Male

Female

 

wingspan : 51/52 mm


what we call "Central type", found East of Atillo, has typically
- a rather large HW patch, made of three clearly visible fingers,
- and a narrow FW stripe.
in this area white forms are uncommon.


on butterfliesofamerica Pedaliodes phaedra has two subspecies only, a white one and a yellow one, that's not many ; but these two "subspecies" fly together in most places.
worse, six new subspecies are presently being described, and the six of them from Ecuador... does it make sense ?


the limited knowledge we acquired through fieldwork is that :
- yellow forms and white forms are sympatric,
- in the South, yellow forms clearly outnumber white forms, and in the North it's the opposite,
- in the North of Sangay NP, white forms are really white, and yellow forms a very pale kind of yellow,
- when, in the Center and the South, yellow forms are a strong yellow, and white forms a very pale yellow, as is the rule in Southern Ecuador,
- particularly in the North of Sangay NP, fly specimens with white FW markings, and HW markings almost yellow,
- and, most important, on a given location, white and yellow forms share the same pattern.


we consider we have three phenotypes in Sangay NP :
   - Northern type, from Baños to Riobamba, and particularly Alao,
   - Central type, East of'Atillo, but on the Eastern slopes (on this page the yellow form),
   - Southern type, Azogues.


 


  


 

este P. phaedra fotografiada en la Cordillera Boliche (120 km al Sur) se parece mucho a los especímenes de Atillo
este P. phaedra fotografiada en la Cordillera Boliche (120 km al Sur) se parece mucho a los especímenes de Atillo
Pedaliodes phaedra cerca de Atillo
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