Re: Southern Bulgaria
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:45 pm
Excellent report, with great photos and some spectacular species indeed!
Some notes on the Phalakron/Common Blue discussion:
1. There is a well established difference in genitalia (both male and female) between the Phalakron and the Common Blue, including specimens from the same site.
2. As Mikhail noted in a previous post, the studied DNA sequences of the two species are virtually identical. Note that this does not mean their entire DNA is identical - the studies cover only two very short "pieces" of the entire DNA.
It is possible (although uncommon) to have two different but closely related species that share these two DNA sequences. My (personal) opinion is that until the matter is resolved by further studies, they should be considered separate species.
My experience with this species is that some (fresh) individuals are easy to identify; size however is not a reliable feature. There are some very large Common Blues, as well as some small Phalakron Blues so the wing sizes overlap significantly. In genitalia on the other hand there is no overlap (Kolev Z., 2005, Nota lepid. 28: 35-48) so for unambiguous identification genitalia should always be checked.
Finally, the Phalakron Blue is a montane species that flies only at high altitudes (above 1400m), most commonly above the tree line. Given its habitat preferences, I'd say it's highly unlikely to encounter it in the East Rodopi. In Bulgaria, it can be found in the Pirin and Slavyanka (Alibotush) Mts.
Cheers,
Nikolay
Some notes on the Phalakron/Common Blue discussion:
1. There is a well established difference in genitalia (both male and female) between the Phalakron and the Common Blue, including specimens from the same site.
2. As Mikhail noted in a previous post, the studied DNA sequences of the two species are virtually identical. Note that this does not mean their entire DNA is identical - the studies cover only two very short "pieces" of the entire DNA.
It is possible (although uncommon) to have two different but closely related species that share these two DNA sequences. My (personal) opinion is that until the matter is resolved by further studies, they should be considered separate species.
My experience with this species is that some (fresh) individuals are easy to identify; size however is not a reliable feature. There are some very large Common Blues, as well as some small Phalakron Blues so the wing sizes overlap significantly. In genitalia on the other hand there is no overlap (Kolev Z., 2005, Nota lepid. 28: 35-48) so for unambiguous identification genitalia should always be checked.
Finally, the Phalakron Blue is a montane species that flies only at high altitudes (above 1400m), most commonly above the tree line. Given its habitat preferences, I'd say it's highly unlikely to encounter it in the East Rodopi. In Bulgaria, it can be found in the Pirin and Slavyanka (Alibotush) Mts.
Cheers,
Nikolay