Commander
19-Jan-2008, 09:25 PM
As I pointed out in another thread by SC, the updates to C&P4 in the Oct 2006 paper in the Malayan Nature Journal contains quite a lot of changes which affect the Malaysian butterfly taxonomy.
A particular one of interest to us here in Singapore is the Cabbage White. Col Eliot's views are as shown :
P. 87
Pieris canidia. Careful examination of Singapore examples with the nominate subspecies flying in Hong Kong reveals no constant differences. It seems certain that there has not yet been sufficient time for the evolution of significant differences sufficient to justify a separate name for the Singapore population. I therefore establish Pieris malayica Martin, 1909, as syn. n. of Papilio canidia Linnaeus, 1768. In future, the Singapore population should be designated Pieris canidia canidia (Linnaeus, 1768) (= malayica Martin 1909)
In the Singapore Checklist, I've already updated the scientific name to Pieris canidia canidia following Col Eliot's conclusions.
A particular one of interest to us here in Singapore is the Cabbage White. Col Eliot's views are as shown :
P. 87
Pieris canidia. Careful examination of Singapore examples with the nominate subspecies flying in Hong Kong reveals no constant differences. It seems certain that there has not yet been sufficient time for the evolution of significant differences sufficient to justify a separate name for the Singapore population. I therefore establish Pieris malayica Martin, 1909, as syn. n. of Papilio canidia Linnaeus, 1768. In future, the Singapore population should be designated Pieris canidia canidia (Linnaeus, 1768) (= malayica Martin 1909)
In the Singapore Checklist, I've already updated the scientific name to Pieris canidia canidia following Col Eliot's conclusions.