A Distributional Study of the Butterflies of the Sierra De Tuxtla in Veracruz, Mexico. Gary Noel Ross Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1967 A Distributional Study of the Butterflies of the Sierra De Tuxtla in Veracruz, Mexico. Gary Noel Ross Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Ross, Gary Noel, "A Distributional Study of the Butterflies of the Sierra De Tuxtla in Veracruz, Mexico." (1967). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1315. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1315 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 67-14,010 ROSS, Gary Noel, 1940- A DISTRIBUTIONAL STUDY OF THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE SIERRA DE TUXTLA IN VERACRUZ, MEXICO. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CoUege, Ph.D., 1967 Entomology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan A DISTRIBUTIONAL STUDY OF THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE SIERRA DE TUXTLA IN VERACRUZ, MEXICO A D issertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and A gricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Entomology by Gary Noel Ross M.S., Louisiana State University, 196*+ May, 1967 FRONTISPIECE Section of the south wall of the crater of Volcan Santa Marta. May 1965, 5,100 feet. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many persons have contributed to and assisted me in the prep aration of this dissertation and I wish to express my sincerest ap preciation to them all. Howevert I feel that certain individuals deserve a special acknowledgment and so I wish to enumerate them. They are: Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Lind and family and Dr. and Mrs. R.F. Andrle and family for living accommodations, the wonderful hospi tality that they extended to me during my residence in the Sierra, and for numerous other services subsequent to my visits; the De partment of Entomology at Louisiana State University for financial assistance during my 1963 and 1965 expeditions to Mexico; F.M. Brown, H.K. Clench, R.M. Fox, W.S. McAlpine, W.J. Reinthal, E.C. Welling, and K.H. Wilson for butterfly determinations and assistance with numerous problems in butterfly systematics; V.E. Rudd and her associates at the United States National Museum for plant deter minations; T. Escalante (Mexico City) for making his extensive collection of Mexican butterflies available to me; M.S. Blum, my major professor, for his supervision and guidance during the course of this study; H.B. Boudreaux, W.J. Harman, G.H. Lowery, J r., L.D. Newsom, and J.H. Roberts, my committee members, for criticism s and suggestions regarding this dissertation; and, lastly, Mrs. G.G. Wynn for her assistance in proofreading the manuscript and num erous other tasks. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Pag® TITLE PAGE.............................................................................................................. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................v i i LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................................................v i i i LIST OF PLATES..........................................................................................................ix ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................. x CHAPTERS I . INTRODUCTION.................................................................................. 1 I I . TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY........................................................... 8 I I I . CLIMATE.....................................................................................................18 IV . VEGETATION............................................................................................20 V. ACCOUNTS OF BUTTERFLY SPECIESIN THE SIERRA DE TUXTLA.................................................................................................78 Plan of the Species Accounts ................................ 78 A ccounts ..............................................................................8l Family Papilionidae. ......................................8 l Family Pieridae. ....................................... 90 Family IthoarLidae ............................................. 104 Family Danaidae ......................................................112 v Pag* Family Satyridae .................................................114 Family Nymphalidae. ......... 124 Family Lycaenidae ........................................ 164 Family Riodinidae ... 188 V I. CORRELATION AND SYNTHESIS......................................................... 203 Biotic Relationships. ........................................* . 203 F a u n a l-F lo ra l R e la tio n sh ip s ................................. 218 Climatic Relationships ................................................ 2 2 k Faunal Relationships .....................................................22? REFERENCES CITED................................................................................................. 2 4 l APPENDICES. .......................................... 2k? AFPENDIX A ................................................................................................. 247 APPENDIX B ................................................................................................. 258 VITA............................................................................................................................ 266 ▼i LIST OF TABLES Page I. Plant Formations in the Sierra de Tuxtla. ..... 22 II. Plant Formations and Associated Butterflies in the Sierra de Tuxtla ............................................................................205 III. Life Zones and Corresponding Plant Formations in the Sierra de Tuxtla ...................................................................217 IV. Genera of Butterflies Collected in the Sierra de Tuxtla within Forests with Closed Canopies. 219 V. Species of Butterflies Collected in the Sierra de Tuxtla Known to Occur within the Borders of the United States .....................................................................................228 VI. Comparison of Butterfly Genera Common to the Sierra de Tuxtla, the United States, and the Neotropical R egions ........ ....................................................... 231 VII. New Butterfly Records for the Sierra de Tuxtla (ex cluding Endemics) .......................................................................23** VIII. Butterflies Endemic to the Sierra de Tuxtla .... 2UO vii LIST o r FIGURES Location map of the Sierra de Tuxtla Vegetation of the Sierra de Tuxtla viii LIST OF PLATES Pag© Frontispiece ..... i i i 1. Lago Cateraaco ........................................................................................... 5 2. Volcan San Martin Tuxtla .................................................................... 10 3. Volcan Santa Marta ............................................................................ 12 4. Volcan San Martin Pa japan .................................................................... 1*+ 3. Lower Montane Rain Forest ....................................................................28 6. Montane Rain Forest or Cloud Forest ..............................................33 7* Gum-oak f o r e s t ...........................................................................................36 8. Montane Thicket ...................................................................... 39 9. Elfin Woodland ...........................................................................................43 10. Semi-Evergreen Seasonal ^orest ................................ .... 47 11. Bursera-Sabal-Orbignya Forest ............................................................50 12. Savanna .............................................................................................................52 13* Deciduous Woodland ............................. 56 14. Pine-oak forest. ..................................................................................59 15* L itto ra l. Woodland.......................................................................................64 16. Swamp Forest ..................................................................................66 17. Mangrove Woodland .......................................................................................69 18• Recently Abandoned Milpa ................................................................ 71 19. Pasture ..................... 74 20. Hedgerow .................................................................................................. 76 ix ABSTRACT The Sierra de Tuxtla is a small and isolated volcanic mountain range along the Gulf coast of southern Veracruz, Mexico. Because of the geographic isolation, the range affords excellent conditions for distributional and ecological investigations. The present study is