Speyeria egleis morrellensis – new subspecies

(Figs. 45-92)

ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C79016E0-6B31-40D2-84EE-C184D1287232

During the course of this study, it became obvious that the egleis populations inhabiting the higher mountains of the northwestern portion of Montana were distinct from those of other areas of the state.

Definition: The most striking characteristic of morrellensis dorsally is the extremely dark, dusky appearance. In both males and females, the orange ground color of the wings of many individuals is largely obscured by basal suffusion of black scales. It is the smallest of any of the Montana subspecies with an average forewing length of 25.1 mm for males, with a range of 21.0 to 28.5 mm, and an average of 27.4 mm for females, with a range of 25.0 to 30.5 mm. For this study, a total of 388 males and 76 females were examined (Figs. 45-92) (Table 1).

Etymology: This subspecies is named for the type locality, Morrell Mountain. The name “Morrell” has been tied to the peak, lake, stream and falls, and a prairie in the Seeley Lake area. Their namesake, Charles Thomas Morrell was a pioneer in Territorial Montana and one of the area’s early homesteaders. He owned a gun and sporting goods store in Helena and manufactured the first gun in Montana in 1889, just before it became a state. Morrell was the youngest of five children and grew up in the state of New York. He followed his sister to Helena after she wrote to her brother telling him it would be a fine place for him to start a business. In 1894 he moved out into the unsettled area northwest of Helena now known as Seeley Lake. He homesteaded the area until 1910 when he moved back to Helena. It is likely that his homestead at the mouth of Morrell Creek was responsible for the creek and surrounding landmarks eventually bearing his name. The Jocko Indian Trail came into the Seeley Lake area from Placid Lake to the southwest, and the Summit Indian Trail followed Morrell Creek going northward (Barber and Rieman, 2011).

Distribution and Phenology: This subspecies is found only in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains in northwestern Montana (Fig. 127). It flies in a single brood from late June through August, depending on elevation and progression of the season. Peak flight at the type locality is normally from early to mid-July.

Types: Holotype male: MONTANA: Powell Co.: vic. Morrell Lookout, 7600’, 10 mi. E. Seeley Lake, 9 July 2009, S. Kohler Coll. Alltoype female: MONTANA: Powell Co., below Morrell Lookout, east of Seeley Lake, 11 July 2000, S. Kohler Coll. Paratypes (369 males, 67 females): MONTANA: Powell Co.: Morrell Lookout, E. Seeley Lake, 15 July 1992, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; below Morrell Lookout, east of Seeley Lake, 16 July 1977, 55♂ 11♀, 11 July 2000, 45♂ 15♀, S. Kohler Coll.; below Morrell Lookout, 7450’, E. of Seeley Lake, 17 July 2001, 21♂ 3♀, 20 July 2001, 36♂ 7♀, S. Kohler Coll.; N. of Morrell Lookout, E. of Seeley Lake, 9 August 2002, 6♂ 3♀, S. Kohler Coll.; vic. Morrell Lookout, 7600’, 10 mi. E. Seeley Lake, 12 July 2004, 14♂ 1♀, 10 July 2007, 16♂, 9 July 2009, 10♂ 1♀, 9 July 2014, 9♂ 2♀, 4 July 2015, 2♂ 1♀, 22 July 2016, 2♂, S. Kohler Coll.; vic. Morrell Lookout, 7300-7700’, 10 mi. E. Seeley Lake, 7 July 2009, 19♂, S. Kohler, Coll.; vic. Morrell Lookout, 10 mi. E. Seeley Lake, 23 July 2011, 35♂ 2♀, S. Kohler Coll.; vic. Morrell Lookout, 7400’, 10 mi. E. Seeley Lake, 15 July 2013, 74♂ 15♀, 26 July 2013, 16♂ 4♀, S. Kohler Coll.; vic. Morrell Lookout, 7700’, 10 mi. E. Seeley Lake, 29 June 2016, 3♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Morrell Lookout Rd., 7500’, 10 mi. E. Seeley Lake, 12 July 2016, 5♂ 2♀, S. Kohler Coll.

Deposition of Types: The holotype male, allotype female, and three male and three female paratypes will be deposited in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Gainsville, Florida. The remaining paratypes are in the author’s collection.

Type Locality: Montana: Powell County: vicinity of Morrell Lookout, 7300-7700’, 10 miles east of Seeley Lake. The lookout is located on the ridge leading up to the summit of Morrell Mountain.

Additional Material Studied: MONTANA: Glacier Co.: near Two Medicine, 3 August 1978, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Spot Mountain, near Two Medicine, 28 July 1998, 4♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Mount Henry, 8500’ near Two Medicine, 2 August 2001, 3♂ 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Mount Henry, near Two Medicine, 22 July 2005, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Lewis & Clark Co.: Scapegoat Mountain, 9200’, Scapegoat Wilderness, 22 July 2009, 7♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Flint Mountain, 8000’, Scapegoat Wilderness, 23 July 2009, 8♂; above Copper Camp, 8235’, 12 mi. N. of Lincoln, 4 August 2009, 3♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Red Mountain, 9000- 9400’, 13 mi. N. of Lincoln, 4 August 2009, 12♂ 2♀, S. Kohler Coll.; SW slope Red Mountain, 7700-8660’, NE Lincoln, 21 July 2015, 15♂ 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; Missoula Co.: Cottonwood Lakes Rd., 10 mi E. Seeley Lake, 21 July 1978, 1♂ 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.; near Necklace Lakes, Swan Range, 19 August 2000, 1♂, W. Kerling Coll.; vic. Holland Lookout trail 42, 2 August 2002, 4♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Teton Co.: Mount Wright, 38 mi. NW Choteau, 29 July 2005, 1♂, 11 July 2007, 1♂, S. Kohler Coll.; Mount Wright, 8000’, 40 mi. NW Choteau, 9 August 2014, 11♂ 1♀, S. Kohler Coll.