NOTE ON SPECIFIC STATUS OF TRIMEROTROPIS VERRUCULATA AND T. SUFFUSA (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE: LOCUSTINAE)

• Published in: The Canadian Entomologist
• Main Author: Vickery, V.R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1985
• Subjects: Insect Science; Molecular Biology; Physiology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Structural Biology; Northwest Territories; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/ent117265-2; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0008347X00025025

In a series of papers (Vickery and Nagy 1973; Vickery et al. 1974; Vickery and Kevan 1983), 2 members of the genus Trimerotropis were considered to be subspecies, T. verrruculata verruculata (Kirby) and T. verruculata suffusa Scudder. This relationship was based in part on a statement by Hebard (1929) that 1 was sometimes mistaken for the other where the ranges meet. The former is widespread across the northern part of the continent from Newfoundland to British Columbia and north into the Northwest Territories. The latter is a western taxon, occurring from British Columbia southward into California. Helwig (1955) reported on genetic studies of hybrids between the 2. We made no careful study of the problem, but accepted that production of hybrids indicated a lack of reproductive isolation and therefore considered them as subspecies even though the work of Helwig (1955) indicated that the F, hybrids may be infertile.