Swan Song

[fsm...@aol.com]

Greetings,

After spending the first 12 years of my retirement in Massachusetts, I have now spent the next 12 in Southern California, where it's much warmer in the winter. I suffered a stroke in June 2025 during/after an aortic valve replacement procedure. This has limited my mobility but I'm still trying, especially wildflowers, which don't fly away. I also post my older photos as Facebook memories, so many of you still hear from me. But it's not  the same.

I would like to use this note to tie up a loose end. On June 29, 2013, I was at Broad Meadowbrook in Worcester and saw a really tiny duskywing - easily the smallest one I have ever seen. It was also rather dark. It was likely just an aberrent Wild Indigo DW but I can't rule out Columbine DW, whose host plant, Wild Columbine, grows in Massachusetts. According to the field guides, Columbine DW would be only slightly out of range in Worcester county, but not by much, its eastern limit being the Hudson River Valley. And  trust me - it was very dark and very, very small.

I got one decent photo before the butterfly disappeared into the woods. It's attached. I'd appreciate any and all opinions. I recognize that field marks take one only so far. IDs based on a single photo are invariably tenuous.

Cheers,

Frank Model

[Joseph Wicinski]

Hi Frank,

Joe forwarded me your post from Masslep.  Thinking of you and all of our good times together, and hoping you are still enjoying what you can.  Hopefully you keep sharing your photos.

Your question about Columbine Duskywings is very interesting to me.  Joe and I have small dark Duskywings breeding on Wild Columbine in our garden, every year for at least 10+ years (longer really).  I got very excited when I first saw it happening.

I corresponded with Mike Nelson about them and learned some interesting things, namely that Wild Indigo Duskywings can use Wild Columbine as a host plant.  Also, pparently the two species are not distinguishable morphologically, even by genitalia!  (I'm putting words in Mike's mouth, so he can correct me if necessary.)

I raised a couple of caterpillars from eggs I watched a female lay on our Columbine.  One of the butterflies that emerged (with crumpled wings) I transferred to Mass Wildlife to be preserved so that future DNA analysis might reveal something.

I still wonder and hope that Columbine Duskywings might be breeding in our garden all these years.  Maybe time will tell.

Thinking of you,

Bill

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[fsm...@aol.com]

Bill & Joe,

That is really interesting! Another interpretation would be that Columbine DW is not a distinct species. In light of the facts as they stand now, one must conclude it is not distinguishable from Wild Indigo DW in the field. The supposedly diagnostic field marks - dark color, small size, close association with wild columbine - can be the same. [And the male genitalia,too, apparently!] 

DNA work is needed, but my suspicion is that it won't resolve the problem. More likely, it will complicate it further. [The buckeye morass is another example. I assume you are familiar with Nick Grishin's work, published with Cong as the senior author.] 

The butterflies are simply oblivious to the neat little boxes taxonomists create. It is beginning to look like taxonomy is indeed as much an art as it is a science. That is probably the only take-home message.

Cheers,

Frank

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