著者

加藤 義臣 矢田 脩

出版者

日本鱗翅学会

雑誌

蝶と蛾 (ISSN:00240974)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.56, no.3, pp.171-183, 2005-06-20

被引用文献数

2

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Brown and yellow types in the forewing fringe color in the so-called "Eurema hecabe (L.)" show sympatric distribution on Okinawajima Island in the Ryukyu Islands and occurrence of their characters is closely linked with seasonal wing morph expression and host plant use (Kato, 2000a, b). Further, these sympatric types are sexually isolated at the level of behavior (Kobayashi et al., 2001). In the present study, distribution pattern of these two types was investigated in southwestern Japan (16 sites) and Taiwan (3 sites) and their taxonomic status was reevaluated. In Amami-Oshima, Kuroshima, Kumejima, Taketomijima, Iriomotejima and Yonagunijima Islands, only the brown type was found while in Kagoshima-shi, and Okinoerabujima, Yoronjima and Tokashikijima Islands, only the yellow type was seen. Sympatric distribution of the two types was found in Tokunoshima, Okinawajima, Miyakojima, Ishigakijima and Haterumajima Islands, and Taiwan. The fringe color type was linked with seasonal wing morph expression and host plant use in all populations, as shown in previous papers (Kato, 2000a, b). These results strongly suggest that the two types have differentiated at the species level. The examination of the lectotype of Papilio hecabe Linnaeus, 1758 revealed that it was the brown type. Based on these, we here propose that the yellow type butterflies belong to a different species, Eurema sp.