. , 19 July 2007, 2♀, 24 July 2013, 2♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Jefferson Co. : Boulder River Rd. , SW Basin, 24 August 1993, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Lewis & Clark Co. : Deadman Coulee Rd. , 4200’, N. Wolf Creek , 25 August 2011, 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Madison Co. : Gravelly Range Rd. , 7290’, at N. USFS boundary, 27 June 2013, 1♂ 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; S. slope Lone Mtn., Madison Range, 2 August 2006, 1♂ 2♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Ravalli Co. : near Skalkaho Pass, 21 August 1981, 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Sanders Co. : Baldy Mountain , 6800’, NE Plains, 24 July 1996, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Stillwater Co. : Benbow Mine Rd. , 9000’, 17 mi. SW Fishtail, 18 July 1989, 1♂, B. Vogel Coll.; Benbow Mine Rd. , 10000’, Stillwater Plateau, near Dean, 8 August 2013, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Emerald Lake , West Rosebud Canyon , 10 July 1997, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Mystic Lake Rd. , 15 August 1986, 2♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Sweet Grass Co. : Picket Pin Rd. , 8500’, W. Nye, 4 July 2013, 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Picket Pin Mtn., 10000’, W. of Nye, 17 July 2014, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Picket Pin Rd. , 9000-9500’, East Boulder Plateau , 17-19 mi. W. of Nye, 25 July 2019, S. Kohler Coll.; vic. Picket Pin Mtn., 8950-9500’, W. Nye, 31 July 2013, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; S. slope Picket Pin Mtn., 9000-9700’, W. of Nye, 31 July 2015, 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; WYOMING: Lincoln Co.: Swift Cr., near Afton , 28 June 1972, 2♂, 28 June 1973, 4♂, 29 June 1973, 2♂, L. P. Grey Coll.; Swift Cr., Afton, 27 June 1972, 2♂, 1 August 1973, 2♂ 2♀, D. Eff Coll.; OREGON: Grant Co.: Aldrich Mtn. Lookout Rd., 7.1-7.5 mi. E. jct. Fields Creek Rd. , Aldrich Mts. , 16 July 2016, 8♂, R. L. Romeyn Coll.

Figures

Figs. 1-18. S. e. macdunnoughi. Fig. 1. Gallatin Co., MT, ♂ (d). Fig. 2. Same, (v). Fig. 3. Same, (d). Fig. 4. Same, (v). Fig. 5. Gallatin Co., MT, ♀ (d). Fig. 6. Same, (v). Fig. 7. Madison Co., MT,♀ (d). Fig. 8. Same, (v). Fig. 9. Sweet Grass Co., MT, ♂ (d). Fig. 10. Same, (v). Fig. 11. Sweet Grass Co., MT, ♀ (d). Fig. 12. Same, (v). Fig. 13. Beaverhead Co., MT, ♂ (d). Fig. 14. Same, (v). Fig. 15. Same, (d). Fig. 16. Same, (v). Fig. 17. Same, (d). Fig. 18. Same, (v). Figs. 0.8 life size and to scale. Photos S. Kohler.

Figs. 19-20. S. e. macdunnoughi. Fig. 19. Lincoln Co., WY, ♂ (d). Fig. 20. Same, (v). Figs. 21-22. S. e. near macdunnoughi. Fig. 21. Grant Co., OR, ♂ (d). Fig. 22. Same, (v). Figs. 23-36. S. e. albrighti. Fig. 23. Chouteau Co., MT,♂ (d). Fig. 24. Same, (v). Fig. 25. Same, (d). Fig. 26. Same, (v). Fig. 27. Same, (d). Fig. 28. Same, (v). Fig. 29. Chouteau Co., MT, ♀ (d). Fig. 30. Same, (v). Fig. 31. Same, (d). Fig. 32. Same, (v). Fig. 33. Same, (d). Fig. 34. Same, (v). Fig. 35. Same, (d). Fig. 36. Same, (v). Figs. 0.8 life size and to scale. Photos S. Kohler.

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