Speyeria hesperis helena dos Passos and Grey, 1955

Dunford, James C., 2009, Taxonomic overview of the greater fritillary genus Speyeria Scudder and the atlantis - hesperis species complexes, with species accounts, type images, and relevant literature (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (90), pp. 1-74 : 31

Speyeria hesperis helena dos Passos and Grey, 1955

( Figure 26-27 )

Argynnis lais Edwards, 1883: 209 ( Figure 26 ).

Speyeria atlantis lais (Edwards) [ dos Passos and Grey 1947] (synonymized by Scott et al. 1998).

Argynnis lais form dennisi Gunder, 1927: 287 ( Figure 27 ).

Speyeria atlantis dennisi Gunder [ dos Passos and Grey 1947] (synonymized by Scott et al. 1998, also see Masters 1973, 1974)

Speyeria atlantis helena dos Passos and Grey, 1955: 95-96 . [replacement name for Argynnis lais Edwards , not Argynnis lais Scudder 1875 ].

Speyeria hesperis helena dos Passos and Grey [ Scott et al. 1998] (but see Scott 2008a: 81).

Common name. Northwestern fritillary.

Type deposited. Lectotype (male) designated by dos Passos and Grey (1947) at Carnegie Museum of Natural History ( Figure 26 ).

Type locality. From dos Passos and Grey (1947): Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada ; Defined by dos Passos and Grey (1947) as Edmonton, Alberta, Canada .

Type label data. According to dos Passos and Grey 1955, the type of S. helena bears the following label data: “Lais [male] N. W. Terr type Ged.; lectotype Argynnis lais [male] W. H. Edwards designated by dos Passos and Grey 1947 ”.

Identification, taxonomy, and variation. Speyeria hesperis helena is pale in color and bears a redbrown ventral hindwing disc. Adult wingspan ranges from 40-45 mm.

Range. Prairie belts of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Life history. Nothing could be gleaned from the literature.

Figures

Figure 26-30. Type images for Speyeria spp.; dorsal, ventral, and label images. 26) Speyeria hesperis helena lectotype, described as Argynnis lais, male, CMNH. 27) Speyeria atlantis dennisi holotype, described as Argynnis lais form dennisi, male, AMNH. Now synonymized under Speyeria hesperis helena (Scott et al. 1998). 28) Speyeria hesperis beani holotype, described as Dryas atlantis beani, male, NMNH. 29) Speyeria hesperis brico holotype, described as Speyeria hesperis brico, male, CNIC. 30) Speyeria hesperis ratonensis holotype, described as Speyeria atlantis ratonensis, male, LACM. Images 26-27 by James C. Dunford; 28 by Robert Robbins; 29 by Norbert Kondla; 30 by Weiping Xie.