Identification
Distinction from subspecies humphreysii is based on examination of internal male genitalia. In their revision of the genus, Cohn and Cantrall (1974) state "In color characteristics cochisei is identical to nearby humphreysii colonies in both the Douglas and Hermosillo regions.
Generally speaking, ssp. cochisei usually has red hind tibiae and often has orange/red on the femora (especially apically in the "knee" area of the hind femora), while ssp. humphreysii mostly has yellow, to yellow-orange hind tibiae, (sometimes bicolored or red), and the femora much less often have reddish coloring. However, these differences are not reliable, and in particular are not where ssp. humphreysii occurs near to ssp. cochisei
Range
Cochise County in Arizona south in sierras in Mexico to near Hermosillo in Sonora. Fairly precisely documented in Arizona as south and east from Mule Mountains, including south side of Chiricahua Mtns. (but not north side). Near New Mexico state line (in both states) from Portal southward in and near the Peloncillo Mountains. It is apparently unknown which ssp. occurs east of the Peloncillo Mountains in the New Mexico Bootheel, but quite likely it is ssp. cochisei; however, nearer the Rio Grande in New Mexico and not far away at Casas Grandes in Chihuahua it is ssp. humphreysii. Intergradation is documented between subspecies in the Hermosillo region and in the Mule Mountains in Arizona, and probably occurs wherever the two subspecies meet. It is not clear if the New Mexico populations of ssp. humphreysii are connected to those in Arizona those further south in Mexico (or both). It is likely that ssp. cochisei is completely surrounded by ssp. humphreysii.
Contributed by
Eric R. Eaton on 27 February, 2008 - 5:20pm
Additional contributions by
David FergusonLast updated 4 November, 2018 - 9:02am