Melitaea phoebe

Melitaea phoebe View in CoL mod. nimbula Higgins, 1941

[TL: Asturian Mountains 4000 ft. (example illustrated by HIGGINS [Plate 14, fig. 12] from Espinama, Picos de Europa, Spain, June 30 ‘[19]35). In the NHM, London, there are 10 males and 2 females in the Lionel Higgins collection, captured on 30- VI-1935, the elevation is not given on the data labels but HIGGINS (1941: 337) stated that they were taken at 4000 ft. (= circa 1225 m). The rather acute forewing apices, club shaped antenna and black submarginal markings in some but not all specimens touching the intervening veins suggest that they are M. phoebe and not M. ornata (Figs 18a, b). The labels on the pin of the holotype are shown in Fig. 18c. This name was overlooked by VAN OORSCHOT & COUTSIS (2014) but RUSSELL & TENNENT (2016: 50, note 58) suggested it was M. phoebe . The subspecies is included here to demonstrate that submarginal markings can be confusing. We do not regard our identification as conclusive, since the holotype and some of the syntypes exhibit some characters of M. ornata and this population would benefit from further study.