Subspecies Callophrys sheridanii lemberti - Alpine Sheridan's Hairstreak

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)

Family Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters)

Subfamily Theclinae (Hairstreaks)

Tribe Eumaeini

Genus Callophrys

Species sheridanii (Sheridan's Hairstreak - Hodges#4307)

Subspecies lemberti (Alpine Sheridan's Hairstreak)

Remarks

This is a confusing entity. As far as I can tell, it is maybe just a renaming of Callophrys dumetorum (in the strict sense), which was also named Callophrys viridis. Populations with vividly white fringes usually get placed in C. dumetorum. Those with a darkened edge inside of a seemingly narrower (but still white) fringe seem to be ssp. lemberti. A weak distinction if that is all there is (maybe I'm not well enough informed, and am missing something). The lemberti type seems to range north into western Oregon.

The placement with C. sheridanii as one species makes sense to me (the older of the two names is C. dumetorum); however, that would leave everything else that has been placed in C. dumetorum and separated from C. sheridanii hanging out to dry (I think the next name in line for them would be C. affinis). Bottom line - it still seems to be a mess to me.

I need to sort through all the literature. For now, I'm leaving the photos where the photographers put them, since I don't want to make things more confusing by moving them back and forth as I learn more.

Is there an expert on the group looking in?

[note by David Ferguson 11-23-08]