The paper is available here:
Greg Pohl, Gary Anweiler, Christian Schmidt, Norbert Kondla 2010. An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada
https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/216 ... pdf/280073
Here's what they say on p. 502:
A18. Smerinthus ophthalmica Boisduval, 1855 REVISED STATUS
We arrange the AB populations of Smerinthus “cerisyi” into two species, the southern prairie–
mountain (Crowsnest Pass southward) populations as S. ophthalmica (type locality: San
Francisco, CA) and the boreal–mountain populations as S. cerisyi Kirby (type locality: North
America; limited to New York State by Eitschberger (2002)). Rothschild and Jordan (1903)
revised ophthalmica to a subspecies of S. cerisyi, and Hodges (1971) treated it as a straight
synonym of S. cerisyi; the latter taxonomic view has generally been followed since (Tuttle
2007). A notable exception is the work of Eitschberger (2002), who raised three taxa (astarte
Strecker, vancouverensis Butler and ophthalmica) from synonymy under S. cerisyi¸ in addition to
considering two specimens from the Columbia Icefi elds, AB, as possibly representing yet another
species. Eitschberger (2002) qualifi ed his taxonomic decisions by rather vague statements like
“Based on genitalic structure, clearly a good species” (Eitschberger 2002, page 94), while failing
to examine specimens of both astarte and vancouverensis from the regions of the type localities
(CO and Vancouver Island, BC, respectively). Given the variation in genitalic structure in
cerisyi (sensu lato) (BCS, unpublished data) and the lack of diagnostic genitalic features, as
noted by Rothschild and Jordan (1903), Eitschberger’s (2002) work is underwhelming at best,
and the taxonomic changes pertaining to North American taxa were appropriately countered
by Tuttle (2007).
Despite the shortcomings of Eitschberger’s (2002) interpretation of the cerisyi group, it
appears he was partially correct (although for the wrong reasons). Relative to cerisyi, ophthalmica
is distinguished by a pale brown phenotype prevalent in prairie populations (which often cooccur
with darker phenotypes; the pale phenotype does not occur in cerisyi), a less scalloped
margin on the forewing, less scalloped and “smoother” postmedian lines on the forewing, a
sharper angle of the antemedian line, and narrower serrations of the male antennae, as well as
surprisingly large mitochondrial DNA divergence (in the cox1 gene) between AB populations of
these taxa, averaging about 3.5%. Th e phenotypic variation present in this group has previously
been assumed to represent clinal intraspecifi c variation from western into boreal phenotypes.
Th is appears to be the case only in the central foothills region (Crowsnest Pass to Banff ), where
many specimens are phenotypically intermediate, presumably indicating a contact or hybrid
zone between the western and boreal taxa. However, the broad geographic transition from the
boreal to the prairie region (i.e., aspen parkland) shows no such intergrades, and an abrupt
change occurs from cerisyi phenotypes in the parkland and central prairies to ophthalmica in the
southern prairie. In the prairie region, cerisyi occurs south to at least Tolman Bridge Provincial
Recreation Area and east to Nevis, whereas typical ophthalmica occurs northwest to at least
Dinosaur Provincial Park, a distance of about 60 km to the nearest known cerisyi populations.
Collections from intervening areas would be very informative. Th ere is no indication that
ophthalmica is an ecologically induced phenotype, since only typical cerisyi are present in the
hot, arid badlands of both the Red Deer River in central AB and the Peace River Canyon, both
regions known for the occurrence of typically Great Plains species. Th e phenotypic variation in
CA and CO populations of ophthalmica was summarized by Comstock and Dammers (1943),
who documented the pale tan and brown form occurring among siblings. Th eir interpretation
of phenotypic variation extended to CO populations (astarte), and they accordingly treated
ophthalmica, astarte, and saliceti Boisduval as subspecies of cerisyi. Th is situation has been cited
as further proof of ophthalmica and cerisyi being conspecifi c (Tuttle 2007). Examination of
specimens from the Rocky Mountains in CO shows that they are consistent with ophthalmica
(sensu novo), but are not the same taxon as the boreal (nominal) cerisyi, which was not examined
by Comstock and Dammers (1943). Th e taxonomy and biogeography of this group is in need of
additional study, as it seems clear that more than one species is involved. It is indeed possible that
the prairie taxon is a species separate from both the southern mountain and boreal populations,
related to or conspecifi c with saliceti. Antennal structure, wing phenotype, and mitochondrial
DNA indicate a closer relationship of these southern AB populations to saliceti than to cerisyi
(BCS, unpublished data); the extremely variable genitalic structure has so far not provided useful
characters, but AB would certainly be the place to study this fascinating and beautiful group.
