Subject: Speyeria cybele forms and/or ssp.

From: [email-masked] (Angela14)
Date: 31 Aug 1995 19:18:58 -0400

I caught a number of bright orange Speyeria cybeles June to mid-July this
year, and yesterday afternoon I caught two yellow-orange males of that
species.  I noticed this same coloration change according to month last
year.
I'm confused about it because none of my butterfly books (including
Scott's)
mention seasonal coloration variations, and I'm positive that there is one
--
at least in southeastern Michigan (where I live).  I don't believe it is a
variation according to sex, although I understand there is a prominent one
in
the West.  Although I have found a couple bright orange specimens in early
August (the ones in late August are the yellow-orange ones), I've never
found
a yellow-orange one in June or July.  Generations are not the cause,
because
there is only one a year.  Could it have to do with emergence times?  Have
my
butterfly books had an oversight?

Also, the one subspecies in Scott's _The Butterflies of North America_
that
is in my area is ssp. cybele.  But he writes that this form is brown in
both
sexes, and the butterflies here are clearly not.  Is anyone able to tell
me
if I have a different ssp. or form than any he mentions, or are they just
plain 'ol Speyeria cybele?

Thanks in advance,

-- Angela