http://10.70.15.71/taxonomy/term/60/0 en http://10.70.15.71/butterfly/Parnassius/clodius <p>Common to abundant from Lang Crossing up to Castle Peak; not at Sierra Valley. Common at Washington, near the lower elevational limit of its range. Higher-altitude specimens are consistently smaller than at Washington and Lang. The male of this <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term169"><acronym title="The primary unit of classification below genus under the Linnaean system. For our purposes, groups of interbreeding or potentially interbreeding populations of individuals that share an evolutionary history and ancestry. However, there is significant debate on what exactly constitutes a species and many definitions and concepts have been proposed. The most common of these is the biological species concept, which requires that sets of populations must be able to successfully and regularly interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring.">species</acronym></a> generates a large waxy vaginal plug (the sphragis) that prevents the female from mating again (though other males do try). It does not, of course, interfere with <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term107"><acronym title="The first stage in the metamorphosis of insects. Eggs are normally placed by female Lepidoptera on suitable plants that can provide nutrition for the developing larvae to eat, although chemical cues can be misinterpreted and eggs are sometimes placed on inappropriate substrates.">egg</acronym></a>-laying! Both sexes visit Yerba Santa, Coyotemint, and a wide variety of other flowers. At lower elevations this is a typical species of cool, mesic mixed forest, often along streamsides and at the bases of cliffs. At higher elevations it occurs in moist conifer forest and along streams and the edges of meadows. It does not hilltop. One <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term86"><acronym title="The description of how many broods (generations) per year a particular butterfly species produces at any one location. A butterfly with one generation per year is “univoltine”. Butterflies with two generations per year are called “bivoltine” and those with more than two are generally referred to as “multivoltine”.">brood</acronym></a>, May-June (low) and June-August (rarely later) (high). Larval <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term128"><acronym title="The species or set of species of plants that caterpillars must eat to develop properly. Host plant specificity can vary greatly across butterfly species, ranging from only 1 plant species to dozens of suitable plant species. Host plant specificity can promote speciation between two or more groups of closely related through reproductive isolation. Prime examples of this are Euphilotes blue butterflies and some Apodemia metalmarks that almost exclusively use different species or varieties buckwheats (Eriogonum) as larval hosts. A similar situation has been demonstrated in Mitoura hairstreaks that feed on trees in the family Cupressaceae (junipers, incense-cedar, cypresses).">host plant</acronym></a> Bleeding Heart, genus <i>Dicentra</i> (Fumariaceae, now put in Papaveraceae). Larvae are <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term97"><acronym title="Primarily active in twilight hours, either in the early morning or early evening.">crepuscular</acronym></a>-nocturnal except on cloudy, cool days and mimic poisonous millipedes.</p> Parnassius Sun, 28 May 2006 18:08:14 +0000 admin 116 at http://10.70.15.71 http://10.70.15.71/butterfly/Parnassius/phoebus_behrii <p>A characteristic <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term85"><acronym title="Habitats at very high elevations, usually rocky and characterized by a lack of trees and a short growing season. On this transect, the tops of Castle Peak and Basin Peak are classified as alpine.">alpine</acronym></a> <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term169"><acronym title="The primary unit of classification below genus under the Linnaean system. For our purposes, groups of interbreeding or potentially interbreeding populations of individuals that share an evolutionary history and ancestry. However, there is significant debate on what exactly constitutes a species and many definitions and concepts have been proposed. The most common of these is the biological species concept, which requires that sets of populations must be able to successfully and regularly interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring.">species</acronym></a> of the central and southern Sierra Nevada, seemingly becoming rarer in recent years. Our <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term175"><acronym title="A line along which environmental data is collected. In this study, the 10 locations that have been regularly sampled for butterfly diversity is roughly along a transect line paralleling U.S. Interstate 80 from the eastern San Francisco delta through the Sacramento Valley, and up and over the Sierra Nevada mountains.">transect</acronym></a> lies entirely north of its breeding range, but it has been picked up a couple of times as an apparent <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term172"><acronym title="An organism that is unexpectedly recorded outside of its normal geographic range. In most cases, strays are unable to breed in these new locations because of a lack of suitable food and shelter.">stray</acronym></a>. One <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term86"><acronym title="The description of how many broods (generations) per year a particular butterfly species produces at any one location. A butterfly with one generation per year is “univoltine”. Butterflies with two generations per year are called “bivoltine” and those with more than two are generally referred to as “multivoltine”.">brood</acronym></a>, July-August; males hilltop. <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term128"><acronym title="The species or set of species of plants that caterpillars must eat to develop properly. Host plant specificity can vary greatly across butterfly species, ranging from only 1 plant species to dozens of suitable plant species. Host plant specificity can promote speciation between two or more groups of closely related through reproductive isolation. Prime examples of this are Euphilotes blue butterflies and some Apodemia metalmarks that almost exclusively use different species or varieties buckwheats (Eriogonum) as larval hosts. A similar situation has been demonstrated in Mitoura hairstreaks that feed on trees in the family Cupressaceae (junipers, incense-cedar, cypresses).">Host plant</acronym></a> <i>Sedum</i>, which is common enough on the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/3#term123"><acronym title="A rock roughly equivalent to granite, which is formed deep within the earth at high temperatures and pressures. It is a common rock type in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada and becomes crumbly as it erodes.">granodiorite</acronym></a> balds at the east end of Donner Pass, but the butterfly does not breed there.</p> Parnassius Sun, 28 May 2006 18:08:13 +0000 admin 117 at http://10.70.15.71