www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

When I saw an unusual blue, earlier this year, I thought it might have been the polonus aberration, which is a hybrid of Adonis and Chalkhill Blues. I doubt whether there was a way to make a firm decision from a photograph or two.

If it were considered important to know whether hybridisation is occurring in a population, then DNA sampling could be used. It's not necessary to kill the insect for a DNA sample but it is necessary to remove part - such as a leg. Personally, I think I'd choose to kill the insect rather than to cripple it but that's just my own feeling. In the future, it may be possible to do the analysis just from a wing scale or something less damaging to the subject. Detecting hybridisation can be important, if the hybrids threaten to eliminate one of the original populations - the Ruddy Duck is an example. It also indicates the closeness of the relationship between two species.

So, I agree with Pete that there can be good reasons for scientific examinations that may currently required killed specimens. When it comes to collecting (or killing) for 'pleasure' then my concern is with what it says about the minds of the 'collectors' and their attitude to 'life'.

Surely a small wing tip is sufficient? One needn't remove a leg (though having said that, Nymphalids/Satyrids exist perfectly normally with four legs, rather than six).

MikeOxon wrote: ... Detecting hybridisation can be important, if the hybrids threaten to eliminate one of the original populations ...

Hi Mike,

I am probably departing from the original topic, but do hybrids destroy the balance of nature, or something ?

Thought for the day :
Are we not ourselves hybrids ?
And its is true, we destroy the balance of nature !

Chris

Hi Chris - you can read the Ruddy Duck story at http://www.rspb.org.uk/forprofessionals ... ducks.aspx

We should remember that we are part of the balance of nature!