INSECTS BUTTERFLIES OF THE PEACE RIVER REGION OF ALBERTA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA NORBERT G. KONDLA, British Columbia Forest Service, Box 672, McBride, British Columbia, VOJ 6E0, EDWARD M. PIKE, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, and FELIX A. H. SPERLING, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. K1N 6N5 Introduction Although the Peace to 1986 and was the first to find River valley and surrounding area many of the interesting butterfly taxa were explored early in Alberta’s his¬ resident in this area. Sperling ex¬ tory and have been settled since the plored the region while conducting early 1900s, little has been published research on the genus Papilio from regarding its insect fauna.20 Works 1980 to 1986. Kondla conducted ex¬ describing various aspects of the tensive surveys over eight years natural history of the Peace River from 1979 to 1992. We also include valley include Spalding with a gen¬ records provided by K. Avery, C. eral synthesis, Moss on plants, and Schmidt, C. Guppy, G.J. Hilchie, J. Soper on mammals and Pelham, A.W. Rupp and J. Shepard. birds.25'26’36'37'38 The primary purpose of this paper is to report on the results of this in¬ With respect to butterflies, Llewel- creased activity since 1979. lyn-Jones lists 12 species from the Peace River district of British Colum¬ The study area we deal with herein bia, and Bowman mentions six spe¬ consists of the Peace River valley cies from the Peace River district of from Bullhead Mountain/ Dunlevy Alberta.1,21 Case and Bird discuss area west of Hudson Hope, British the Peace River valley as part of a Columbia, to Fort Vermilion, Alberta; larger study area and list 32 species low elevation streams tributary to the collected along the Peace River val¬ Peace River; nearby areas which ley of Alberta.3 Ferris reports distri¬ historically contained aspen parkland bution records for various Colias and grasslands;25 26 most lands species in the study area.8,9,10,11 within 30 km of the Peace River; and Other miscellaneous butterfly a few other areas of low elevation records have been reported in the poplar forest. Not included are Butler News of the Lepidopterists’ Ridge, British Columbia; and Mount Society31 ’32-33'34'35’41.42.43,44 Watt and Caribou Mountains in Al¬ berta even though they are very Pike conducted extensive surveys close to the Peace River valley. They while resident in Fairview from 1979 52(2). June 1994 71 Fifth instar (Papilio ZelicaonJ from Dixonville, Alberta. Felix Sperling are excluded because they support gle source that represents the con¬ distinctly different habitats and fauna sensus of butterfly students. in comparison with the remainder of Zoological names at the genus level the study area. follow Scott and we have taken spe¬ cies and subspecies names from a Specific study sites are listed in variety of published and unpublished Table 1 and geographically dis¬ contemporary sources.29 Our use of played in Figure 1. Over 96 sites common names is reasonably con¬ were visited and more than 6400 sistent with Miller.23 specimens were collected and identi¬ fied in the course of researching this Annotated List region since 1979. Specimens of rare or doubtful taxa collected before Hesperiidae 1979 have been examined and iden¬ tifications checked. Specimens are in Northern Cloudy Wing Thorybes the personal collections of the pylades Scudder authors, with some voucher speci¬ LOCALITIES: 1c, 1e, If, 2a, 3h, 4b, mens deposited in the Strickland 4j, 5d, 5i, 5j, 6g, 7b, 7i, 8d, 8e, 8i, 8j Museum, Department of Entomol¬ Flight dates: 18 May to 12 July ogy, at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Dreamy Dusky Wing Erynnis icelus (Scudder and Burgess) Butterfly nomenclature has been LOCALITIES: 1c, 1e, 1 i, 2a, 2h, 2j, both fluid and controversial in recent 3e, 3g, 5d, 5e, 5i, 5u, 8d, 8e, 8i years. Consequently there is no sin¬ FLIGHT DATES: 4 May to 21 June 72 Blue Jay Beatton River valley northeast of Fort St. John, B.C. N. Kondla Persius Dusky Wing Erynnis per- sources and as perching sites for sius (Scudder) males. The flight period is very long LOCALITIES: 1e,1h, II, 2h, 3e, 4d, but it is unclear if this represents 8d, 8g, 8i multiple broods or a staggered emer¬ FLIGHT DATES: 16 May to 21 June gence. Previously, this taxon was known to occur as far north as Fort Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus cen- MacMurray and as far west as Ed¬ taureae freija (Warren) monton. LOCALITIES: 2j FLIGHT DATES: 3 June Arctic Skipper Carterocephalus pa- NOTES: This denizen of open black laemon mandan (W.H. Edwards) spruce bogs has only been found LOCALITIES: Ik, 2h, 2j, 3a, 3g, 4k, once in the study area, a few miles 5d, 5h, 5i, 5j, 5q, 5u, 5w, 8e, 8i west of Goodlow, BC. FLIGHT DATES: 16 May to 26 June NOTES: Case and Bird indicate that, Checkered Skipper Pyrgus commu¬ in their larger study, there is a great nis (Grote) deal of variation within this species.3 LOCALITIES: 3g, 5f, 5h, 5i, 5j, 6g Kondla listed the main differences FLIGHT DATES: 17 May to 25 between mandan and the unnamed August 25 mountain subspecies in Alberta.10 NOTES: Adults of this species fly We have found in the Peace River over the dry grasslands along the region that there is little phenotypic river valley, often visiting flowers of variation. All specimens collected are alfalfa which are used as nectar small and light in colour. 52(2). June 1994 73 Garita Skipperling Oarisma garita FLIGHT DATES: 19 June to 14 (Reakirt) August LOCALITIES: 1c, 1e, If, Ik, II, 2a, NOTES: Case and Bird report this 3h, 4e, 4k, 5d, 5f, 5h, 5i, 5j, 5u, 6f, 6g taxon under the name P. sonora da¬ FLIGHT DATES: 31 May to 3 July cotah.3 On 14 June 1981, two fresh NOTES: Populations of this species specimens were collected at Dun- appear to be largely confined to na¬ vegan. Both individuals were pud¬ tive grasslands, primarily along the dling at alkali seepages at the base Peace River valley and tributary of a steep grassy slope locally stream valleys. They have not been known as Dunvegan Hill. In 1983 collected in old fields or along high¬ specimens appeared to be more ways or road sides any distance abundant, and were seen or col¬ from native grassland. Adults differ lected along margins of aspen for¬ from those collected in other areas of ests. Alberta in that the dark areas of the ventral hind wing are greatly ex¬ Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes tended and much darker in speci¬ vial is (W.H. Edwards) mens from the Peace River valley. LOCALITIES: 4j, 5d, 5i, 5j, 6g, 7b, 7i, Based on material collected, this 8d, 8i taxon may warrant description as a FLIGHT DATES: 20 May to 23 June distinct subspecies. NOTES: This species has not yet been found in the portion of the study Assiniboia Skipper Hesperia assini- area in British Columbia. boia (Lyman) LOCALITIES: 1e, If, 2a, 2d, 3h, 4e, 5d, 5h, 5i, 5j, 5k, 5u, 5w, 6c, 6g FLIGHT DATES: 4 August to 26 Au¬ Papilionidae gust NOTES: Adults of this taxon are lo¬ Old World Swallowtail Papilio cally abundant on the grassy slopes machaon pikei Sperling of the Peace River valley, where LOCALITIES: la*, 1c*, 1 e*. If*, 2a*, they frequent flowers of alfalfa and 5f*, 5g*, 5h*, 5j*, 6f*, 6g*, 7b*, 7i (as¬ Aster sp. The distinctive Peace River terisks indicate larval records) populations are assigned to this spe¬ FLIGHT DATES: 30 May to 14 July cies due to their very light coloration, NOTES: This race of Papilio but they show consistent phenotypic machaon is endemic to the eroding differences from specimens of this valley sides and badlands of the species collected in southern Al¬ Peace River area. It was originally berta. These differences include a reported by Llewellyn-Jones as P. strong tendency towards loss of sil¬ machaon oregonius; and by Case vering on the ventral surface, and a and Bird, and Case and Case as P. reduction of the orange colouring on machaon hudsonianus.3’4,21 Sperling the dorsal surface. The collection of described it as a patronym of Ed¬ H. assiniboia in the Peace River area ward M. Pike.37 P. m. pikei is inter¬ is a range extension of about 550 mediate among P. m. hudsonianus, km, from Redwater, Alberta.15 P. m. aliaska and P. m. oregonius in wing shape and colour markings, Long Dash Polites mystic dacotah and is best separated by habitat and (W.H. Edwards) locality. LOCALITIES: 1b, 2c, 3a, 4h, 5d, 5h, 5j, 7i, 8i Populations can be found wherever 74 Blue Jay dense patches of its larval host plant, an egg that was observed being linear-leaved wormwood (Artemisia oviposited on a small aspen poplar dracunculus), can be found. Small leaf about one metre above the larvae have been found as early as ground at La Crete ferry. Tradition¬ July 8, and all instars have been ally reported in the literature as a found in August.40 Larvae collected subspecies of Papilio glaucus but re¬ in early September had a high rate of cently the taxon canadensis has parasitism by large black ichneumon been shown to be a distinct wasps (Trogus sp.). Adults nectar at species.12 alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Males are easily found while they patrol for fe¬ males along the upper edge of prominent, south-facing valley slopes Pieridae or sometimes also at host plant patches at the base of grassy Western Checkered White Pieris slopes.