N. W. Gillham.
Nymphalis vau-album (Schiffermuller & Denis), a Holarctic Species (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).
Psyche 63(1):27-29, 1956.

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NYMPHALIS VAU-ALBUM (SCHIFFERMULLER &
DENIS), A HOLARCTIC SPECIES
(LEPIDOPTERA : NYMPHAL1DAE)l
Biological Laboratories, Harvard University The purpose of this paper is to show that Nymphalis j-album (Boisduval), long considered a distinct species by North American workers, really represents the Nearctic populations of a Holarctic species correctly designated as Nymphalis vau-album (Schiffermuller and Denis). Nymphalis van-album (Schiffermuller & Denis) Papilio van-album Schiffermuller & Denis, 1775. Ankun- dung syst. werkes schmetterlinge Wiener gegend, p. 176; sex not specified. Type locality: "Wiener gegend". Papilio N. [yrnphalis] Ph. [aleratus] L album Esper, 1781. Die schmetterlinge in abbildungen nach der natur be- schreibungen, 1 (Bd. 2) : 69, pi. 62, contin. 12, figs. 3a & 3b; sex not specified. Type locality : Hungary and Austria.
V[anessa] j-album Boisduval & Leconte, 1833. Histoire general et iconographie Lepidopteres Amerique septen- trionale, 1:185, pi. 50, figs. 1 & 2; sex not specified. Type locality: environs of New York, Philadelphia, and New Harmony, Indiana. NEW SYNONYMY.
Vanessa pocahontas Scudder, 1889. The butterflies of the eastern United States and Canada with special reference to New England, 1 :379; proposed in synonymy with- out description, sex not specified.
Vanessa L. album samurai Fruhstorfer, 1907. Societas Entomologica, 22 :60 ; 2 Q Q , & 4 3 8 . Type locality : Hondo, Japan. NEW SYNONYMY.
Aglais j-album watsoni Hall, 1924. Jour. N. Y. Ent. Soc., 'Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College.
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Psyche [March
32 :I09 ; holotype $ +5 8 $ & 3 9 2 . Type locality : Sicamous, B. C., Canada. NEW SYNONYMY.
The name vau-album was proposed, together with several other names, in one very limited description by Schiffer- muller and Denis in 1775. In addition, there are no figures of the species given and this name could easily be considered a nomen nudum as Stichel (1909) has done. However, most of the other names in this volume were proposed in a similar vague fashion and many are presently in general use. Therefore, I have followed the example of Grey, Klots, and dos Passes (1952), as regards this publication, and am considering vau-album as validly proposed. Because of this, L-album Esper, 1781, falls as a direct synonym of vau-album on the basis of priority. The names j-album Boisduval, wutsoni Hall, and samurai Fruhstorfer are synonymized. J-album and wutsoni are the names applied to North American populations of vau- album. They differ from the Palearctic populations in that they average slightly smaller2 and are more lightly marked along the outer margin
of the upperside of the
hindwing. These differences are very weak, however, and would probably break down completely when material covering the whole range of the species becomes available. In addition, a comparision of the male genitalia of speci- mens from the two areas failed to reveal any differences that were not attributable to individual variation. The name samurai applies to populations from the easternmost portions of the Palearctic. This subspecies is supposed to be distinguished from nominotypical vuu- album by the following characters: 8 $ with richer black designs above and a distinct white band on the under- side of the hing wing, $ $ more darkly marked below and along the basal edge of the hindwing above. These 'The measurement used as an index of relative size was the length of the costa from base to apex as measured with a vernier caliper. Measurements are given to the nearest millimeter and are as follows: Palearctic populations, 8 8 N = 12, Mean = 31 mm., Range = 27-33 mm.; Q Q N = 4, Mean = 32 mm., Range = 30-33 mm.; Nearctic population, 8 8 N = 19, Mean = 32 mm., Range = 31-55 mm.; 9 9 N = 16, Mean = 33 mm., Range = 30-37 mm.



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19561 Gillham - Nymphalis van-album 29
distinctions are very minor and do not hold up when series are examined.
In the Old World this species ranges from southeastern Europe eastwards across Asia to Kamtchatka, Korea, and Japan. From there it ranges south to Assam and Kashmir. It is foun'd over most of North America from Alaska and Labrador south to West Virginia and Utah (Gertsch, pers. commun.) .
LITERATURE CITED
GREY, L. P., KLQTS, A. B., and C. F. DOS PASSOS. 1952. The "niobe/ cydippd adippe" Problem (Class Insecta, Order Lepidoptera, Family Nymphalidae) with suggestions for its Solu- tion. Bull. 2001. Nomen., 6 :322-336.
STICHEL, H.
1909. Genus Polygonia Hon. In Seitz, A., The Macrolepidoptera of the World, Stuttgart. 1 (the Palearctic Butterflies) :206-207.



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