102 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGISl. 



NOTES ON MELIT^A ALMA STRECKER. 



BV VICTOR L. CLEMENCE, PASADENA, CALIF. 



In a recent number of the Canadian Entomologist, Karl R. 

 Coolidge published an article entitled "Melitgea alma and Its Synonymy." 

 Since the publication of the above article I have added a considerable 

 number of specimens to that group in my collection, with the intention of 

 verifying Coolidge's classification. I have also received specimens of J/. 

 alma, M.fulvia and M. cyneas from Dr. Barnes, which have been com- 

 pared with the types, and which agree with my own series. 



I have M. alma from Chiricahua Mts., South Arizona ; Santa 

 Cataiina Mts., Arizona, and Fort Wingate, N. M. 



M.fulvia from Fort Wingate, N. M., and Santa Cataiina Mts., Ariz. 



M. cyneasixom. Chiricahua Mts. and the Huachuca Mts., Ariz. 



All my fulvia males are constant, and show very little variation. A 

 few of the females show a tendency to the alma form, which is also the 

 case in my cyneas. There is no doubt in my mind that typical alma is a 

 variety which occurs occasionally in both fulvia and cyneas, more often 

 in the females. I have taken two female aljna in the Chiricahua Mts. 

 flying with cyneas males. Out of a series of twenty fulvia from Fort 

 Wingate three of the females approach the alma form. Dr. J. McDun- 

 nough, with Dr. Barnes, says : "Many of the fulvia females show a 

 tendency towards becoming yellow, but most of our males are very con- 

 stant in this respect." I have not heard of any locality where the alma form 

 predominates, but on the other hand there was not one cyneas among the 

 fulvia from Fort Wingate, and I have never seen a fulvia either in the 

 Chiricahua Mts. or Huachuca Mts., where cyneas is common. 



I believe /2//z//Vz and cyneas bear the same relationship to each other 

 that leanira does to wrighti, fulvia being the more northern form 

 occurring in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, while cyneas is the 

 more southern form occurring from S. Arizona to S. Mexico. The fact 

 that (ï/;;/rt occurs in the same localities as \iO\\\ fulvia and fy//^«.f leads me 

 to think that it was the original form occupying the whole general region, 

 and that owing to geographical surroundings each of the others has be- 

 come permanent and has gradually taken the place of the parent form, 

 which still is occasionally found among ho\)\ fulvia and cyneas, the latter 

 becoming a geographical subspecies. According to priority I should give 

 the following classification : 



Melitœa alma Strecker. 

 Sub.-sp. •' alma fulvia Edwards. 



" " alma cyneas Godman and Salvin. 



The accompanying plate shows the three typical forms. 



April, 1912 



