Observation date: June 15, 2023
Submitted by: sperkjfern
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Feeding on grass seeds in our front yard; cool, dry, sunny weather. Bouncing around the yard with 7 or 8 identical individuals.
Status: Resident
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: June 15, 2023
Coordinator notes: Recent genetic research has differentiated C. california from C. tullia, which is largely restricted to the Old World. In the past Maine records were identified as C. tullia. As stated by the researchers, "In agreement with Kodandaramaiah and Wahlberg (2009), we find substantial genetic differentiation between European Coenonympha tullia (Müller, 1764) (type locality Denmark: Zealand Island) and North American Coenonympha california Westwood, [1851] (type locality USA: California, near San Francisco) (Warren et al. 2016). The latter has frequently been treated as a subspecies of the former (Pelham 2008; Pelham 2020)." As a result, North American populations are tentatively recognized as C. california, which is the next available name for most North American populations, including those in New England.
