The larvae are flat beneath and convex above, usually they do not exceed 15-20 mm. The head is small and can be drawn into the first segment of the body. The legs and prolegs are short. The larvae live solitary and secretly. Numerous species of herbs , bushes, and trees are among their foodplants, mostly from the families Fabaceae, Polygonaceae, Rosaceae, and Fagaceae. The larvae of some species are obligatory myrmecophyls. The pupae are short and stout; they are attached to the substrate with the cremaster and a silken belt or lie freely on the ground. The pupae of some species, being disturbed, are capable of producing crunching sounds by friction of the abdominal segments.

The family ranges throughout the world and includes about 3500 species, 113 of which being found in the Asian Russia.

F.w.l.: 11-23 mm. The colouration is diverse, bright, often metallic; the anal angle of the hind wing as a rule bears a tail. These butterflies are trophically connected with arboreal plants. The imagines have a prolonged flight period, usually they are active in the second half of the day and keep to tree crowns. Hibernation occurs on the egg phase. The pupae lie freely on the ground or are attached with a silken belt.

The tribe includes 35 genera and about 115 species, mostly from E and SE Asia.

Type species: Lycaena pryeri Murray, 1873.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan

RANGE: Priamurie (from the Bureya to the Gorin Rivers), Primorie, NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: broad-leaved and mixed forests in river valleys, less frequently on mountain slopes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July-August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984) and Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant in Primorye: Syringa amurensis, from Japan Ligustrum thonoskii is also reported. Eggs: reddish-brown, their shape resembling a geer with numerous lateral ribs; laid on the foodplant bark 1-3 m above the ground in clusters by 2-5 or more. Larva: green with a reddish-brown spot on the back of each thoracic segment; both ends pointed; in general the larva resembles a young leaf of the foodplant, it is visited by ants. Pupa: green or cream-white with brown wing cases, abdomen strongly convex dorsally; it is suspended on leaf underside.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 18-22 mm. The colouration is exceptional for the subfamily: wing upperside blue in males and light-blue in females, with a dark-brown outer border about 4 mm in width; wing underside whitish with two rows of small black dots at outer margin; tail is absent.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: poorly studied.

ETYMOLOGY: see 132. Neptis pryeri.

Type species: Thecla raphaelis Oberthur, 1880.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Askold island.

RANGE: S Primorie, including the adjacent small islands, NE China, Korea, Japan (Honshu). A local and rare species.

HABITAT: dry broad-leaved forests on mountain slopes, mostly with rocks. The butterflies are observed at foodplants usually since afternoon to twilight.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplant: Fraxinus rhynchophilla (M. Omel'ko), the reports of Dictamnus and Quercus mongolica by A.I. Kurenzov (1970) are misleading. Eggs: greyish-rose, hemispheric with large dimples; they are laid in clusters from several to 20 ones on the bark of young trees growing openly, they hibernate. The larva hatches in April, at the first instar it keeps to the foodplant buds, at the second instar it constructs a simple shelter by spinning the leaves together, in the third and fourth instars it lives in a nest made out of silk-spun fading leaves where is actively visited by ants. In the last instar it is green and covered with numerous black dots, with a reddish line on the back and a triangular spot of the same colour on the eleventh segment. Pupa: pale-brown with dark markings; it is placed under leaf fall or in rotting wood, at stones or, rarely, in a nest on a tree.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-20 mm. Wing upperside orange, with an uneven dark-brown outer border, wider in males. The tail is absent.

Type species: Thecla michaelis Oberthur, 1880.

An East-Asiatic genus with three species.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Askold island.

RANGE: S Primorie, including the adjacent small islands, North-East and Central China, Korea, Taiwan, reported by Fudjioka (1992) for the environs of Khabarovsk, that, to our mind, is a result of a wrong interpretation of O. Staudinger's labels "Amur". A local species.

HABITAT: polydominant broad-leaved forests on moderate altitudes. Imagines keep to the tree crowns, sometimes they visit inflorescences of the Apiaceae plants for feeding, in the morning and evening they can be found in the grass under ashes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: prolonged from middle July to middle September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Fraxinus rhynchophylla. Eggs: hemispheric with vertical ribs and quadrangular pored cells between them; laid singly in deep crevices on the bark. Larva: dark greyish-brown (Koiwaya, 1993) or dark-green with inconspicuous dark stripes (Fukuda et al., 1984): a wide and waving one on the back and a narrow slanting one on either side; the entire body is covered with small black dots.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-21 mm (in the ISEA collection butterflies from the Khasan and Nadezhdino Districts of Primorie are almost twice as large as those from the town Partizansk environs). Wing upperside dark- brown with a large orange-yellow spot at fore wing anal margin, which occupies majority of wing area in females. Tail thread-like, about 4 mm long.

ETYMOLOGY: Mikhail Ivanovich Yanovskiy (1841-1912) collected butterflies in the Far East in 70-80s of XIX century; his collections partly were treated by C. Oberthur, partly got to N.M. Romanov's collection.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan: Honshu: Nikko.

RANGE: The major islands of Japan and the Oku island. In the collection of the Institute of Biology and Pedology of the Far East Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Vladivostok) there is a specimen with the label "Sakhalin Cent. Exp. Sta."; this species can probably be found also on the Kunashir.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Fraxinus mandshurica, etc.. Eggs: small, greyish; laid in bunches by 1-20 on branches or in bark crevices; they hibernate. The young larva feeds inside the buds, since the second instar it keeps to the leaf surface; in the last instar lives on the foodplant bark. Mature larva: green with or without purple lateral lines and with small black markings. Pupa: brown, lies among the leaf fall.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-19 mm. Wing upperside evenly brownish-black; underside greyish-yellow with an interrupted narrow band bordered with red spots at outer margin; tail filiform, about 2 mm long.

Type species: Thecla jonasi Janson, 1877.

A monotypical genus.

Type species: Japan: Honshu: the Yokama River.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (from the Zeya River to the Gorin River), Primorie, and the adjacent small islands, NE China, Korea, Japan (Hokkaido and Honshu).

HABITAT: montane mixed and broad-leaved forests with participation of the oak. Butterflies were observed on inflorescences of Umbelliferae (V.V. Ivonin)

FLIGHT PERIOD: late July/October.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplant: Quercus. Eggs: relatively large, brownish with a reticulate pattern and a conical projection on the top; laid singly on the trunks, always on ant pathways; hibernating. The larvae feed on aphids and coccids, and also on old fallen oak leaves, and are actively visited by ants, in captivity they attack and eat weaker individuals. Mature larva: purple-grey with orange lengthwise lines along back and sides. Pupa: light-brown with dark spots; it is found under fallen leaves, branches, or under stones at the bases of oak trees.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-21 mm. Both wing sides bright-orange; on underside of each wing there are a dark stroke on transversal vein and a dark postdiscal stripe; tail filiform, about 3 mm long.

NOTE: The report of Gonelilia melpomene (Leech, 1890) for Khabarovsk by A.I. Kurenzov in fact concerns S. jonasi.

Type species.: Papilio betulae Linnaeus, 1758.

F.w.l.: 15-21 mm. Wing upperside dark-brown, with a large orange postdiscal spot in females; tail wide, crescent- shaped, about 2.5 mm long. A Palearctic genus with two species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Sweden.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia, in Siberia northwards to the southern taiga.

HABITAT: wood edges, coppices, bush thickets, parks, orchards. Rather a rare species. The imagines often keep to the birch crowns when they hide among the leaves, at night they rest on leaf underside, rarely visit flowers, such as Bupleurum aureum (Y.P. Korshunov).

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/October.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lang, 1884 and others) and Asia. Foodplants: various arboreal and fruticose Rosaceae: Padus, Prunus, Rubus ideus, Sorbus, Crataegus, etc., reported are also Corylus (Corylaceae), Betula (Betulaceae), Ribes (Grossulariaceae), Viburnum (Caprifoliaceae). In Middle Ural oviposition was observed on Padus avium (P. Gorbunov), in Primorie on Armeniaca manshurica and Padus avium (reported as P. asiaticum) (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Eggs: white or yellowish-green, conical, with tiny rectangular dimples; laid singly on thin branches or their branching points, most frequently on young plants. The larvae hibernate in the egg shells. Mature larva: green with a double yellow line on the back and yellow line on either side, above which there are two rows of slanting yellowish-white streaks; head brown. It usually keeps to the leaf underside. Before pupation, which takes place in a lower part of a crown, the larva becomes reddish-brown. Pupa: brown with partly lightened abdominal segments, it lies freely among fallen leaves.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-21 mm. Hind wing underside ochre-orange with a wide darker transversal band bordered with white lines.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: ssp. betula (= ongodai Tutt, 1908, described from Altai) ranges throughout Siberia. In the southern Far East the species is represented with ssp. crassa Leech, 1894.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorie: the Razdolnaya River.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (does not penetrate upstream of the Malyy [Small] Hingan mountain range), Primorie, the adjacent regions of NE China and Korea. A rare species.

HABITAT: open valley forests. The butterflies usually keep high in the apple-tree crowns at forest edges; in the second half of the day their activity decreases.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Malus mandshurica; also reported is Pyrus ussuriensis (Graeser, 1888). Eggs: hemispheric, with sexangular pored cells. Larva: whitish-green set with short white hairs. Starting from the second instar it rolls a leaf into a tube on which it spends most time.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-20 m. Hind wing underside greyish with a brownish transversal band bordered with white lines.

Type species: Drina superans Oberthur, 1914.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: China: Sichuan: Siaolu.

RANGE: S Primorie (the Khasan District), North-East and Central China, Korea. A rare species.

HABITAT: montane and valley polydominant broad-leaved. According to observations by V.V. Dubatolov, the butterflies are found in the crowns of Alnus hirsuta, most probably being a foodplant of this species.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/early September.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-23 mm. Wing upperside dark-brown, in females with blueish-white spots between veins at outer margin; wing underside is silvery-while with a brown postdiscal line; tail thread-like, up to 9 mm long.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Primorie is inhabited by ssp. ginzii Seok, 1936 (= pugatshuki Kurenzov, 1970), stated from N. Korea.

Type species: Dipsas saepestriata Hewitson, [1865].

F.w.l.: 14-20 mm. Wings orange-yellow both above and beneath; with outer margin bordered with a narrow brownish stripe; tail is thread-like, 4-5 mm long. Eggs: disc-shaped, with sexangular pored cells (Dantchenko et al., 1995).

An East-Asiatic genus with four species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (Khabarovsk), S Primorie, NE China, Korea, Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku). Rather a rare species.

HABITAT: montane and valley broad-leaved forests. The butterflies keep to the foodplants, visit the flowers of Sorbaria sorbifolia.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Quercus spp. Eggs: greyish-white; laid singly on buds and branches of the foodplant, the substrate being covered with the hairs from the female's abdomen before oviposition; the eggs hibernate. A young larva lives in a net made up of silk-spun leaves. Mature larva: light-green with sharp projections on back of 4th-7th segments forming a peculiar crest. Pupa: green, elliptical, attached to the underside of a foodplant leaf.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-20 mm; pattern of wing underside consists of a network of interrupted transversal brownish streaks.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (from the Bureya River to the village Tsimmermanovka), Primorie, including the adjacent small islands, the Kunashir, NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: broad-leaved and mixed montane forests.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied at Khabarovsk (Graeser, 1888) and Primorie (Fujioka, 1993). Foodplant: Quercus mongolica. Eggs: white, discoidal with hexangular pored cells (Dantchenko et al. 1995); laid on branches and at the bud bases, the substrate being covered with the hairs from the female's abdomen before oviposition; the eggs hibernate. Larva: light-green, set with light hairs. It lives and pupates on leaf undersides. Pupa: light-green, elliptical.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-18 mm. Hind wing underside pale-ochre-orange with a wide darker band bordered with silvery-white lines and, along outer margin, an orange streak containing black dots between veins. Similar species: J. adusta.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The Russian Far East is inhabited by ssp. dubatolovi Fujioka, 1993, described from the environs of the town Arsenyev.

TYPE LOCALITY: China: Sichuan.

RANGE: S Primorie (the Khasan district, the Vityaz Bay, the islands Putyatina and Furugel'ma), Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu), Korea, North-East and Central China.

HABITAT: dry open oak and oak/birch woodland on mountain slopes. The imagines keep to the oak-trees.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Quercus dentata. Eggs are laid on buds and young branches of old oaks in groups by 3-15. A female âà¥âáï with its abdomen over just laid eggs to mask them with hairs and a wax-like secret, so that they become almost invisible on a pubescent branch. Mature larva: green, whitish beneath, with conspicuous brown spiracles on segments 5-9; covered with light hairs.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 17-23 mm. From the similar species J. lutea this one differs well by the male genitalia structure (Fujioka, 1993); besides, the black band on hind wing underside expressed only at anal angle, black spot at the tail base smaller.

Type species: Thecla enthea Janson, 1877.

An East-Asiatic genus with two species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan: Honshu: the Yokawa River.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (does not penetrate upstream of the Malyy [Minor] Hingan mountain range), Primorie, including the adjacent small islands, Central and North-East China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan.

HABITAT: valley broad-leaved forests. Rather a rare species.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/late September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Juglans mandshurica. Eggs: white, small, hemispheric, covered with long projections, each with a flat triangular apex with an opening in the middle, the projections border sexangular cells. Eggs are laid singly or in small batches on the foodplant branches. A young larva lives within the buds, the mature one lives openly on leaf underside until June. Mature larva: green with a wide white band beneath the spiracles and slanting light streaks on the sides. Pupa: dark-brown with spots; it is found among dead leaves at the foodplant trees.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-16 mm. Wing upperside greyish-brown with obscure darker spots; wing underside whitish with many separate black spots throughout and an orange-yellow area at hind wing anal angle. Tail filiform, about 4 mm long.

Type species: Thecla attilia Bremer, 1861.

F.w.l.: 15-17 mm. Wing upperside brown, hind wing with light submarginal spots; wing upperside has a pattern consisting of dark spots and streaks on a whitish background; tail thread-like.

An Eastern-Asiatic genus with two species.

TYPE LOCALITY: the mountains of Bureya.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (downstream to the village Kiselevka, situated next to Tsimmermanovka), Primorie, with the adjacent small islands, North-East, Central, and South China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Burma.

HABITAT: montane forests with participation of the oak. The imagines actively feed on soap leaking out of the tree wounds and visit flowers.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/late August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied at Khabarovsk (Graeser, 1888) and in S. Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Quercus mongolica, less frequently Q. dentata. Eggs: greyish-white, hemispheric, with long projections on nodes of sexangular cells; laid singly in crevices and folds of bark, they hibernate. Larva: light-green, on dorsal sides of thoracic segments there are two yellow lines joining on the first abdominal segment to continue further as a single wide stripe; on either side there are a yellowish line and two rows of light slanting strokes above it; there are blunt projections on the back of segments 4- 9 which bear bunches of yellowish-white hairs. The larva lives on leaf underside. Before pupation it turns to be purple-brown. Pupa: reddish-brown with dark spots and bunches of fine hairs; it is found at the bases of the oak-trees.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.:15-17 mm. Hind wing underside has two small orange spots at anal angle and no dark basal spots. Tail is 2 mm long.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan: Hokkaido: the top of the peak (1060 feet) above Hakodate.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (does not penetrate upstream of the Malyy [Minor] Hingan mountain range), Primorie, including the adjacent small islands, NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: montane and valley forests with participation of the oak. This species is locally common in the Khasan district but northwards become local and rare.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Quercus mongolica, less frequently Q. dentata. Eggs: hemispheric, light, more flat than in A. attilia and with longer projections; laid by 6-12 on under old bark of the foodplant. The larva of the third and fourth instars keeps to leaf upperside and make holes in the leaf. Mature larva (Fukuda et al., 1984) resembles that of A. atillia, differing with a reddish colour of projections on segments 4-9. Pupa: dark-brown, set with short fine hairs; placed on the foodplant trunk or near it.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. Hind wing underside has three dark spots at the base and a large orange spot at anal angle; tail about 4 mm long.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: ssp. oberthueri Staudinger,1887. occurs in the continental part of the range.

ETYMOLOGY: Arthur Gardner Butler (1944-1925), an English lepidopterologist, his main publications of the fauna of East Asia are dated 1868-1899.

Type species: Ravenna pacifica Dubatolov et Korshunov, 1984.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorie: 30 km of the village Chernyshovka.

RANGE, HABITAT, FLIGHT PERIOD: An endemic of S Primorie (the Vostochnyy Siniy mountain range in the Anuchinckiy district) so far known by two specimens collected in a brook valley in a mixed forest on 8th and 13th July 1982 by V.D. Bakurov.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 20-21 mm. Wing upperside dark-brown with a violet tint in the center and at the base; wing underside grey with a postdiscal row of bleached dark spots in whitish rims; tail filiform, about 5 mm long.

Type species: Thecla signata Butler, [Apr. 1882].

An East-Asiatic genus with two species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan: Hokkaido: Kuramatsunai.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (does not penetrate upstream of the Malyy [Minor] Hingan mountain range, downstream to the village Kiselevka, situated next to Tsimmermanovka), Primorie, including the adjacent small islands, North-East and Central China, Korea, Japan. Rather a rare species.

HABITAT: broad-leaved, mostly oak, forests. The imagines usually keep to the crowns of the oak-trees, sometimes visit flowers.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/middle September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied at Khabarovsk (Graeser, 1888) and in S Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Quercus mongolica. Eggs: light-coloured, hemispherical, with numerous spines in the nodes of quadrangular cells; laid by 1-6 at bases of large flower buds in the upper part of the crowns; they hibernate. Further phases are described by Fukuda et al. (1984) in Japan. The first instar larvae eat the bud, later feed on the flowers and young leaves. Mature larva: green with a broad white dorsal stripe, on segments 1-23 and 8 widened due to fused triangular spots of the same colour; on either side of segments 9-10 there are large green white-rimmed triangles contacting the back stripe, the last segment is entirely white, segment 10 bears two noticeable prominence on its back; there is a white interrupted line beneath spiracles; ventral side brownish. Pupa: silvery-grey with angular dark speckles; it is placed in a small hollow gnawed out by the larva in the bark or at a leaf base.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-18 mm. The wing upperside is dark-brown with a large violet spot at the base of the fore wing; the wing underside is reddish-brown with numerous interrupted white lines and an orange area at the anal angle. The tail is filiform, about 3 mm.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The subspecies quercivora Staudinger, 1887, occurs in the Russian part of the range.

Type species: Thecla taxila Bremer, 1861 sensu Sibatani et Ito (= japonicus Murray, 1845).

F.w.l. in our species: 14-21 mm. In males wing upperside golden-green with a dark border, on fore wing wider than 1 mm.

The genus includes 54 species ranging in E and SE Asia.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan.

RANGE: E Zabaikalye (the town Sretensk), Priamurie (downstream to the town Nikolaevsk-na-Amure), Primorie, the Sakhalin, the Kunashir, NE China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan.

HABITAT: broad-leaved and mixed forests, alder stands.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/middle September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995) and Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplant: Alnus spp. Eggs: whitish, hemispheric, with numerous spines in nodes of quadrangular cells; laid singly on branches or in batches on the trunk bark; hibernating. Larva: pale-green with a darker back line accompanied with light lines; sides with slanting light streaks; yellowish spiracles are accompanied with two dark-green lines. It rolls a leaf into a tube in which spends most time. Pupa: light-brown, partly greenish, with dark markings; it is found among dead leaves at tree bases.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. In males wing upperside metallic green with a wide (about 2 mm) dark margin; it is brown in females, four forms of which exists: without spots, with two orange spots on fore wing, with violet brands, and with both orange and violet spots. In both sexes wing underside brown without dark discal strokes. Similar species: N. smaragdinus, N. brilliantinus.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Hokkaido and the continent are inhabited by ssp. regina Butler, 1881.

TYPE LOCALITY: Middle Priamurie: the mouth of the Ussury River.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie, Primorie, the Sakhalin, North-East and Central China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: valley, rarely montane broad-leaved and mixed forests with wild Rosaceae fruiters.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/middle September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplant: Prunus. Eggs: relatively large, light-coloured, laid singly at branch furcations; hibernating. The young larva lives inside the bud, later on leaf underside; feeds at night. Mature larva: bright-yellow with black spiracles. Pupa: light brown with dark patches; it is found in bark crevices on the trunk, in the leaf fall or under stones at the tree base.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-19 mm. In males wing upperside metallic golden-green (after alcohol wetting it becomes bronze-violet) with a relatively wide (about 1-2 mm) dark border; in females it is brown with a large orange spot at transversal vein of fore wing. In both sexes wing underside brown with dark, white rimmed, discal strokes, hind wing with a light stroke at base. Similar species: N. brilliantinus, N. japonicus.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorie: the Askold island and the Razdol'naya River.

RANGE: S Primorie, including the adjacent small islands, NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: broad-leaved forests with participation of the oak.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/October.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984) and Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplants: Querqus mongolica. Eggs: whitish, set with numerous blunt spines in nodes of quadrangular cells; laid singly at the bud bases high on the trees; hibernating. The young larva is usually found under the scales of a flower bud or at its base, later it spins the inflorescence with silken threads. Mature larva: reddish-brown with a dark dorsal line and slanting whitish strokes laterally of it.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 17-21 mm. In males wing upperside is metallic golden-green (after alcohol wetting it becomes bronze-coloured) with a relatively wide (about 1-2 mm) dark margin; in females it is brown with a large orange spot distally of transversal vein of fore wing. In both sexes wing underside brown, fore wing with a dark, white rimmed, discal stroke, the hind wing without a light stroke at base. Similar species: N. smaragdinus, N. japonicus.

Type species: Dipsas orientalis Murray, 1875.

F.w.l.: 15-22 mm. In males wing upperside blueish-green wit a dark border, on fore wing less than 1 mm wing. In all species studied the eggs are set with numerous spines situated in the nodes of quadrangular cells.

The genus includes 9 species from Primorie, Priamurie, NE China, Korea and Japan.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie, Primorie, NE China, Korea, Japan. The report for the Kunashir (Konovalova, 1966) in fact refers to N. jezoensis (V.V. Dubatolov).

HABITAT: forests with the participation of the oak.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Querqus mongolica. Eggs: laid by 1-2 on the bark of twig internodes; hibernating. The larva is found on leaf underside, sometimes it gnaws the central vein of a leaf and use the faded leaf as a shelter. Mature larva: blueish-grey with a dark back line and lateral light slanting streaks. Pupa: brownish with dark markings; lies in the leaf fall at the tree base.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-21 mm. As different from F. taxila, F. ultramarinus, F. latifasciatus, and F. jezoensis, the dark border on hind wing upperside in males is less than 1 mm (about 0.5 mm), widening only at tail base; in females wing upperside brown with a large vague light spot at transversal vein of fore wing. In both sexes wing underside is greyish with the dark discal strokes on the fore wing more distinct than in F. korshunovi and F. aquamarinus, white postdiscal stripes being wider. Tail long (up to 6 mm), filiform. In male genitalia the apical part of valva is narrowed, without the tooth on dorsal edge.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: the continental part of the range is inhabited by ssp. schischkini Kurenzov, 1970 (= primoriensis Murayama, 1978).

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorie; the Gamov Peninsula, the Vityaz' Bay.

RANGE: Priamurie (Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk), S Primorie (the Khasan district), N Korea.

HABITAT: oak woods, rarely other type broad-leaved or mixed forests with participation of the oak. The imagines keep to the oak crowns, in the evening they often form small swarms.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/middle August.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 18-20 mm. As different from F. taxila, F. ultramarinus, F. latifasciatus, and F. jezoensis, the dark border on hind wing upperside in males is less than 1 mm, widening only at tail base; ground colour has a stronger luster than in N. aquamarinus. In females wing upperside brown with two small light-orange spots at transversal vein of fore wing. In both sexes wing underside ground colour is darker than in F. aquamarinus, ash-grey in males and greyish-brown in females; as different from F. orientalis, the dark discal strokes are hardly seen; postdiscal white stripe on hind wing narrow (0.5 mm wide). Tail about 4 mm long, filiform. In male genitalia the apical part of valva is twice narrowed, with a large tooth at the middle of dorsal edge (Dubatolov, Sergeev, 1982).

ETYMOLOGY: Yurii Petrovich Korshunov (born in 1933), a researcher at Biological Institute, later - Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals in Novosibirsk, a member of International European Lepidopterological Society, one of the authors of this book.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorie; the Gamov Peninsula, the Telyakovskiy's Bay.

RANGE: S Primorie.

HABITAT, FLIGHT PERIOD: Three specimens (two males and a female) of the type series were collected by V.V. Dubatolov on 16th and 18th July 1979 on an edge of a broad-leaved wood with Querqus mongolica and Q. dentata.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: presumably of this species were studied in Primorie by Dantchenko et al. (1995). In captivity the females laid eggs mostly on the buds of oak branches. Eggs: white, hemispheric, about 0.9 mm in diameter, resemble those of N. ultramarinus. The larvae were fed on Quercus robur, they accept the meal only at night, resting on thick branches at daytime. Mature larva: dark-grey with a dark line along back, light slanting stroke laterally of it on segments 3-9, and large light trapezia-shaped spot on segment 10.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-18 mm. As different from F. taxila, F. ultramarinus, F. latifasciatus, and F. jezoensis, the dark border on hind wing upperside in males is narrow, about 0.5 mm, widening only at tail base; ground colour more dull than in N. korshunovi. In females wing upperside brown with two small light-orange spots at transversal vein of fore wing, on fore wing there can be also a violet spot stretched along anal edge. Wing underside ground colour light-grey in males and greyish-brown in females; dark discal strokes are better expressed than in F. korshunovi but less than in F. orientalis; postdiscal white stripe on hind wing narrower (0.5 mm wide) than in F. orientalis. Tail about 4 mm long, filiform. In male genitalia the apical part of valva is not narrowed, at the middle of its dorsal edge there is a large tooth (Dubatolov, Sergeev, 1982).

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorie: "Oberhhalbe Ema" (probably the Iman River [at present - the Bol'shaya Ussurka River] was implied).

RANGE: Middle Priamurie (from the Bureya River to the city Komsomol'sk-na-Amure), Primorie, NE China, Korea, Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu), reported for the southern Kuriles.

HABITAT: forests with participation of the oak. The imagines keep to tree crowns, in the evening they often fly in small swarms, sometimes visit flowers.

FLIGHT PERIOD: starts earlier than in other green zephyrs, late June/early September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplants: Quercus mongolica. Eggs: whitish, hemispheric, in numerous spines absent a the apical dimple; laid singly at the bud bases and hibernate. The larvae hatch when the buds start to open. In the first instar they live under bud scales. Mature larva resembles a bud: reddish-brown with small prominence on the back of segments 3-8; there is an interrupted white line along back, laterally of which there are slanting white strokes on segments 1-7 and two wide divergent stripes on segments 8-9; there is a white interrupted line above legs. Pupa: pale- brown with dark markings.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-19 mm. As different from F. orientalis, F. korshunovi, and F. aquamarinus, the dark border on hind wing upperside in males is not narrower than 1 mm, as different from F. latifasciatus, alcohol wetting turns ground colour to be violet. In females wing upperside brown with an orange spot at transversal vein of fore wing. Wing underside ground colour greyish-brown in both sexes; without dark discal strokes; postdiscal white stripe on hind wing narrower than in F. ultramarinus, F. jezoensis. Tail about 4 mm long, filiform.

TYPE LOCALITY: Korea: "Pung-Tung" (the mountains at about 38o n.lat. and 128o e.long.)

RANGE: S Primorie (the Khasan District), NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: open oak woods on mountain slopes, other broad- leafed forests with participation of Quercus dentata.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/late August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplants: Quercus dentata. Eggs: as in F. taxila, laid singly into bark crevices and folds on thick branches of the foodplant. The young larva makes a shelter by spinning the scales of the bud or inflorescence with silk, later it keeps to the trunk bases. Mature larva: varies from light-grey to dark greyish-brown, with a dark line along back which on segments 1-9 is contacted by light-grey trapezia- shaped spots. Segments 10 and 12 are somewhat lighter than others. In the larvae of this species sexual dimorphism has been revealed (Dantchenko et al., 1995): females are darker than males. Pupa: pale-brown with dark spots grouped on sides and along back; found mostly on the bark.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 18-22 mm. As different from F. orientalis, F. korshunovi, and F. aquamarinus, the dark border on hind wing upperside in males is not narrower than 1 mm (about 0.7 mm wide), is to some extent widened on hind wing. In females wing upperside brown with two orange or white spot at transversal vein of fore wing. Wing underside ground colour silvery-grey in both sexes; on hind wing with postdiscal white stripe wider (up to 1.5 mm) than in F. taxila, which is not tapering to anal angle as in F. latifasciatus. Tail about 3 mm long, filiform.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan: Hokkaido.

RANGE: Korea and Japan. In our fauna this species is reliably known from the Kunashir, was erroneously reported from Vladivostok and Selemdzha.

HABITAT: oak, rarely other broad-leaved or mixed forests of the south-western coast of the island.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/late August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplant: Quercus. Eggs: greyish, laid singly or in small batches on the branches, twigs, in the bark crevices; hibernate. Larva: similar with that of N. ultramarinus; found usually on the bark of trunk or branches, it moves actively. Pupa: brown with dark marking.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-19 mm. As different from F. orientalis, F. korshunovi, and F. aquamarinus, the dark border on hind wing upperside in males is not narrower than 1 mm, as different from F. latifasciatus, F. ultramarinus, F. taxila, the border is not widened at fore wing anal angle. Wing underside ground colour greyish in both sexes; postdiscal white stripe on hind wing wide, not tapering to anal angle as in F. latifasciatus; in female it is split into V-shaped spots. Tail short, about 2 mm long, widened basally.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan: Honshu.

RANGE: Middle Priamurie, Primorie with the adjacent minor islands, NE China, Korea, Japan (Honshu).

HABITAT: forests with participation of the oak.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Quercus (in Japan mostly Q. dentata). Eggs: whitish, laid by 1-2 on the bark of twigs or by bunches up to 40 ones on the trunk bark; they hibernate. The larva feeds at night, at daytime the young larva hides under the bud scales, in later instars - under the leaf fall on the ground. Mature larva: light- or blueish-brown, set with short setae; it is more flat than in N. ultramarinus and N. jezoensis, with a similar ornament. Pupa: pale-brown with small dark spots; lies on the ground under dead leaves or gravel.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-20 mm. As different from F. orientalis, F. korshunovi, and F. aquamarinus, the dark border on hind wing upperside in males is not narrower than 1 mm, as different from F. ultramarinus, F. taxila, F. jesoensis, alcohol wetting turns ground colour to be brown. In females wing upperside brown with a diffuse whitish spot at transversal vein of fore wing. Wing underside ground colour greyish in both sexes; postdiscal white stripe on hind wing wide (1-1.5 mm), tapering to anal angle. Tail about 2 mm long, relatively wide.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: On the continent ssp. ussuriensis Murayama, 1960 (= vitjaz Dubatolov et Sergeev, 1982) is distributed, differing from the nominotypical one by a larger orange spot at tail base on hind wing underside (Dubatolov, Sergeev, 1982).

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorie: the Askold island.

RANGE: Primorie and Middle Priamurie (downstream of the Malyy [Minor] Hingan mountain range), NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: broad-leaved forests with participation of oak.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984), S Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 1995), and the environs of Khabarovsk (Graeser, 1888). Foodplants: Quercus dentata. Eggs: as in F. taxila; laid singly or in batches by up to 10 ones on twigs, branches of buds, hibernate. The larva of the first instars feeds on young leaves and inflorescences, makes a shelter. Mature larva: yellowish or reddish-brown, with a dark dorsal line contacted by light trapezia-shaped spots. Pupa: pale-brown with small dark spots; it is found inside hollow branches or in the leaf fall.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-18 mm. In males wing upperside has a more dull metallic greenish-blue luster than in other our species of the genus; in females it is brown with a vague lightening distally of the transversal vein of fore wing. In both sexes wing underside is silvery-white with a nacreous bloom, dark discal strokes and a wide obscure lighter stripe on the hind wing. Tail short, about 2 mm.

Type species Papilio quercus Linnaeus, 1758.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: England.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), N Africa, Anterior Asia, S Ural (the basins of the Belaya and Sakmara Rivers).

HABITAT: open oak woods on mountain slopes, mixed wood edges, bush thickets.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/early August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913, and others). Foodplant: Quercus, reported are also Padus avium, Corylus, Fraxinus, Salix. Eggs: flat, apically pressed into, whitish-grey or brownish, set with numerous spines, more wide and less acute than in species of Neozephyrus and Favonius, situated at the nodes of quadrangular cells (Dantchenko et al., 1995). The eggs are laid singly on branches at bases of the buds. Larva: reddish-brown with a dark line along back, bordered by light triangular spots, and dark-brown slanting streaks on the sides; lives solitarily, in captivity often eats other larvae; hibernates. Pupa: reddish-brown with dark dots and spots, placed in loose silken shelter on different parts of the foodplant; being disturbed it utters a creaky sound.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-15 mm. In males wing upperside metallic violet with a wide dark border, in females brown with a large violet area on fore wing stretched along anal edge.

Type species: Deudorix arata Bremer, 1861.

F.w.l. in our species: 14-17 mm. From a close genus Rapala Moore, 1881 differs by less size, short antennae, shortened third article of a labial palpus, more narrow fore wing without incision on its anal margin. Male genitalia are 1.5 times, there are differences in the shape of gnathos, valva and aedeagus; in female genitalia antrum is three-fold larger, bursa is dotty sclerotized (see Zhdanko, A.B. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 75, Iss. 5. 1996, p. 783-786). Wing upperside of metallic blue or violet colours, underside light-grey with wide dark transversal bands and a large orange spot at the base of a filiform tail.

The genus includes more than 30 species from E and SE Asia and Australia.

TYPE LOCALITY: the mountains of Bureya and the Ussuri River.

RANGE: The southern ranges of the mountains of Bureya, Middle and Lower Priamurie, Primorie, the Sakhalin (the Tymovskiy District), the South Kuriles, NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: brook banks, meadows, edges of montane mixed forests.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in South Primorie probably in two broods, from late May to late August; in more northern regions - in a single brood in June.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Lespedeza bicolor is known from Priamurie (Graeser, 1888), from Japan reported are representatives of more than ten plant families, such as Fabaceae, Saxifragaceae, Ericaceae, Rhamnaceae, Fagaceae. Eggs: light- blueish-green, laid singly on the buds, leaves, or inflorescences. The larva feeds mostly on inflorescences, buds, or berries, it is actively visited by ants. Its colour depends on the foodplant and may be brownish, greenish, or purple. The eighth abdominal segment bears a figured projection; on sides there are light slanting streaks. Pupa: reddish-brown with dark markings, lies on the ground among the leaf fall, hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. Wing upperside dark-violet with a dark outer border, which is wider in females, veins are not distinct.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Peking environs.

RANGE: North-East and Central China, Korea. A male of the nominotypical subspecies has been collected by A.V. Tsvetaev in the surroundings of Ussuriysk in South Primorie in July 1964.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-17 mm. Wing upperside light-blue with a dark outer border which in females is strongly widened in fore wing; the veins are dark and distinct.

GENUS Fixsenia Tutt, 1907.

Type species: Thecla herzi Fixsen, 1887.

F.w.l.: 13-17 mm. In both sexes wing upperside brown; fore wing underside with one or two rows of dark spots at outer margin; hind wing underside with an orange submarginal stripe; hind wing with a small tail or prominence. Differs from a close genus Nordmania with male genitalia structure, mostly on details of aedeagus structure.

Eggs hibernate. The pupae are attached with a silk belt.

A Palearctic genus with more than 20 species, concentrating in S Europe, Anterior and East Asia.

TYPE LOCALITY: Korea: "Pung-Tung" (the mountains at about 38o n.lat. / 128o e. long.)

RANGE: E Zabaykalye (the Baleiskii and Ononskii District, in flood plains of large rivers), Priamurye (downstream to the village Tsimmermanovka (E. Novomodnyi)), Primorye, NE China, Korea.

HABITAT: wood edges, open tree stand in valley broad-leaved forests, in Primorye also open apple-tree stands, gardens, parks.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/early August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Malus mandshurica, M. baccata, Pyrus ussuriensis in Priamurye and Primorye (Graeser, 1888; Kurentzov, 1970); Malus baccata in SE Zabaikalye (O. Kosterin). Eggs: with candle-like projections in nodes of triangular pored cells (Dantchenko et al., 1995). According to Graeser (1888), velvety-green, ventral side lighter, blueish-green; head glossy-black. Pupa: light-green, with a wide diamond-shaped brown-violet spot. Sometimes the larvae appear in mass quantitative and hence cause a serious damage to the apple-trees.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. In both sexes wing upperside dark-brown, underside brown with two rows of black spots at outer margin of both wings; the tail is replaced with a pointed prominence.

ETYMOLOGY: Otto Fedorovich Herz (1852-1905) - a keeper of the Great Duke Nikolay Romanovich's collection in the Zoological Museum of the Imperor Academy of Sciences.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia, in Siberia northwards to the southern taiga, the Sakhalin, Japan (Hokkaido).

HABITAT: wood edges, open tree stands, bush thickets in various type forests with participation of the bird cherry, forest-steppe groves, gardens. The butterflies often feed on the flowers of Hesperis sibirica, Pleurospermum uralense, Veronica, Myosotis, Origanum vulgare, in Novosibirsk Region mostly on Aegopodium podagraria.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/middle July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Padus avium (the Tomsk Region, Novosibirsk surroundings, etc., Y. Korshunov), reported are also Prunus, Sorbus, and other arboreal and fruticose Rosaceae. Eggs: light, with quadrangular pored cells (Dantchenko et al., 1995); laid singly or in small batches in bark crevices or on twigs of the foodplant. Larva: pinkish in youth; in maturity green with a dark dorsal line, a yellow streak above legs and slanting yellowish streaks on sides; head pale-brown. It lives solitarily and eats buds and flowers; hibernates. As I. Porchinskii (1891, 1892) wrote, the young larva has a dense pubescence and so resembles a young leaf, which also is densely pubescent. Later the hairs become very short while the larva colouration changes following changes in leaf colouration. Pupa: whitish, with a wide convex abdomen; wing cases, fore and middle thoracic segments and a brand on dorsal side of abdomen are cream-coloured; it is usually tightly belted on the upper side of a foodplant leaf. I. Porchinsky (1891, 1892) noted that the pupa resembles a bird excrement and described it as follows: "The pupa leaves an impression of two joint ovals. One of them, the smaller and more flat, is the thorax with head; the thorax surface is horny and muddy-brown coloured while the head and a large spot in the hind part of the thorax are white. The larger oval is a hemispherical abdomen; its upper convex part is covered with numerous knobs of light-brown and black (lateral ones) colour, resembling undigested food remainders, the rest of the abdomen is brownish with an admixture of an olive colour, sides beneath being lighter to whitish. "

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. On fore wing underside there is one row of black spots at outer margin; at outer margin of hind wing underside there is a bright- orange stripe tapering to fore margin.

Type species: Lycaena myrtale Klug, 1834.

Fore wing length

TYPE LOCALITY: Vladivostok and Ust'-Kamenogorsk.

RANGE: the mountains of South Siberia, the southern Far East, Mongolia, NE China, Korea. A local species becoming relatively rare eastwards of the West Sayan.

HABITAT: river valleys, gorges of the lower montane forest belt, bush formations on southern slopes and wood edges. The imagines were observed to feed on the flowers of Cardamine, Hesperis sibirica, Spiraea, Melilotus albus, Myosotis, Veronica, Apiaceae, Origanum vulgare, Allium.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/early August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in the Novosibirsk Region. Foodplants (V.V. Dubatolov): Spiraea in the Novosibirsk region and Altai, for the Russian Far East Padus avium and P. maackii have been also reported. Hibernation occurs at the egg or larval stage. Larva: green with a dark line along back and a row of obscure light slanting streaks on either side; the head black. Pupa: pale-brown, set with short fine hairs; it is tightly belted on a leaf.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-14 mm. On fore wing underside there is no row of black spots at outer margin; on hind wing underside the white line has slight blunt fractures at anal angle, the bright-orange stripe is accompanied internally with a row of small black spots.

SYSTEMATIC NOTES: Recently a new species Nordmannia runides Zhdanko, 1990 has been described by old collections in Zabaikalye (the town Sretensk, 13-26th July 1930) which is similar with F. prunoides by many features, while the diagnostic traits are variable. We did not studied the type materials.

TYPE LOCALITY: Leipzig.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North-East), Anterior Asia, South Ural and, after a tremendous disjunction, Zabaikalye, Priamurye, Primorye, the Sakhalin, the S Kuriles, NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: edges of broad-leaved and mixed woods, bush thickets, parks, orchards, wind-breaking stripes; in SE Zabaikalye - thickets of Ulmus pumila and U. macrocarpa on valley boards.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in S Ural middle June/middle July in the West, early July/middle August in the East.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: from Europe reported are Quercus, Ulmus (U. laevis, U. propinqua, and others), Alnus, Fraxinus, Tilia, Fraxinus, arboreal Rosaceae, such as Prunus, Malus, Padus; in SE Zabaikalye Ulmus pumila and U. macrocarpa. Eggs: brownish, flattened, with a network of ribs forming quadrangular cells with small spinules at nodes; in ssp. sutschani they are more roundish and with more distinct ribs, that allowed to suppose non-conspecificity of this subspecies to N. w-album (Dantchenko et al., 1995). The eggs are laid singly on the bark or at the buds of the foodplant. Larvae and pupae are in general similar in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; other authors) as well as in SE Zabaikalye (V. Dubatolov, O. Kosterin). Larva: yellowish-green with two rows of light knobs on back and a row of slanting dark-green streaks along either side, ventral side is light-green with red dots. It feeds on buds, flowers, young leaves, and fruits. Pupa: dark-brown, covered with light hairs, attached to the branches or on the trunk bark.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. On hind wing underside the white line has acute fractures forming a W- like pattern; hind wing often bears two tails; males on hind wing upperside have a light sex-brand, as different from N. eximia, it is small, narrowly-oval-shaped.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: ssp. w-album ranges eastwards to the southern Zauralie. In Zabaikalye, Priamurye, and Primorye there is distributed ssp. sutschani Tutt., 1907; in the Sakhalin and S Kuriles - ssp. fentoni Butler, 1881.

TYPE LOCALITY: Korea: "Pung-Tung" (the mountains at about 38o n.lat. / 128o e. long.)

RANGE: Middle Priamurye, Primorye, E Mongolia (the Sukhe-Bator aimak), North-East and Central China, Korea.

HABITAT: wood edges, river valleys, bushes in broad-leaved and mixed forests.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late July/September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorye (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplants: Rhamnus diamantiaca, rarely Rh. ussuriensis. Eggs resemble those of N. latior, but the spines are shorter; laid by 1-4 on the foodplant young branches. By the structure they resemble N. latior, but spinules shorter.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. On hind wing underside the white line has fractures forming a V-like pattern, or it is interrupted, at the anal angle there is a large red area with a small blue spot at tail base; in males the light sex brand is larger than in F. w-album, regularly oval shaped.

TYPE LOCALITY: Vienna.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), Anterior Asia, South Ural.

HABITAT: edges of broad-leaved and mixed woods, river valleys, bush thickets. Imagines are recorded to feed on Senecio, Sambucus, Sedum.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/early August, depending on the locality.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; other authors). Foodplants: Rhamnus catharica, Frangula alnus, less frequently arboreal Rosaceae (Malus, Prunus, Sorbus). Eggs: light-green or greyish, flat, with a fine reticulate sculpture; laid singly or in small groups. Larva: green with three yellowish lines along back and two rows of papillae of the same colour between them, a row of slanting white or yellowish streaks and a light line beneath it on either side; head black. The larva hibernates. Pupa: brownish with dark markings.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-16 mm. On hind wing underside the white line has fractures forming a V-like pattern, at anal angle there is a large blue spot. Similar species: N. latior.

TYPE LOCALITY: Korea: the Pung-Tung mountains.

RANGE: East Zabaikalye, Priamurye(down to village Kiselevka on the lower Amur (E. Novomodnyi)), Primorye, NE China, N. Korea. Reported by T. Yurinskii (1907) for the southern Pribaikalye (Irkutsk).

HABITAT: River and brook valleys, edges, glades, openings in broad-leaved and mixed forests, parks, settlements.

FLIGHT PERIOS: July/first part of August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Priamurye (Graeser, 1888) and Primorye (Dantchenko et al., 1995). Foodplant: Rhamnus davurica at Khabarovsk, Rhamnus ussuriensis in Primorye. Eggs: greyish, flat with a network of distinct ribs and numerous acute spinules at the nodes of quadrangular cells. Laid by groups varying from 2 (in furcations of thin branches) to 80 (at bases of thick branches). Pupa is found in the litter.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-18 mm. Differs from N. spini by a larger size and a larger red spots on hind wing underside.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Erlangen.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), Anterior Asia, South Ural (the Belaya and Sakmara River basins).

HABITAT: open woodland on dry slopes, edges of broad-leaved forests, bush thickets.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913, and others.) Foodplants: Quercus robur, reported also Rhamnus cathartica, arboreal Rosaceae: Prunus, Padus. Eggs: white, glossy, finely wrinkled, laid singly on young foodplant trees. Larva: light-green, evenly coloured or with a dark line along back and a row of slanting yellowish streaks and a yellowish line beneath it on either side; body is set with fine red hairs; head and legs black. The larva is facultatively carnivorous, it prefers to keep to leaf underside and is usually found in coppices of young foodplants; hibernates. Pupa: light-brown or yellowish-grey with three rows of dark spots, covered with short reddish-grey hairs; it is usually attached to twigs or grass low above the ground.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-18 mm. On hind wing underside the white line is replaced by a row of separate white strokes, there are several orange spots at outer margin, there is no blue spot at tail base. Similar species: N. acaciae.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Russia.

RANGE: S Europe, Anterior Asia, South Ural (the Belaya and Sakmara River basins).

HABITAT: bushy dry slopes, ravines, edges of broad-leaved and mixed woods.

FLIGHT PERIOD: early June/middle July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; other authors). Foodplants: Prunus spinosa and other Rosaceae. Eggs: flattened, whitish. Larva: yellow- or grass-green with two yellow lines along back and a row of slanting light streaks on either side; head black.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-16 mm. Wing underside ground colour lighter than in N. ilicis. On hind wing underside the white line is narrow and interrupted, without fractures at anal angle there are 2-3 small orange spots at outer margin and a blue spot at tail base.

Type species: Lycaena sinensis Alpheraky, 1881.

F.w.l.: 11-15 mm. The wings have a dark-brown upperside and brown underside with a pattern of separate white markings. These butterflies are trophically connected with the Caragana bushes (Fabaceae).

The genus includes seven species inhabiting the arid regions of Eurasia.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Volga River basin: Sergievsk.

RANGE: SE Europe, S Ural, S Zauralye (the Tobol River valley), Kazakhskii Melkosopochnik [Kazakh Hilly Land], West and South Altai (the Bukhtarma and Kurchum River basins, and other sites). A local species.

HABITAT: steppes on mountain slopes with Caragana bushes, on lowlands this species is seldom found at wind-break stripes and at settlements where it is probably connected with the cultivated Caragana arborescens. The feeding of imagines was observed on the flowers of various plants: Goniolimon speciosum, Phlomis tuberosa, Leonurus, Tanacetum, Heracleum, Spiraea, Viburnum, and others.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late May/late June, but usually no more than for a fortnight.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in S Ural (Bartel, 1914). Foodplant: Caragana frutex. Larva: bright-green with a dark-green dorsal stripe and, on either side, with a yellow lateral stripe, a narrow yellow supraspiracular line, and, on segments 5-9, yellowish or whitish dark- green-rimmed slanting streaks contacting with dorsal line; head glossy- black with blueish-white mouth organs; spiracles brown, leg tips yellowish-brown, ventral side greenish. Body covered with hairs, blackish on back and lighter on sides. Segments inflated, especially on back, two first and three last segments relatively thicker. Pupa is fastened to the foodplant with silken belt head upside. Pupa: yellowish with black-brown spots often nearly excluding ground colour, glossy, finely pubescent; rear side moon-shaped, lacking chetae..

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-14 mm. On hind wing underside there is a distinct white spot in cell; orange spots at outer margin are vague or absent. Similar species: N. falkovitchi.

TYPE LOCALITY: Kemerovo Region: the village Myski.

RANGE: An endemic species for the Kuznetskoe Nagorye Upland (the Tom' River basin, the surroundings of city Biyks).

HABITAT: forest meadows, mostly in river valleys, bushy slopes. According to observations of V.V. Ivonin in the Kondoma River (a tributary of the Tom') basin, the imagines keep to Caragana and Spiraea bushes on hill slopes or to valley herb meadows where they feed on the flowers of Asteraceae plants, sometimes on Orostachys spinosa.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late May/early July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Probable foodplant: Caragana frutex.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-14 mm. Hind wing underside has a yellowish tint, white spot in cell is vague or absent; all yellowish- white spots are irregular in shape; orange spots at outer margin are weakly expressed, always separated from each other. Similar species: N. rhymnus.

ETYMOLOGY: Mark Isaakovich Fal'kovich - a lepidopterologist at the Zoological Institute, StPetersburg, in 50s years collected butterflies on Kuznetskoe Nagorye.

TYPE LOCALITY: NE China.

RANGE: SE Altai (the village Kokorya 26 km east of Kosh-Agach, collected by R. Dudko in 1996), Tuva (the surroundings of the city Kyzyl, the settlements Erzin and Moren, the Shivilig-Khem River), the southern Pribaikalye (the Irkut River) and southern Zabaikalye (the Temnik and Chikoi Rivers in Buryatia, the settlement Kyra, the Onon River, Lakes Bol'shoy Chindant and Torei in the Chita Region); known also from Mongolia and the Great Hingain Mts. in China.

HABITAT: steppes and forest-steppes, with Caragana bushes, mostly in intermontane hollows. In the montane forest belt the species occurs on steppen patches on steep rocky south- exposed slopes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle July/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: In S Buryatia (the Temnik River) females were observed to lay eggs singly on twigs and branches of Caragana pygmea bushes, usually at the lee side of the upper parts of their crowns (Baranchikov, 1979a). Eggs (as described by Yu.N. Baranchikov): white, with spherical numerous cells, adpressed apically and basally. In Tuva the butterflies keep to Caragana spinosa. In the Dahurian Nature Reserve (the Chita Region) the larvae were found by V.V. Dubatolov on Caragana microphylla, they ate leaves, later mostly flower buds and flowers. Mature larva: light-green with two light dorsal lines and, on segments 5-9, slanting lateral streaks, slightly curved on segments 5-7 and straight on segments 8-9, and a white stripe above legs. Each abdominal segment bears two hilly prominence on dorsal side, larva's back sooking wavy in profile. The body is covered with thin hairs, dark on thoracic segments and whitish on abdominal ones. Pupa: dark brown with small black specks, pubescent due to light hair; attached with a silken belt on foodplant branches.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-15 mm. On hind wing underside at outer margin there is a distinct row of fused orange spots bordered at both sides by large black dots.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from Tuva and S Pribaikalie well differ from specimens from Zabaikalye by smaller red spots on hind wing underside. Probably they indeed are a good species described from "Irkutsk" environs (that is the Irkut River in the East Sayan Mts.) as Neolycaena irkuta Zhdanko, 1994. Besides a specimen from Irkut in the description mentioned also is Tuva as "Ubed-Nur Hollow", that should be read as Ubsu-Nur (or, in Mongolian manner, Uvs-Nur) Hollow. Simultaneously described, also as a species, was the taxon sajana Zhdanko, 1994, with the type locality "Arashan-Gol". Most probably this locality is the Arsain-Gol River in the Hubsubul Aimak of Mongolia. and from Tuva as N. sajana Zhdanko, 1994 (Zhdanko, 1994).

ETYMOLOGY: Armand David - a French missionary in China, collected butterflies for C. Oberthur in the southern part of the Bol'shoy Khingan Mts.

Type species: Papilio rubi Linnaeus, 1758.

F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. In both sexes wing upperside brown, underside green.

A Holarctic genus including about 20 species, the majority of which belong to North American Fauna.

TYPE LOCALITY: Sweden.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia northwards, in the Ob' basin, to the forest-tundra, the Sakhalin.

HABITAT: wood edges, open tree stands, river valleys, bush thickets and bogs in the forests of various types, on the lowlands and in the mountains. In the southern far East it inhabits bogged larch woods and the meadows in the upper part of the mountain forest belt. The imagines often visit flowers, such as Adonis altaica, Ranunculus repens, Salix spp., Polygonum bistorta, Chamaecystis ruthenicus, Spiraea, Padus, Fragaria vesca, and rest on the leaves of bushes and trees.

FLIGHT PERIOD: May/June in the temperate zone, late June/early July in the subpolar regions and the Kunashir.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lang, 1884, and others). Main foodplants: in the lower Ob' River basin: Vaccinium uliginosum (Vacciniaceae); in the southern taiga zone: species of the genera Rubus and Spiraea (Rosaceae); in the forest-steppe and steppe regions: Fabaceae (Caragana, Chamaecystis, Hedysarum, Trifolium, Medicago, Onobrychis). From Europe reported are also: other Rosaceae (Malus, Prunus, Sorbus) and Vacciniaceae (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Grossulariaceae (Ribes nigrum), Ericaceae (Ledum), Scrophulariaceae (Veronica), Rhamnaceae (Rhamnus, Frangula alnus), Eleagnaceae (Hippophae rhamnoides). Eggs: green, button-shaped, with fine wrinkling, laid singly. Larva: green with a dark-rimmed yellow or dark line, accompanied by dark triangular markings, along back and a yellow line above legs (which is lighter than that on back); set with short light hairs; head brown. It lives solitarily, often contacts with ants, may eat other caterpillars. Pupa: bean-shaped, greenish-brown or fulvous-brown with light warts and short bristles. It lies in a frail cocoon or freely at the foodplant base, hibernates. Being disturbed, it produces crunching sounds.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. Wing upperside dark-brown, underside green with or without (f. immaculata) white dots. As different from C. suaveola, the anal prominence are well expressed on hind wing.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: poorly studied. Butterflies from Ural are most close to ssp. borealis Krulikovsky, 1890, those originated from more easterly regions - to sibirica Heyne in Ruhl, 1895.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Dzhungarian Alatau Mts.: Lepsinsk.

RANGE: S Ural (the station Kuvandyk environs), the mountains of E Kazakhstan, Tien Shan.

HABITAT: patches of montane steppe. Both in S Ural and the western Altai Mts. these butterflies keep to the bushes of Spireae crenata, the flowers of which serve them as a source of imaginal feeding.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle May/late June.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. As different from C. suaveola, the anal prominence on hind wing are weakly expressed or absent.

SYSTEMATICAL NOTE: From the S Ural (the Kungaktau mountain range) the species Callophrys butlerovi Migranov, 1991 has been described as very close to C. suaveola, somewhat larger anal prominence on hind wing being the main diagnostic features (Migranov, 1992). However, the size of these prominence is a very variable character (say, in the butterflies from W Altai) and, to our mind, could be sufficient for separation of a new subspecies only. Butterflies similar to butlerovi were found not far from the type locality in Kazakhstan, in the Naurzum Nature Reservation.

Type species: Lycaena ferrea Butler, [1866].

F.w.l.: 11-14 mm. Wing upperside dark with metallic areas, underside dark greyish-brown. Hind wing has a conspicuous rounded projection at anal angle.

An insufficiently studied Palearctic genus with not less than 8 species.

TYPE LOCALITY: W Altai: the settlement Ust'-Bukhtarminsk.

RANGE: The southern half of the forest zone eastwards of the Irtysh River, the mountains of S Siberia, S Yakutia, NE Kazakhstan, Mongolia. A local species.

HABITAT, IMAGINAL BEHAVIOUR: In the Sokur elevation at Novosibirsk, on Salairskii Kryazh and Kuznetskoe Upland: on openings in secondary birch/aspen forests, in rivulet valleys in small-leafed forests and fir/aspen taiga (the so called "chernevaya taiga"). In the mountains of Altai and Sayan: at low altitudes on bushy mountain slopes, Spiraea thickets along brooks (Y. Korshunov). On the elevation Priirtyshskiy Uval these butterflies were discovered by I. Sil'chenko in narrow stripes of dark-needle woods on northern slopes and in minor relief depressions. The imagines were observed to feed on the flowers of Polygonum bistorta, Ranunculus repens, Anemone altaica.

FLIGHT PERIOD: on the Kuznetskoe Upland: early May/middle July, depending on the locality, at Lake Teletkoe (N Altai) were observed even in late April.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: The last instar larvae were found by Yu.P. Korshunov in the Stolby Nature Reserve (the Krasnoyarsk environs) on Spiraea hypercifolia on 4th-9th July, (1969) when the imagines still flew. They were greenish with distinct dark spots on the sides of each segment. They gnawed out the incisions in the leaf sides resembling those made by the larvae of Neptis rivularis. The pupation occurred on 8th-15th July in rolled upper part of the Spiraea leaves; the pupae, set with sparse short hairs, hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 10-13 mm. Hind wing upperside has a considerable suffusion of blue glittering scales, in males with a distinct dark border about 2 mm wide. Wing underside blackish. On hind wing underside white strokes absent or very weakly expressed; male sex brand as a narrow stroke on vein M1, sometimes little contrasted. Similar species: A. tricaudata, A. korea.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: insufficiently studied. The recent publication on the genus Albergia by Johnson (1992) did not clarified the situation. It contains many errors, including the label data and even the type locality of A. frivaldszkyi, mentioned as the Amur River. Ssp. frivaldszkyi is known from W Altai. Similar specimens inhabit the Kuznetskoe Nagorie upland and Sayans, where they probably meet a very similar species A. tricaudata.

ETYMOLOGY: Emerich Frivaldszky, von Frivald - an Austro-Hungarian lepidopterologist working mostly on Turkish materials in 30-60s years of XIX century.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Tunkin Mts.

RANGE: From the Sayan Mts. to Primorye; known from the environs of Minusinsk, Tunkin Mts., Priamurye, Primorye, NE China.

HABITAT: In S Primorye (M.M. and M.A. Omelko, 1995) these butterflies fly on forest openings and glades. At daytime they are little active, mostly rest on withered litter among the grass, or feed on the flowers of Corydalis repens, C. remota, Ranunculus, Lloydia triflora etc. From 16-17 hr on open places males gather in groups. Each individual chooses a separate bush or young tree, from which it from time to time gets into the air swiftly to chase out their counterparts. They do not rise to tree crowns.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late April/early June.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: According to observations in S Primorye by M.M. and M.A. Omel'ko (1995), larvae of the taxon inopinata feed on Aruncus sylvestris (from the same subfamily). Eggs are laid by 1-6 on the foodplant young (not flowering yet) inflorescences in middle May. The larvae hatched on 22-26th May. Young larvae pale-sand coloured set with long black chetae raising from brownish plates; head dark-brown. Just before the first molt, when first white flowers open, the larvae colouration changed to light greenish-blue and lighter knobs appeared forming subdorsal and substigmal lines, tops of subdorsal knobs being ochre-coloured, of those of substigmal ones brown; anal plate brownish. The colouration of tergites is similar to that of flower peduncles and buds, knobs resemble anthers and withered corollae. The second and third instar larvae light-green-blue with whitish knobs, their apices purple in the second instar and chocolate-brown in the third one. The subdorsal knobs are present on the second thoracic and 1st-6th abdominal segments, on 1st abdominal segment they are large and dark-coloured entirely or into a greater extent than others; 7th abdominal segment bears only white bracket-shaped spot. The fourth instar larva 15-17 mm long, usually greenish-olive or olive-green, alike the surrounded leaves. Pupation took place in litter in the middle summer; the pupa hibernates. Pupa: 8-9 mm, evenly dark brown, sometimes dorsal streaks are seen, set with brown chetae.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: Wing expanse: 17-23 mm. In males wing upperside blackish with suffusion of light-blue glittering scales, more intense on hind wing. In females wing upperside light-blue with a wide (1 mm at costal margin and 3 mm at outer margin) black border on fore wing. Wing underside reddish-brown. From close species well differ by forked spine-shaped signa in females and by aedeagus cornuti in females. Similar species: A. frivaldszkyi; A. korea.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The nominative subspecies ranges in the Sayans and, probably, eastwards, that needs corroboration. Priamurye and Primorye are inhabited with ssp. aquilonaria Johnson, 1992 (= inopinata Omelko, 1995), described from Mandzhuria.

TYPE LOCALITY: Korea.

RANGE: Primorye, Middle and Lower Priamurye, NE China, Korea.

HABITAT: bush formations and meadows in river valleys within broad- leafed and mixed forests, in the mountains goes up to 1700 m altitude. The imagines often keep to the flowering willows. According to observations by M.M. and M.A. Omel'ko (1995), the butterflies are active in the first half of the day in tree crowns, including mornings after frosty nights when other butterflies are inactive. Males gather in small groups, they sit on branch tips, on aspen often on inflorescences, and are basking in the sun. They often get into the air to fly around their perches or to chase out all large insects flying by. In a hot weather the butterflies are frequent on wet ground.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle April/late May in S. Primorye, June in Lower Priamurye.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in S Primorye (Omel'ko and Omel'ko, 1995). Foodplants: Lonicera gibbiflora (Caprifoliaceae) in valley forests, Padus maacki (Rosaceae) in montane mixed forests. Oviposition was observed in May on midday. On Lonicera the eggs were laid singly on a leaf near its base; on Padus they were laid on inflorescences high above the ground. Eggs: green-blue, their structure resembles that of A. frivaldszkyi inopinata. The larvae hatch on 11th day. Young larva: at first yellowish-grey or sand-coloured, few days later becomes greenish; above set with black chetae; head muddy-brown, anal plate brown. The second instar larva: green or greenish-yellow; set with numerous short brown chetae, longer on back sides and lateral margins of tergites where they form a sort of fringe. The larva eats mostly flowers, ovaries and berries, changing for leaves only upon their shortage. The second and third molt takes place usually on a leaf upperside near its base, in rainy weather on underside, the larva resembling an unripe berry. The larva eats its exuvium after molts. Mature larva: 16-18 mm long, green, before pupation becomes muddy-violet. Recorded are contacts with ants. Pupation takes place in late June/July, in litter. Pupa: 9-9.5 mm, almost black, rarely brownish; it hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-14 mm. Wing upperside with poorly developed dark-blue metallic flash in basal area only. On hind wing underside there is a well expressed white dot at costal margin or white transversal line; male sex brand as a light transversal stroke above transversal vein. Similar species: A. frivaldskyi , A. tricaudata.

Small butterflies with wings usually of orange or brown colours with dark spots; on fore wing underside cell contains three black spots, including that on the transversal vein; there is an orange stripe at outer margin of hind wing underside. The larvae live mostly on sorrels (Rumex) and Polygonum s. l. (Polygonaceae).

Type species: Papilio phlaeas Linnaeus, 1761.

A Holarctic genus including more than 10 species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Vienna.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia northwards to the forest-tundra zone, except for the northern E Siberia and the Far East.

HABITAT: in Ural and Siberia - mostly wet forest meadows on the lowlands and in the mountains up to the tree-line. The imagines most frequently visit the Ranunculus flowers. In Priamurye the butterflies are sometimes observed on dry openings and places with open ground.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in two broods, in May/July and July/August in the southern range; in one brood, in late June/early July, in the polar and subpolar regions.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lang, 1884, etc.). Foodplants: Rumex aquaticus, R. acetosa, Polygonum amphibium, P. bistorta. Eggs: flattened, with small dimples, white or greenish with a dark apex, laid by 1-4 on the foodplants. Larva: yellowish-green with a dark-green light rimmed back stripe and a yellowish stripe above legs; covered with small yellowish warts densely set with short hairs; head yellowish-orange. Pupa: yellowish-brown with dark-rimmed spiracles and brown lines on wing cases; suspended on the foodplant stem; hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-14 mm. On fore wing postdiscal spots form an evenly curved row; hind wing underside mottled, with a row of whitish spots at inner edge of marginal orange stripe; in males wing upperside has a violet flash.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The Siberian butterflies belong to the subspecies phintonis Fruhstorfer, 1910.

TYPE LOCALITY: Central Sweden.

RANGE: The non-tropical Eurasia northwards to the polar regions, N. Africa, N America. A local species. In the North seems to keep to mountainous regions.

HABITAT: forest, forest-steppe, and highland meadows, meadowy rocky tundras.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in the North and mountains - in one brood in July, in the temperate zone in two broods, in May/June and August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913, etc.). Foodplants: Rumex, Oxyria, Polygonum; besides, Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae) and Solidago (Asteraceae) were also reported. Eggs: vary from light-grey to greenish, hemispheric with relatively large dimples; laid by 1-2 on the foodplant flowers. Larva: green with a reddish yellow-rimmed back line and a reddish line above legs; covered with short hairs; head is reddish-brown. The larva is visited by ants, hibernates. Pupa: yellowish- or greyish-brown with a wide dark line along back and dark wing cases with light veins; found under leaf fall close to the foodplant base or on the foodplant stems, its stage lasts for about a month.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-16 mm. Postdiscal spots on fore wing form three groups, hind wing underside ground colour even, grey or greyish-brown; in males wing upperside lacks a violet flash.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: A very variable species, about 50 aberrations and forms having been described. The nominotypical subspecies ranges in the temperate zone of Ural and Siberia; the butterflies from Middle, Subpolar, and Polar Ural, North Siberia, and Chukotka are close to the Lapland subspecies polaris Courvoisier, 1911; the southern Far East is inhabited by ssp. chinensis Felder, 1862l, differing with a wide bright-orange submarginal band on hind wing underside. Ssp. daimio Seitz, 1909 (= kurilensis Matsumura, 1928; kuriliphlaeas Bryk, 1942) from the Sakhalin and S Kuriles differs, in particular, with a darkened fore wing upperside in males of the second brood. Two from Kamchatka was described as ssp. P. Gorbunov, 1995.

Original description:

"...Peculiar butterflies from Kamchatka are described as Lycaena phlaeas ganalica P. Gorbunov, sbsp. n.

MALE: F.w.l. is 13.8 mm in the holotype, 14.1 in the paratype. The fore wing upperside in the basal, discal and postdiscal areas is copper- coloured with suffusion of dark scales and eight black spots, in general it is darker than in other Siberian subspecies. The brown-grey margin is about 2 mm wide. The fore wing apex seems to be more acute and the angle of the outer and anal margins more blunt than in the subspecies phlaeas and polaris. The hind wing upperside is ash-grey with, an orange streak 1.3-1.5 mm wide, with waving outer margin, along the wing outer margin. The underside is light-grey, in the central area of the fore wing it is yellowish-orange, generally noticeably lighter than in other Siberian subspecies. The pattern of black spot repeats that of phlaeas and polaris. The orange submarginal spots are almost invisible in the holotype and are represented by a fragmented streak, containing of five strokes, indented to 1.5-2 mm of the wing outer margin.

MATERIALS: the holotype: a male - 14.07.83, Kamchatka, Ganal'skaya Tundra, (V.N. Olshvang). A paratype: a male - 14.07.83 the same locality."

In fact this is not a subspecies but just one more variety of this greatly variable species. There are specimens from Kamchatka in the ISEA collection quite different from the described one.

Type species.: Papilio thersamon, Esper, 1784.

A Palearctic genus including about ten species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Povolzhye: Sarepta.

RANGE: The southern Middle and East Europe, Anterior and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, S Ural, the southern W Siberia, N Altai, NW China.

HABITAT: steppefied meadows, the areas of meadow steppe at birch groves, pine woods, in river valleys, the thickets of steppen bushes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in two broods in May/middle June and July/August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Caragana frutex in S Ural (Migranov, 1991), Polygonum aviculare in Central Kazakhstan (Falkovich, 1969), reported are also Lycium ruthenicum, Rumex. Eggs: pale-green, flattened beneath, with relatively large dimples. Larva: green with a light line along the back and above legs and, on either side, a row of dark transversal streaks above the latter. Pupa: cylindrical, dark-brown with narrow dark strokes.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. Wing upperside orange without a violet flash, in males without discal spots, hind wing upperside orange with an even and slight dark suffusion; butterflies of the second brood often bear a tail at hind wing anal angle which in females can reach the length of 2 mm.

Type species: Papilio dispar Haworth, 1803.

A Palearctic genus with eight species.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Malakhanskiy mountain range: the settlement Kudara- Somon.

RANGE: Altai (the Sarym-Sakty mountain range, the villages Shebalino and Aktash), the East Sayan (the village Mondy), Pribaikalye (the Birkhin Bay), Zabaikalye, Mongolia, N China; reported by A.I. Kurenzov (1970) for the western slopes of the Verkhoyanskiy mountain range in Yakutia and by A.B. Zhdanko (1992) for Primorye. A local species.

HABITAT: steppefied meadows on hills and in intermontane slopes. In SE Zabaikalye the butterflies keep to a probable foodplant Rheum rhabarbarum (V. Dubatolov, O. Kosterin), in Mongolia often observed on steppen habitats at tussocks of the large grass Achnoterum splendens (= Lasiagrostis splendens).

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/late July.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-21 mm. Wing upperside orange with black spots and a violet flash; hind wing upperside with dark suffusion in basal part and black spots orange, with a dark suffusion on the basal part and dark spots. The hind wing underside is greyish in both sexes. Similar species: T. dispar.

TYPE LOCALITY: England.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia, in Siberia northwards to the middle taiga zone, Central Yakutia. A local species.

HABITAT: meadows of various kinds, especially on river flood plains, at bogs and lakes, wasting lands, wood edges.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in one or two broods, depending on the locality. In Siberia mostly late June/August or, in S Ural, southern W Siberia, and S Primorye, in June and August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lang, 1884; Eckstein, 1913 etc.). Foodplants: Rumex aquaticus, R. confertus, Polygonum, and others. The eggs are laid singly or in small clusters on the foodplant leaf underside. Larva: dark-green with two whitish, yellow-brown rimmed, lengthwise streaks on either side, back line is vague; ventral side green, above pale-brown thoracic legs there are red brands; the body is covered with very short velvety dark hairs; head small and narrow, pale ochre-coloured with a black mouth. The larva is often accompanied by ants. Pupa: ash-grey with small angular brown spots.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-20 mm. In males wing upperside orange-red without a violet flash and a dark suffusion on hind wing; in females hind wing upperside dark-brown with an orange streak at outer margin; hind wing underside greyish-blue in both sexes. Similar species: T. violaceus.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: In E Europe, Ural and Siberia there ranges the subspecies festiva Krulikowsky, 1909; from Pribaikalye and eastwards, including Prilenskoe Plateau and the southern Far East ssp. aurata Leech, 1807 (= parva Kurenzov, 1941) is known, differing by well expressed black submarginal spots on hind wing underside and, in males, absence of black discal spots on wing upperside. From Zabaikalye the variation of this subspecies was described as ssp. daurica Graeser, 1888.

Type species: Papilio virgaureae Linnaeus, 1758.

A Palearctic genus with six species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Berlin.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North and North-East), Anterior Asia, S Ural, the southern W Siberia, Altai, the mountains of E Kazakhstan, by scarce findings known further eastwards - from the E Sayan (the village Mondy), Zabaikalye (the Onon and Chita River), Mongolia (the Central Aimak), the northern Sikhote-Alin'.

HABITAT: in Ural and W Siberia: meadow patches at the edges of "kolki" [birch groves] and "bory" [pine woods], on mountain slopes, in river valleys. The imagines often visit the flowers of Ptarmica impatiens, Achillea milifolium, Leucanthemum vulgare.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/early August, depending on the locality.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lang, 1884; Ecksteein, 1913). Foodplants: Rumex acetosa, etc. Eggs: greenish-yellow; laid singly on the foodplant leaf underside. The larva hibernates at early instars. It is almost evenly mate-green, obscure lengthwise streaks on back and sides being whitish-green with dark rims or brownish; head is brownish- black. Pupa: stout, rounded, with back slightly concave, olive-green with dark streaks and numerous small brownish spots; it is attached with thin silk threads to the substrate at or on the ground and is surrounded with a loose silken shelter.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-21 mm. In males wing upperside violet with a slight suffusion with orange scales, more heavy on hind wing; in females dark-brown without suffusion; hind wing underside grey or ochre-grey.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies of Ural and W Siberia are close to the nominotypical subspecies, differing by a somewhat lighter wing underside ground colour. The name rubidus Korshunov, 1995, was proposed in Korshunov & Gorbunov (1995) as follows: "...A male from Mongolia described by Yu.P. Korsunov (1977) is designated here as Heodes alciphron rubidus Korsunov, sbsp. n. Additional material: a female - 16.07.1939, the Chita River headwaters (E.I. Pavlova)". Translation of the cited description, which should be considered as the original description of the subspecies, is following:

"Central [Aimak]: the stow Sudzukte, 15-16 VII 1925, 1 male [(P.K. Kozlov, E.V. Kozlova and colleagues)].

MALE: The fore wing length is 16 mm. The violet flash on the wings is more weak expressed than in the typical form (the butterfly looks reddish), while the dark spots on the fore wing are more contrasted, especially in the cell. Almost double spots at the hind margin of the fore wing are well seen. On the hind wing underside the dark spots of the second row internally of the orange streak are not round, as in the typical form, but somewhat elongate, they are not ringed with light rims. The genitalia scarcely differ from the type."

TYPE LOCALITY: Sweden.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia northwards to the middle taiga belt, to the north-east reaches the Verkhoyanskiy mountain range, eastwards of Upper Priamurye becomes very local, in Primorye is known from the Ussuriisk town surroundings.

HABITAT: various kind meadows on the lowlands and in the mountains, locally up to the tree-line. In the southern Far East the butterflies are usually found on damp meadows on river banks. The butterflies often feed on the flowers of Trifolium pratense, Limonium gmelinii, Rhynanthus cristogalli, Origanum vulgare, Leucanthemum vulgare, Cirsium heterophyllum (Korshunov, 1969).

FLIGHT PERIOD: prolonged, late June/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Rumex (R. thyrsiflorus, R. acetosa, R. acetosella), reported also Plantago sp. (Migranov, 1991). Eggs: greyish- green, flattened, with dimples of different size; laid singly or in small groups on the foodplant stems or leaves, hibernate. Larva: dark-green with large yellow areas on back and two interrupted light lines along either side; spiracles black; head and thoracic legs black. Pupa: smooth, rounded, brownish with a dark streak on thorax and dark dots on abdomen.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-18 mm. In males wing upperside shining bright-orange with a narrow dark outer border; in females orange with a pattern of dark spots; hind wing underside muddy-orange with black dots and small white brands in both sexes.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The subspecies alexandrae Fruhstorfer, 1909, described from the village Turgoyak at the town Miass, is reported for the southern Ural and West Siberia, eastwards to the Yenisey; the subspecies virgaureola Staudinger, 1892 (= mongolica Kurenzov, 1970) is reported for the East Sayan, Pribaikalye, Zabaikalye, Priamurye, and Primorye; the butterflies from the taiga regions of Ural and Siberia differ from their more southern counterparts with a widened black pattern on wing upperside in females, from Yakutia such butterflies were described as ssp. lena Kurenzov, 1970.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Sweden.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia northwards to the polar regions of Ural and the middle taiga zone in Siberia, the Sakhalin. A local species.

HABITAT: meadow patches within the forest-tundra zone and in bogged forests of various types, in montane tundras and on alpine meadows.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June or July, depending on the locality, in highlands - until middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Central Europe (During, 1955, Ebert, 1991). Foodplants: Rumex, Polygonum bistorta. Eggs: green, flat, with rather large round dimples, laid singly on foodplants low above the ground. Larva: velvety dark-green with a dark stripe along back and a light line above legs and prolegs along either side, and also light spots at segment joints; covered with short white hairs; head and thoracic legs brown. The larva hibernates and pupates in the end of spring. Pupa: yellow-brown with black dots of different sizes, by 9 ones on each abdominal segment and by 5 larger dots on dorsal side of thoracic segments; wing cases outlined with a dark line; it lies freely on the ground.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. In males wing upperside orange-red with a slight violet iridescence, there are a dark band along outer margin of fore wing and a basal dark area occupying more than a half of hind wing; in females upperside brown with an orange suffusion sometimes excluding ground colour (in ssp. stiberi); hind wing underside greyish in both sexes.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Butterflies from the southern Ural and West Siberian Lowland are close to the nominotypical subspecies hippothoe (? = spadona Krulikovsky, 1909, type locality: Vyatka); the butterflies from Polar Ural by small size, a lighter colouration of females and a reduction of the dark border in males approach to the Scandinavian subspecies stiberi Gerhard, 1853. The subspecies sajana Kozhantshikov,1923 ranges in the mountains of S Siberia and the Prilenskoe Plateau; ssp. amurensis Staudinger, 1892 ranges in the southern Far East.

TYPE LOCALITY: Austria: Harz.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), Anterior Asia, S Ural, the southern W Siberia, Kazakhstan. A local species.

HABITAT: meadow patches and meadow steppes at pine woods, "kolki" [birch groves], on mountain slopes and rock outcrops in the montane forest belt.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in one or two broods, depending on the locality, in general the imagines can be seen from May to September. In the Karasuk District of the Novosibirsk Region the imagines were observed to feed on the flowers of Limonium gmelinii, Hieracium sp., etc., mostly in the afternoon, while copulating pairs were observed mostly on 10-13 hr. In the evening the butterflies rise to birch crowns.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lang, 1884; Eckstein, 1913). Foodplants: Rumex; also reported are some Fabaceae: Astragalus, Sarothamnus scoparius. Eggs: flattened, with relatively large round dimples, light-green with a large dark spot on top; they are laid singly, mostly on the underside of the leaf petioles of the foodplant. Young larva: green with light-grey lengthwise streaks; mature larva: green with a pinkish lengthwise line along back and above legs and slanting dark streaks on either side (sometimes inconspicuous); body covered with short reddish hairs. The larva often contacts with ants. Pupa: light-greenish or yellowish-brown with a dark back line and lighter sides; speckled with fine dark dots.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-15 mm. In both sexes wing upperside brown, in females with orange spots at outer margin; hind wing underside ochre-yellow.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from Ural and West Siberia are close to ssp. tityrus.

The tribe includes a single monotypical genus.

Type species: Niphanda tessellata Moore, [1875].

TYPE LOCALITY: Peking.

RANGE: S Pribaikalye (the Temnik River), E Zabaikalye, Priamurye (downstream to the village Tsimmermanovka), Primorye, NE China, Korea, Japan. A local species.

HABITAT: in Primorye: oak woods, bush thickets in river valleys. At the village Brovnichi in the Tigrovaya River gorge the butterflies were recorded to often feed on flowers of Sorbaria. In SE Zabaikalye (the rocky left board of the Onon River 7 km upstream of the village Nizhnii Tsasuchei, observations by O. Kosterin and V. Dubatolov) numerous butterflies were observed in mixed shrubbery of the Siberian Apricot (Armeniaca Sibirica) and elms (Ulmus pumila, Ulmus macrocarpa). They rest on bush branches feed mostly on the flowers of Lilium pumilum and Clematis hexapetala.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in Primorye: middle June/late August, in one or two broods.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: In Primorye the eggs are laid singly or in small batches on the bark of Quercus mongolicus, in the places where aphids and ants are present. In Japan oviposition was also observed on the bark of the pine-trees, honeysuckle, or the grass Miscanthus, in the same conditions. A young larva keeps to the foodplant leaves and feeds on aphid secretion. After hibernation in an ant-hill at the third instar it lives there being fed by ants; it is greyish-yellowish-rose. Pupa: dark- brown dorsally and whitish ventrally, lies in an ant-hill.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-22 mm. In both sexes wing upperside brown, in males with a violet iridescence; wing underside light-beige with light-rimmed brownish spots of different sizes, at fore wing base there is a very large spot irregular in shape.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from the southern Priamurye and Zabaikalye differ from the typical ones by the presence of whitish spots and areas on hind wing underside making the pattern more mottled.

GENUS LAMPIDES Hübner, 1819.

Type species: Papilio boeticus Linnaeus, 1767.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: Algeria.

RANGE: S Europe, Africa, the subtropical and tropical Asia, Australia, the Hawaii. A migrating species: the migrant individuals were recorded in England, Germany, the southern Moscow Region, the Sibay district of Bashkiria, at Novosibirsk, and on the De Vries Peninsula in Primorye.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in Central Asia: middle June/late October, in two to four broods.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: various Fabaceae (Pisum, Vicia, Colutea, Lupinus), and also Lamiaceae (Mentha) and a number of other plants. According to the observations by M. M. and M. A. Omel'ko (1975) in S Primorye, the eggs are laid singly at the side or pedicule of the flower buds of Vicia amoena. Larvae hatch on sixth day and borrow into flower buds, where after seven days underwent the first molt. Nine days later they underwent the second mount on the flower pedicles, in early September they start to look for shelters for hibernation. Mature larva: 15 mm long, varies in colour: either brownish-sand coloured with a brownish back stripe and two lighter wavy streaks on either side, or greenish-grey with a dark-brown back line and two lighter, with a violet tint, wavy streaks along either side, some larvae have a strong purple tint. Rear end of the body bears knobs and spinules. Before pupation the larva becomes purple and makes a frail silken cocoon, which encrusted with numerous ground particles and other small thing, in shady places on the ground surface. Pupation may occur also in a rolled leaf or empty legume stem. Pupa: 9.5-11 mm, brownish with a network of small darker spots and few larger ones, back with a darker lengthwise streak.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-17 mm. Wing upperside blue in males and brown with a brilliant violet basal suffusion in females; hind wing underside covered by alternating brown and white wavy streaks; at hind wing anal angle there is a thread-like tail.

Type species: Papilio amyntas [Denis et Schiffermuller], 1775.

F.w.l.: 95 mm. Wing upperside blue in males, brown in females. Hind wing bears a small thread-like tail or a sharp projection at anal angle.

The genus includes seven species ranging in Eurasia, N America, and Australia.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Volga basin: the city Samara.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia northwards to the middle taiga belt, north- east to the Oimyakonskoe upland and the southern Magadan Region; the Sakhalin, South Kuriles, Japan.

HABITAT: various meadows, fields, in the mountains locally rises up to the tree line by slopes of river valleys, rock outcrops. In Siberia the imagines keep to legume flowers, observed on wet ground and slates (Korshunov, 1969 etc.). In Primorye at the village Brovnichi they were observed feeding on the flowers of Lespedeza (V. Ivonin)

FLIGHT PERIOD: mostly in two broods, in middle May/middle June and July/September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913, and others). Foodplants: Lespedeza, Medicago, Trifolium, Lotus corniculatus, and other Fabaceae. Eggs: small, greenish-white, green, or blueish, with fine reticulate ornament; laid singly on the buds, flowers, or young leaves of the foodplants. Larva: green, rarely reddish, with brown spots and dark lengthwise lines on back; covered with short light setae sprouting from whitish dots; head and spiracles black. It feeds on buds, flowers, and leaves, and is visited by ants; cases of cannibalism are reported. Pupa of the spring brood: brownish with black speckles and a dark line on back; that of the summer brood: green with whitish veins on wing cases, most frequently it is suspended on the foodplant inflorescences. The pupae of both broods are covered with long sparse hairs. Hibernation occurs at the stage of the last instar larva or pupa among the leaf fall.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 9-13 mm in spring brood, 12-15 mm in summer brood. On fore wing underside dots of postdiscal row are transversally elongate, on hind wing underside at anal angle there are two orange spots; tail about 1.5 mm long.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Ural and Siberia is inhabited by ssp. argiades; the southern Far East is inhabited by the subspecies seitzi Wnukowsky, 1928.

TYPE LOCALITY: Austria.

RANGE: S Europe, North, Middle, and South Ural, the south of West and Middle Siberia, Zabaikalye (the Chita surroundings). The eastern limit of the species needs clarification. A local species.

HABITAT: various meadows; in Altai the maximal quantities are observable in the lower part of the mountain forest belt, where numerous congregations of males on a wet ground are frequent.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/middle July, depending on the locality.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Trifolium, Vicia, Coronilla varia, Vicia sativa (Lorkovic, 1938), other herbaceous Fabaceae.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-14 mm. On fore wing underside dots of postdiscal row round and only one row of spots is well expressed at outer margin; on hind wing underside at anal angle orange spots either absent or there is only one thin crescent-shaped orange mark; tail very short being rather a sharp projection.

Type species: Lycaena fisheri Eversmann, 1843.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Ural.

RANGE: SE Europe, S Ural, N and E Kazakhstan, the southern W Siberia, the mountains of S Siberia, Primorye, the southern Sakhalin, Mongolia, NE and Central China, Korea, Japan. A local species.

HABITAT: Rocky steppes, rock outcrops on southern slopes, steppefied river and brook slopes of river and brook valleys, pebble river banks, in SE Zabaikalye also open pine forests with scarce grass layer (observations by O. Kosterin and V. Dubatolov), where Orostachys spp. grows. At Ayan the butterflies were found out on coastal rocks (facing the Okhot Sea) where Sedum spinosum grows (E. Novomodnyi). According to observations by Y. Korshunov at Krasnoyarsk and village Abaza (Khakassia), these butterflies are especially abundant in places where small gravel and detritus is present under the grass, which offer shelters for the butterflies. The butterflies can be seen sitting on leaves, stones and wet ground, they are rather cautious, being frightened they swiftly fly away up along the slope.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in two broods in middle May/middle June and August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Crassulaceae: Orostachys, Sedum. Eggs: white; laid by 1-2 on the foodplant leaves or inflorescences. The larva hibernates inside or near the foodplant. A young larva at first lives and feeds inside a leaf, later it keep to the inflorescences. Mature larva: greenish-white, sometimes with a reddish tint, there is a narrow interrupted red line along the back and a wider reddish stripe on either side. Pupa: brownish or greenish, with sparse hairs; it is found on the foodplant, trees, or lichens. Larva found by O. Berezina and O. Kosterin in SE Transbaicalia: green, with diffuse dark-red lateral and medial stripes and traces of slanting streaks of the same colour between them; head black. It was found young in a rosette of Orostachys malacophylla taken from nature more than a fortnight ago. It ate leaves from inside and pupated having eaten all the rosette. Pupa: greyish-green, covered with chaotically specked, often fused to each other dark-olive dots. Becoming denser, they form a lengthwise back line, lateral lines along hind margins of abdominal segments and spots on sides of these segments. On wing cases the dots are very sparse and look much lighter. There are rather long white setae on head, abdomen and back side of thorax, on wing cases they are absent.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 9-13 mm. Wing upperside brown in both sexes; on fore wing underside spots of postdiscal row round and rather large, and two rows of spots are well expressed at outer margin; on hind wing underside there are two or three orange semicircular spots at anal angle; the tail is about 1 mm long.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: poorly studied. The subspecies sachalinensis Matsumura, 1925 ranges in the Sakhalin.

ETYMOLOGY: Gothelf Fischer von Waldheim (1771-1853) - a well-known naturalist, entomologist and paleontologist, the founder of the Moscow Society of Nature Explorers.

T.s.: Papilio minimus Fuessly, 1775.

F.w.l.: 9-15 mm. The wing upperside violet-blue or dark-brown with a greenish-blue suffusion in males, dark-brown in females; underside silvery-grey, with only one postdiscal row of small black dots, often transversally elongate.

A Palearctic genus including not less than seven species.

TYPE LOCALITY:: Switzerland.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia locally as northwards as the polar regions (Polar Ural), the Sakhalin.

HABITAT: meadows of various kinds, in the mountains penetrates into highlands, more frequent on grassy slopes, at screes. The imagines were observed to feed on the flowers of Vicia sylvatica, Vicia cracca, Lathyrus, Taraxacum officinale.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in the southern forest zone: in one brood in June; in the forest-steppe zone: in two broods in May/June and August/September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lanf, 1884; Eckstein, 1913 etc.). Foodplants: Astragalus, Coronilla, Medicago, Melilotus, and other Fabaceae, reported is also Phlomis (Lamiacceae). Eggs: adpressed, light- green, with a dense reticulate ornament; laid on the foodplant leaves. Larva: green, sometimes yellow or ochre-coloured, usually with a dark back line along back, beside of which there are two rows of short slanting streaks of reddish or yellow colour, and an interrupted dark line, bordered with white beneath, on either side; head and thoracic legs dark-brown. Pupa: yellowish-green, dorsally with four rows of dark dots; it hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 9-15 mm. Wing upperside dark brown, almost black, in males with a slight basal suffusion with glittering greenish-blue scales; on fore wing underside the row of postdiscal dots straight in its lower half; fringe grey. V. Ivonin informed that the butterflies from Pribaikalye lack basal suffusion of greenish-blue scales on hind wing underside. Similar species: C. osiris.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Butterflies from, Ural and Siberia are close to ssp. minimus. Specimens from S Primorye belong to ssp. chappensis Matsumura, 1927, described from Korea, differing by a larger size (f.w.l. 12-15 mm) and a weakly expressed suffusion of glittering scales on wing upperside in males.

TYPE LOCALITY: not specified [Europe].

RANGE: S Europe, Anterior and Central Asia, the southern Ural and Siberia eastwards to Zabaikalye and Zhigansk in Yakutia, Mongolia.

HABITAT: meadows of various types, meadow-steppe patches. Relatively a rare species.

FLIGHT PERIOD: May/August, most probably in two broods.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Onobrychis, Lathyrus, and other Fabaceae (Malicky, 1969, and others).

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-16 mm. Wing upperside violet in males and brown in females; on fore wing underside row of postdiscal dots considerably bent in its lower half, dots are rather irregularly scattered. Similar species: C. minimus.

T.s..: Papilio argiolus Linnaeus, 1758.

F.w.l.: 11-17 mm. Wings blue above, in females - with a wide border at the outer and, partly, fore margins; wing underside light-blueish with a pattern of small separate dots and strokes. In male genitalia valva ends with a large sharp tooth.

A Holarctic genus including 5-6 very similar taxa, the range of which needs in clarification.

TYPE LOCALITY: England.

RANGE: The non-tropical Eurasia (except for the Pacific coastal regions) northwards to the forest-tundra zone, north-westwards to Central Yakutia (the settlement Khandyga). The species used to be confused with C. ladon, so its eastern limits need clarification.

HABITAT: forest edges, cuttings, glades, open woods, bush thickets, bogs, birch-pine woods, settlements. Besides, in the Kuznetskoe Alatau Mts. the butterflies were observed on damp meadows, dwarf birch (Betula rotundifolia) thickets [loc. "ernik"] and on screes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: for three-four weeks just after the leaves have appeared on trees, in the temperate zone scarce butterflies of the second brood used to be observed in warm years. The imagines often keep to the flowering willows.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Rhamnus, Frangula, arboreal and fruticose Rosaceae (Prunus, Rubus, Sorbus, Spiraea), Ribes nigrum, various Fabaceae (Caragana frutex, Chamaecystis, Lupinus), Vaccinium. Eggs: blueish, later becoming white; laid singly on the foodplant flower buds. Several forms of larva can be found: green, pinkish, reddish, brown, or violet. They usually have an obscure ornament consisting of a diffuse dark line along back and light interrupted lines on sides; sometimes the larva is mottled due to more expressed lines and appearing of a chain of white triangles and red spots along back. 10th segment bears an ant-attracting gland. Pupa: ochre-coloured, brown, or almost black, with lighter wing cases and darker markings on sides of abdominal segments; belted most frequently on a leaf underside; hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-17 mm. On male hind wing upperside a dark border and spots between veins are not expressed; on female fore wing upperside the dark border occupies about a half of wing area, in summer brood it is even more wide. From other species of the genus this one differs primarily in the male genitalia structure (Table.....)

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Ural and the most part of Siberia are inhabited by the nominotypical subspecies; Yakutia and the northern Buryatiya - by ssp. bieneri Forster, 1941.

TYPE LOCALITY: N America.

RANGE: The Magadan Region, the mountains of Bureya, the Middle and Lower Priamurye, Primorye, the Sakhalin, South Kuriles, NE China, Korea, Japan, North and Central America. In Eurasia the western limit of the species is not well known.

HABITAT: forest meadows, wood edges, river banks, bush thickets, in the mountains occurs up to the highlands. The butterflies feed on the flowers of Armeniaca mandshurica, Pyrus ussuriensis, Malus mandshurica. Usually a male occupies a perch and defends it by chasing out other males, often rising high above tree crowns. Females keep to lower levels, rising to tree crowns for egg laying only (M.M. and M.A. Omel'ko, 1987).

FLIGHT PERIOD: in two broods, in late April/middle June and July/September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorye (M.M. and M.A. Omelko, 1987). Foodplants: various Fabaceae (Lespedeza bicolor, Melilotus, Vicia amoena), and also Plectranthus exisus (Lamiaceae) and Aralia mandshurica (Araliaceae). Eggs: whitish, 0.6 mm in diameter, flattened, ribbed, apically somewhat concave, deeply dimpled, at first blueish but soon becomes whitish; laid singly or by 2-3 on the foodplant inflorescences. The larva hatches on 5-7th day, it feeds on flowers and young ovaries, undergoes three molts. The first instar larva: yellowish, hairs white. In later instars the colouration of larvae much vary even on the same plant. Thus, the second brood larvae from Lespedeza bicolor and Vicia amoena were blueish- green, pinkish-violet, dark-violet, or brown, usually mottled due to contrasted lengthwise lines (of a violet, brown, olive- grey or green colour). Mature larva 11-12 mm long. The second brood larvae pupate on grass stems or bush or tree branches; those of the first brood - in litter on the ground. Pupa: 5.2- 8.2 mm long, beige-coloured, with small brown speckles on abdominal segments and, on tergites 3-6, with large brown spots, which on tergites 5 and 6 often fused to each other, set with very short and sparse light chetae.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. From the most similar species C. argiolus this one differs by the presence of a conspicuous projection under the apical tooth of the valva in the male genitalia (Table.....)

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: In East Asia there ranges the subspecies ladonides d'Orza, 1869, which is reported also for the South Kuriles; the "race" sachalinensis Esaki, 1922 is described from the Sakhalin.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Amur Region: the surroundings of the town Zeya.

RANGE, HABITAT, FLIGHT PERIOD: The species is known by two males of the type series collected on a wood cutting on 22-23th June 1985. On 17th June 1995 these butterflies were found out by V. Dubatolov in a pine forest in the Chita surroundings.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. From the most similar species C. argiolus this one differs by the presence of dark spots at the outer margin of the hind wing upperside, and also by the male genitalia structure (Table.....)

ETYMOLOGY: Grigoriy Anisimovich Fedoseev (1899-1965) - a writer and a geodesist, an explorer of the mountains of Siberia.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Primorye: The Ussuri River.

RANGE: An endemic species of Primorye (The Sinii mountain range, the Ussuriiskii nature reserve, the surroundings of the village Brovnichi and town Partizansk; the De Vries and Murav'ev-Amurskiy Peninsulas).

HABITAT: valley broad-leaved forests. According to the observations by M.M. and M.A. Omel'ko (1987), in the first half of the day the butterflies the butterflies keep to the low levels, mostly visiting flowers, in the afternoon they rise to tree crowns and demonstrate sexual behaviour, the maximum activity was observed at 16-18 hr.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late April/early June.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: The life history was studied by M.M. Omel'ko. Foodplant: Philodendron amurensis. Eggs: small (about 0.6 mm in diameter), globular, dimpled, greenish, later become white; laid by 1-2 on a branch at bud bases, rarely on buds themselves, young leaves or their petioles, on fruiting trees usually on inflorescences. The larvae hatch on the fourth day. The first instar larva: flattened, light blueish-green with two rows of long light hairs along back, brownish- black head, and legs are light. It eats mostly young leaves making in them irregular holes of different size, sometimes eats anthers in the flowers. Mature larva: 12-14 mm long, green with a darker dorsal line, bordered with yellowish streaks; set with very short light hairs and bearing two rows of sparse long chetae. Before pupation its colour changes to blueish-green. Pupation takes place on the ground in litter from middle June to middle July. Pupa: 7.2-9 mm long, dark-brown, evenly or with a lighter (brown or brownish-yellow) abdomen, which is either dark-brown speckled or with a darkening on segments 3-9; sometimes evenly dark-brown. Hibernation on the stage of pupa or, rarely, mature larva.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-16 mm. This species differs from other our ones by a bright violet tint and a distinct dark border on the male hind wing upperside, and also by the male genitalia structure (Table....).

T.s.: Celastrina filipjevi Riley, 1934.

F.w.l.: 12-17 mm. Wing upperside blue, in females strongly darkened so, that blue colour retains only in central part of fore wing. Wing underside light-blueish with a pattern of separate black dots. In male genitalia valva has a blunt apex since apical tooth is bent upwards.

This genus, close to the previous one, embraces several species from E and SE Asia.

TYPE LOCALITY: Primorye.

RANGE: An endemic species of S. Primorye, known from the rivers Maykhe and Suputinka, the village Gornotaezhnoe, the Ussuriyskiy Nature Reserve (the dendrarium), Vladivostok (the Botanical Garden).

HABITAT: valley broad-leaved forests with Princepia chinensis in the understory; places where P. chinensis is planted in dendrariums, botanical gardens, parks, settlements.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/late August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: The life history was studied by M.M. and M.A. Omel'ko (1984). Foodplant: Princepia chinensis (Rosaceae). Eggs: small (about 0.7 mm in diameter), ribbed, white; laid by one or two on the foodplants twigs and leaves, or under the come off bark in batches up to 10 ones. The eggs laid by the second brood hibernate. The larvae hatch from them in about 20s of April and molt thrice until early June. Mature larva: up to 15 mm long; green, back being light-greenish-blue with three lengthwise yellow-green lines, spiracular line greyish- yellow; body set throughout with light hairs; head dark; thoracic legs are light with brown claws. The larva pupates in May/early June, usually under the foodplant leaves. Pupa: up to 10 mm long, green with a lighter abdominal tergites (except for the first one), with a line of the basic colour going along back of abdomen; covered with sparse light hairs; spiracles dark. Pupal stage lasts for 9-19 days.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-16 mm. In males the dark border on wing upperside narrow (about 1 mm in width); wing underside silvery-white with well expressed postdiscal black dots. In male genitalia valva has small teeth at apex of its major projection (Table....). Similar species: M. oreas.

ETYMOLOGY: Nikolay Nikoilaevich Filipyev (1882-1943), a lepidopterologist of the Zoological Institute (Leningrad), actively worked in 20s-30s years of this century.

TYPE LOCALITY: "West China".

RANGE: S Primorye (the Ussuriyskiy nature reserve), North-East, Central and South China. In Primorye the species was collected together with M. filipjevi at the bushes of Princepia chinensis in a valley broad-leaved forest.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/middle July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: The life history was studied by M.M. and M.A. Omel'ko (1984). Foodplant: Princepia chinensis. Eggs: relatively large (0.9 mm in diameter), ribbed, white; laid by one-three on thin twigs of large bushes of the foodplants, usually at bifurcation points or at the spine bases. The larva molts thrice since 20s of April (the time when leaves come out) until early June. The last instar larva eats young leaves on the sprout tops, leaving only the central veins. It is whitish with a narrow brown back line usually accompanied with a more narrow and dark line on either side; body covered with light hairs which are longer on the sides to form a sort of fringe. Pupa: 9-10 mm long, head and wing cases grey with dark-brown speckles; abdomen cream-white; body covered with sparse light hairs; it is found in June in dry leaf fall at the foodplants.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-17 mm. In males the dark border on wing upperside about 2 mm wide; wing underside greyish with small postdiscal black dots, usually absent on fore wing. In male genitalia valva has small teeth at bend of major projection (Table....).

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from Primorye are close to the Korean subspecies mirificus Sugitani, 1936. Probably the taxon ussuriensis Forster, 1941, described from the Ussuri River delta as a subspecies of a Himalayan species Celastrina gigas Hemming, 1941, belongs in fact to M. oreas.

T.s.. Papilio battus [Denis at Schiffermuller], 1775.

A monotypical species.

TYPE LOCALITY: The Volga River basin: the town Syzran' environs: the Krymza River..

RANGE: The south of forest and forest-steppe zones of Eurasia, the adjacent mountain countries southwards to the Tien-Shan and, in E Siberia, northwards to the subpolar regions; Kamchatka. A local species.

HABITAT: detritus and rocky southern slopes up to the highlands; steppefied meadows, dry open woods, large-stoned screes. The imagines were observed to feed on Ranunculus sp., Sedum eversii, S. hybridum, Astragalus onobrychis, Onobrychis tanaitica, Gelium verum, Dracocephalum nutans etc.

FLIGHT PERIOD: usually in two broods, in middle May/ middle June and July/ August, respectively.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Chapman, 1915; etc.) and Asia. Foodplants: Sedum, in Primorye recorded also Orostachys. Eggs: light, globular, adpressed, with a dimple apically; laid singly on the foodplant flowers. The young larva eats the buds and young leaves, gnawing their edges, an older larva cuts the leaves off at the base and then eats them on the ground. Young larva: greenish, along back, starting from 3rd segment, there is a chain of carmine-red spots joint with slanting streaks of the same colour on either side, 1st segment black with a carmine-red spot; spiracles black; the body specked with black dots and set with yellowish-green hairs. Mature larvae: with swollen segments, greyish-brown or yellowish-green, speckled with small brownish dots, with a wide dark stripe or a row of rectangular spots along back, sometimes three rows of brownish slanting streaks are present on either side; head and spiracles black. The larva is actively visited by ants, it pupates among withered leaves on the ground or in ant nests. Pupa: pale-brownish with yellowish-green wing cases. Pupation takes place on the foodplant or on the ground in litter, sometimes gregariously; hibernation on the pupa stage.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 10-16 mm. Wing upperside: brown, in specimens of spring brood (the spring form ornata Staudinger, 1892) with a well developed suffusion or a pattern made by glittering blue scales. On hind wing underside there is a contiguous orange band at outer margin.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from the surroundings of the village Cheposh in Altai are described as johanseni Wnukowsky, 1934.

T.s.: Papilio baton Bergstresser, 1779.

F.w.l.: 10-12 mm. The wing upperside is blue in males and dark-brown, with a blue suffusion at the base, in females. On the hind wing underside there is a marginal row of separate orange spots.

A Palearctic genus with six species. The Asian part of Russia is inhabited by two very close species differing by the structure of the male genitalia. Another species: Pseudophilotes panope (Eversmann, 1851) has been described from the semidesert areas along the lower flow of the Ural river (Indersk). It is still known only by the type material preserved in the Zoological Institute, the special searches for this species in the Ural River basin were not successful so far. In literature this species used to be erroneously considered as belonging to the South Ural fauna.

TYPE LOCALITY: NW India: Kamovur.

RANGE: Central and SE Europe, Anterior and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, S Ural, the southern W Siberia, Altai. A local species.

HABITAT: sandy terraces and pebble river banks, dry detritus south- exposed slopes, in Alai - up to 2800 m altitude.

FLIGHT PERIOD: the species can be rarely met with from late May to late July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Kaisila, Peltonen, 1995; etc.). Foodplants: Thymus serpillum, ?Mentha was also reported. Mature larva: about 10 mm long, light-green with a carmine-reddish back line and dots of the same colour forming a row on either side, hind segment margins with specks of the same colour; short slanting greenish-grey streaks present on either side of segments 2-10, and long whitish ones on segments 3-10; there is a white spiracular line; head glossy-black; thoracic legs light-brown; ventral prolegs light-green with black feet. The last instar larvae are connected with the ants Myrmica sabuleti; in captivity they eat other caterpillars. Pupa: clay-yellow with a greenish bloom.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 10-12 mm. In male genitalia valva bears one tooth apically (Table...).

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The Russia is inhabited by the subspecies schiffermulleri Hemming, 1929.

TYPE LOCALITY: the surroundings of Yakutsk.

RANGE: The Prilenskoe Plateau, the Stanovoe Nagorye Upland, N Pribaikalye (the surroundings of the town Severobaikal'sk and city Listvyanka).

HABITAT: steppefied slopes at moderate altitudes and dry meadows on river terraces, besides, on the Baikal'skiy mountain range the species was found on screes at 1500 m above sea level. A locally abundant species.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/middle July, depending on the locality.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 10-12 mm. In male genitalia valva bears two teeth apically (Table...).

T.s.: Lycaena bavius Eversmann, 1832.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Orenburg Province.

RANGE: S Europe, N Africa. The species has been described by Eversmann (1832) from the recent territory of Bashkiria, but further materials from there are missing.

HABITAT: in European Russia: steppefied meadows.

FLIGHT PERIOD: May/first half of June.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Salvia (Lamiaceae). The larvae live inside flowers.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-14 mm. Wing upperside blue with a dark outer border in males and brown in females, as different from Pseudophylotes vicrama, in both sexes with a row of orange-red spots at hind wing outer margin; fringe is checkered.

T.s.: Polyommatus lygdamus Doubleday, 1842.

F.w.l.: 13-19 mm. Wing upperside blue in males and brown in females. On fore wing underside there is only a postdiscal row of round black spots and a black stroke on transversal vein, hind wing underside basally suffused with glittering greenish-blue scales.

A Holarctic genus with eight species.

TYPE LOCALITY: West USA: Georgia.

RANGE: The mountains of the right tributaries of Kolyma River upper flow (the rivers Malyi Anyui, Verkhniy Seimchan, Sugoy, and Omolon), Kamchatka, N. America. A local species. Habitat: montane tundras and meadow patches at the upper limit of larch forest. The imagines were observed in June and July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in N America. Foodplants: Fabaceae: Oxytropis, Astragalus, Lathyrus, Vicia, etc. Eggs: light blueish-green, with white grooves; laid singly or young foodplant leaves. Larva: from light-yellow to purple or brown, with a dark dorsal streak, light slanting lateral strokes, and a yellowish spiracular line. It eats flowers, fruits, young leaves, is visited by ants. Pupa: brown with a dark dorsal line, light-brown spots and black speckles, or entirely dark; it hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-15 mm. In males wing upperside silvery-blue with a dark border at outer margin less than 1 mm in width; in both sexes postdiscal row of small black spots on fore wing underside evenly bent at fore margin.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: In the Kolyma River basin and in Kamchatka the subspecies kurnakovi Kurenzov, 1970 is distributed, which differs from ssp. couperi Grote, known from Alaska, by a darker ground colour of wing upperside in males.

TYPE LOCALITY: Austria: Harz.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), N Africa, Anterior and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, the southern Ural and Siberia eastwards to Zabaikalye and the Bol'shoy Khingan, Mongolia, N China.

HABITAT: dry meadows, steppefied mountain slopes, wasting lands, the imagines are often observed on wet ground.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late May/late July, depending on the locality.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Buckler, 1887; Ebert, 1991; other authors) and Ural (Chislov, 1977). Foodplants: various Fabaceae: Medicago, Melilotus, Astragalus, Onobrychis, Chamaecytisus, Ononis, Genista, Trifolium, Vicia. Eggs: whitish, flattened, with tiny dimples, laid singly on various parts of a foodplant. Larva: green, brown, or grey-red, with a reddish streak along back and close to each other slanting streaks on sides, which often are hardly noticeable; ventral prolegs greyish-brown; thoracic legs and head black; body densely covered with thin hairs. Hibernation was observed on the stage of larva (in Central Europe) and pupa (in Ural) In the latter case the pupa resides on the ground under the litter in a frail cocoon. Pupa: brownish-grey.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-17 mm. Wing underside light-grey, postdiscal row of spots on fore wing sharply bent at the third or fourth spot, glittery suffusion occupies basal half of hind wing.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Ural and Siberia are inhabited by ssp. alexis.

T.l.: N Japan.

RANGE: The southern half of the forest and forest-steppe zone from the Irtysh River in the Omsk Region to the Far East, the Sakhalin, S Kuriles, Mongolia, NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: meadow patches on mountain slopes, river terraces, rocks, edges of coniferous forests, pine woods and birch groves.

FLIGHT PERIOD: as a rule in two broods, in May/late June and July/August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Fabaceae. Eggs: white; laid singly on the buds, inflorescences, and twigs of the foodplant. Larva: light-green, the last body segment and, partly, thoracic segments reddish; it eats the generative organs of a plant and is visited by ants. Pupa: brown, found under the leaf fall at the foodplant.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-20 mm. In males wing upperside has a relatively wide, 1.5-3 mm, dark border at outer margin; on fore wing underside the postdiscal row of spots is slightly and evenly bent, on hind wing the glittery suffusion confined to basal area.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Subspecies: in Siberia and the mountains of Bureya ssp. lederi A. Bang-Haas, 1907 widely ranges, In Primorye and the Sakhalin ssp. scylla Oberthur, 1880 presents, differing from ssp. lederi with a larger size, violet-blue wing upperside, a wider dark border in males. The butterflies from the Kunashir, known as ssp. tomariana Matsumura, 1928, are characterized by a blue upperside colouration and a narrow dark border in males and a light-blue with a dark black border in females.

T.s.: Lycaena argali Elwes, 1899.

A monotypical genus close to the previous one, close to the previous one.

TYPE LOCALITY: SE [Russian] Altai: the Chuya basin: the Kuyaktanar River.

RANGE: the Altai Mts., West (Kurchumskii mountain range), Central (the settlement Inya) and SE (the mountains in the Chuya River upper basin); the Saur and Monrak Mountains.

HABITAT, IMAGINAL BEHAVIOUR: Steppefied detritus south-exposed slopes 800-2500 m above sea level. According to observations by V. Ivonin in SE Altai (the Chikhacheva mountain range), the butterflies keep to thorn cushions of Oxytropis tragacanthoides, most probably the larval foodplant, and feed on its flowers. Males also feed on the flowers of Primula, Potentilla, Myosotis and others on openings in neighbouring larch forests. In sunny weather butterflies active from 10-11 to 18 hr. Copulations were observed on stones at midday. On cloudy weather the butterflies hide in shelters between stones.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: not studied. Most probable food plants: thorn bush species of Oxytropis of the subgenus Tragacanthoxytropis: O. tragacanthoides in SE Altai (V. Ivonin), O. hystrix in SE Kazakhstan (Lukhtanov & Lukhtanov, 1990)

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-15. Wing upperside glittering silvery-blue in both sexes, in males with a black outer border fused with black submarginal spots to form a waving band about 1.5 mm wide; in females upperside unevenly suffused with dark scales. Wing underside dark-greyish-brown in both sexes, on fore wing postdiscal row of large spots bent at the fourth spot from top.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Ssp.. argali is known from Central and SE Russian Altai; the Kazakhstan territory is inhabited by the subspecies arkhar Lukhtanov, 1990.

T.s..: Papilio alcon [Denis et Schiffermuller], 1775.

Relatively large butterflies, f.w.l. usually being 16-21 mm, rarely 12-23 mm. Wing upperside blue or brown, with dark spots; pattern of wing underside consists of 1-3 rows of black spots, of which postdiscal one especially conspicuous; red or orange spots absent.

The larvae are known for their parasitism on certain ant species of the genus Myrmica. They usually live on plant inflorescences until the fourth instar, later they descend to the ground and wait for ants. When an ant touches a larva with its antennae, the larva exudes a secretion from a special glands situated on the abdominal segments. The ant takes the larva with its mandibulae and carries into the nest, where the larva is fed by ants of eats their larvae, to this moment it acquires a superficial resemblance in colouration with the latter. The larvae can live in the nests of certain species only and die if carried to those of others.

A Palearctic genus including not less than eight species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Hanau-Munzenberg.

RANGE: The south of the forest and forest-steppe zone, including piedmonts, from W Europe to Middle Siberia. A local species.

HABITAT: herbaceous meadows in river valleys, in forests, pine woods, birch groves. The imagines visit almost exclusively the inflorescences of Sanguisorba officinalis.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/late July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Central Europe (Ecksten, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Sanguisorba officinalis. Eggs: greenish-white. At early instars the larva lives inside an inflorescence. The first instar larva: white with brownish thoracic legs and head, the latter bears serrate bristles on occiput. At later instars the larva becomes purple with a honey-brown head and bears warts set with yellowish hairs. Body of the third instar larva strongly curved, each wart bearing one light bristle, bristles being longer on those at segment joints; spiracles rimmed with double dark rings. At the fourth and fifth instars it is reddish and is connected with the ants species Myrmica rubra. The emergence of butterflies coincides with the beginning of the Sanguisorba flowering.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-19 mm. Wing upperside brown with a violet bloom; underside brown with a postdiscal row of black dots only.

T.l.: Primorye: Vladivistok.

RANGE: Middle Priamurye (from the Amur-Zeya Plateau to the Gorin River), Primorye, E China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: forb meadows in montane mixed forests up to the altitude of 1300 m. The imagines actively visit the flowers of Sorbaria sorbifolia.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: species of Rabdosia (= Plectanthus): R. excisus, probably also R. glaucocaliyx and R. serra (Lamiaceae). In S Primorye oviposition was observed on inflorescences of R. wxcisia (Takahashi et al., 1996). Eggs: greenish, later become lighter; laid singly on the foodplant. A young larva reddish, it feeds on flowers, later becomes pinkish-yellowish-white and lives in an anthill. Pupa: light-yellow, later becomes brown; in an anthill.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 20-25 mm. Wing upperside glittering- blue with a dark outer border and a row of postdiscoidal spots; underside light-blue, with postdiscal spots on the fore wing being much larger than others and stretched along veins.

TYPE LOCALITY: Vienna.

RANGE: The temperate Europe, the south of Ural and Siberia, the Middle Priamurye, Mongola. In its eastern range the species is local and rare.

HABITAT: various meadows in river valleys, at wood edges, birch groves, on mountain slopes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/late July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Ecksten, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Gentiana (G. pneumonanthe and others), reported also Lotus corniculatus, Melilotus (Fabaceae), V. Ivonin observed oviposition on stems of Dianthus superbus (Caryophyllaceae). Eggs: greenish or whitish; laid in the foodplant flowers. Larva: grey, later becomes reddish-brown; at last instar it is light yellowish-green with a dark head and dorsal line; covered with sparse hairs. Before pupation it acquires a brown colouration. In Europe the larva is connected with the ant species Myrmica ruginodis.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 18-21 mm. Wing upperside in males violet-blue with rather a narrow (up to 2 mm wide) dark outer border, without dark spots; in females upperside brown. On fore wing underside postdiscal row of spots considerably bent at the second and third spots. In male genitalia valva tapering to apex (Table....). Similar species: M. telejus, M. arion, M. cyanecula.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Siberia is inhabited by the subspecies jeniseiensis Sheljuzhko, 1928; Priamurye and Primorye - by ssp. kondakovi Kurenzov, 1970.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Hanau-Munzenberg.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia, northwards locally to the middle taiga belt, the Sakhalin, the Kuriles, Japan. A local species.

HABITAT: forest herbaceous meadows, mostly in valleys, steppefied meadows of mountain slopes and river terraces, open larch woods.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/middle July in Ural and the majority of Siberian territory, and middle July/late August in the Far East, Sakhalin, and S Kuriles.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Chapman, 1919; and others). Foodplants: Sanguisorba officinalis. Eggs: blueish-green, later become white; with a multifaceted sculpture with whitish ribs; laid on the foodplant inflorescences when the flowers just start to open. Young larva: purple-brown with a black head and a black gland on the first tergite; on back there is sparse black warts bearing a single black hair each; spiracles black-rimmed, those at body end protruding as short tubes. Mature larva: similar, but with a semicircular dark spot on back of each segment; before pupation becomes dark. A young larva lives inside an inflorescence and feed the flower buds, later it feeds on seeds and hibernate on the ground, usually in a dead inflorescence. After hibernation it keeps to the ground and contacts with ants, in Europe - Myrmica scabrinodis. Pupa: pale-brown, lies under ground clots or gravel, in the vicinity of the anthill.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-22 mm. Wing upperside blue with a wide (2-3 mm) dark outer border and a row of postdiscal spots in males; strongly darkened in females; underside greyish in both sexes; postdiscal row on fore wing usually slightly curved, its spots not greater than their counterparts on hind wing; there is a row of submarginal spots. In male genitalia valva not tapering to the apex, apical tooth widened basally (Table....). Similar species: M. alcon, M. arion.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The majority of Siberian territory is inhabited by the subspecies obscurata Staudinger, 1892, differing by colouration of wing upperside, dark violet-blue in males and evenly dark-brown in females. From the steppes of Minusinsk its bright aberration splendens Kozhantshikov,1924 is known. Priamurye and Primorye are inhabited by ssp. euphemia Staudinger, 1887 (= insignis Sheljuzhko, 1928), characterized by a great variation of colouration and differing by enlarged postdiscal spots and well expressed submarginal spots on hind wing underside. Ssp. ogumae Matsumura was described for the Sakhalin and Kuriles, 1910; ssp. doii Matsumura, 1928 from the South Kuriles. The island subspecies differ from the continental butterflies by a glittering-blue colouration of wing upperside in both sexes and a much lighter ground colour of wing underside, on which the spots of postdiscal and submarginal rows are contrasting, and also by details of the male genitalia structure (the aedeagus, arms of the gnathos), probably representing a separate species.

TYPE LOCALITY: N Korea: the Jangando Province: Handaeri.

RANGE: E Zabaikalye, Priamurye, Primorye, NE China, Korea.

HABITAT: mostly damp forest meadows, together with M. telejus.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late July/August.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-23 mm. Wing upperside brown with hardly noticeable black spots and, in males, with slight suffusion of blue scales; underside brownish-grey. On fore wing row of postdiscal spots curved, the fifth spot from top is substantially shifted to wing base; cell as a rule contains two black spots, the lower situating closer to discoidal vein. Similar species: M. telejus.

ETYMOLOGY: Alexey Ivanovich Kurenzov - an entomologist and zoogeographist, an outstanding explorer of the butterfly fauna of the Russian Far East.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Nurnberg.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), South and Middle Ural, the southern West Siberian Lowland, the Kuznetskoe Upland, North and West Altai Mts., E Kazakhstan.

HABITAT: meadow and meadow-steppe plots in forests, pine woods, birch groves, river valleys, on barren slopes, mountain piedmonts.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/early July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; Frohawk, 1915; Chapman, 1919; and others). Foodplants: Thymus serpillum, Th. marschalliana, Origanum vulgare. Eggs: hemispherical, blueish or greenish, later become lighter; laid singly on the foodplant flowers. Young larva: light-greenish-ochre coloured, covered with black dots and serrate hairs; head black. At the fourth instar: pale-ochre with darker ventral prolegs and a black spot on back of the first segment; dorsal body side covered with pear-shaped protuberances and bears hairs forming three rows on thoracic segments and four ones on abdomen; ventral side set with dense short hairs; ventral prolegs dark. Mature larva: pale- ochre with a lilac tint on sides; head ochre-coloured with a black ornament. In Europe it is connected with the ant species Myrmica sabuleti. Pupa: pale-yellow, later amber-coloured with greyish wing cases and black spiracles; lies on the ground.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 17-21 mm. Wing upperside blue with a dark outer border and a substantially bent row of lengthwise elongated postdiscal spots; on hind wing underside there is a suffusion of blue scales at base. In male genitalia valva not tapering to apex, apical tooth not widened basally (Table....). Similar species: M. cyanecula, M. alcon, M. telejus.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies of Ural and W Siberia differ from the nominotypical ones with a more substantial darkening of wing upperside in females and should be attributed to ssp. ruehli Krulikowsky, 1892 (= baschkiria Krulikowsky, 1897).

TYPE LOCALITY: Zabaikalye: Kyakhta.

RANGE: the mountains of S Siberia, Zabaikalye, the Upper and Middle Priamurye (not downstream of the Malyi Hingan Mts.), Primorye (the Lake Hanka Lowland), Mongolia, N, W and NE China, Korea.

HABITAT: Steppes and steppefied meadows, in the mountains locally up to the tree-line. In the Novosibirsk Region on the Bugotakskie Sopki hill range the species was found out by V. Ivonin to fly in the same habitats as M. arion but later.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/early August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: not studied. A probable foodplant: Thymus serpyllum.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-20 mm. Wing upperside ground colour glittering-blue; on hind wing underside a suffusion of blue scales extends to whole basal half or more. Similar species: M. arion, M. alcon, M. telejus.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The subspecies cyanecula Eversmann, 1848 (= philidor Fruhstorfer, 1915) ranges in the mountains of S Siberia and Mongolia; from the southern Far East (Nikolaevsk, Pogranichnyi) the subspecies ussuriensis Sheljuzhko, 1928 has been described, it was also reported for Priamurye. The butterflies depicted as ussuriensis in the Guide by A. Kurenzov (1970) in fact refer to M. telejus euphemia.

T.s.: Lycaena barine Leech, [Jan. 1893].

TYPE LOCALITY: Korea: "Pung-Tung" (the mountains at about 38o n.lat. / 128o e. long.)

RANGE: Korea, Japan, S Primorye (Golubinyy Utes at the settlement Khasan, the Spassk environs, the Bol'shoi Ussuriiskii island), reported also for the Amur (the environs of Khabarovsk). A local and rather rare species.

HABITAT, FLIGHT PERIOD: In S Primorye the imagines were recorded in the first half of June on meadows.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Fabaceae. Eggs: whitish; laid on the foodplant flower buds, singly but by a relatively large number per an inflorescence. Larva: yellowish- white, lives on the inflorescences and is visited by ants. Pupa: blackish, lies on the ground among gravel and twigs, hibernates.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 16-20 mm. Wing upperside violet-blue with a darkened outer border, in females in addition with dark postdiscal spots; on fore wing underside there is a conspicuous row of large black postdiscal spots.

Type species: Papilio argus Linnaeus, 1758.

F.w.l.: 11-19 mm. In males the wing upperside is, as a rule, blue, in females it is brown with orange submarginal spots on the hind wing. On the fore wing underside there is no black dots in the cell; the hind wing underside has a full row of submarginal orange spots, usually fused.

A Holarctic genus which, according to recent revisions, includes more than thirty species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Povolzhye.

RANGE: SE Europe, S Ural, N and E Kazakhstan, the southern W. Siberia, Altai, the Kuznetskoe Upland, reported for Zabaikalye (the town Kyakhta) (Ershov, 1876), probably erroneously. A local and relatively rare species.

HABITAT: steppes and dry meadows on hill tops, southern mountain slopes, crests and river terraces.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in S. Ural: middle May/late June, in Altai locally continues to middle July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in S Ural (Bartel, 1914). Foodplants: Astragalus spp., also reported are Medicago and Veronica. Mature larva: no more than 15 mm long, light- or dark- green, sometimes reddish, with darker dorsal line, slanting strokes on sides and a white reddish-brown-rimmed lateral stripes; head black. The first and three last segments flattened, other very convex and bear a bunch of relatively long whitish chetae, beside, there are thin hairs over the body; convexions are noticeable also at proleg bases. The second last segment bears white button-shaped circles on sides, almost invisible in reddish specimens. The larvae are found on leaves and flowers, they are visited by ants. Pupa: fastened with a silken belt; greenish or reddish, with an olive-green dorsal line and a reddish pattern on head, rear part of body and margin of wing cases; in some pupae the body end pink above.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-17 mm. On the wing upperside in males the veins are not darkened, there is a narrow dark border along the outer border; in females the upperside is brown with three or four large orange spots on the hind wing; both sexes have discal spots on the upperside; on the hind wing underside the black marginal dots have no glittering scales.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The subspecies katunensis Balint et Lukhtanov, 1990 ranges in Altai and the Kuznetskiy Alatau.

TYPE LOCALITY: Ust'-Kamenogorsk, W. Altai.

RANGE: The mountains of S Siberia, NE Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and W China. A local species, but in some years appear in great numbers, especially in Tuva.

HABITAT: steppefied meadows in river valleys and on mountain slopes (locally - up to the highlands), dry hills in intermontane hollows, larch wood edges.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/late July.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. In both sexes the wing upperside is dark-brown, with a suffusion of glittering emerald-blue scales in males and orange submarginal spots in females; on the hind wing underside an emerald-blue suffusion presents at the base, the submarginal orange spots are small and separated from each other and are accompanied by green- glittering dots.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The mountains of South Siberia are inhabited by the subspecies lucifer (= lornex Higgins, 1981). A close taxa have been described from Zabaikalye: selengensis Forster, 1940, and otton Korshunov, 1996, the replacement name proposed for biton Bremer, 1861, described "from Dauria and Ussuri"), which is a primary homonym to biton Sluz, 2776, a subspecies of Polyommatus damon (D. et Sch., 1775)

TYPE LOCALITY: S. Sweden.

RANGE: The non-tropical Eurasia northwards, in Siberia, to the middle taiga belt.

HABITAT: meadows of various kinds, steppes, wasting lands, settlements.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in Ural and Siberia usually in two broods, in June/July and August/September.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Lang, 1884) and Ural (Chislov, 1977). Foodplants: Fabaceae (Trifolium, Chamaecytisus, Melilotus, Medicago, Genista, Lotus, Ononis, Lathyrus, Vicia), and also Polygonaceae and Asteraceae were reported. Eggs: white, flattened, apically with a dim; laid singly on the foodplant or near it on the ground. Hibernation occurs at the egg or larval stage. Larva: light-green, grey, yellow, or dark-brown with lighter spots, covered with black and white dots and fine ochre hairs; a row of brown triangular spots, which are often fused into a stripe, goes along the back, laterally of which there are dark slanting strokes; a dark line goes also under the white spiracles. The tenth segment bears a gland for attracting the ants, manifested by black hairy warts. The larva is found underneath the leaves or in anthills of the ants of the genus Formica. It pupates on the ground under dead leaves or gravel, rarely underneath the leaves or in the ground upper layer in a very frail shelter made of plant residues and ground particles. Pupa: elongate, light-green or yellowish-brown (darker at the hind part of the body) with a red line along the back, ochre spiracles, and black spots at the cremaster.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-15 mm. The fore tibia ends with a large curved tooth. The males have a dark outer border 1.5-3 mm wide on the wing upperside; on the hind wing underside the marginal dots are glittering due to metallic scales. In the male genitalia the costal process of the valva bears long teeth (See appendix). Similar species: P. (idas), P. argyrognomon.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The species is variable individually and geographically. The following subspecies are worth mentioning. From Ural and West the Siberian Lowland the subspecies obensis Forster, 1936 (= korshunovi Standel, 1960) is known, which is characterized by a violet tint on the wings in males and smaller red submarginal spots on the hind wing underside as compared with European butterflies. In the mountains of South Siberia and the Stanovoe Upland the subspecies clarasiatica Verity, 1931 (= katunica Standel, 1960) ranges, differing from the former by a lighter ground colour of the wing underside and a violet-blue upperside ground colour in males. In the Middle Priamurye and Primorye the subspecies coreana Tutt, 1908 occurs (?= kurentzovi Kocak, 1980, pro orientalis Kurenzov, 1970, as the name is preoccupied by P. argus orientalis Tutt, 1909)), which is characterized by a greater size and the absence of glittering marginal dots on the hind wings. Besides, from the mountains of Sikhote-Alin' and Lower Priamurye small butterflies with a darkened wing underside ground colour are known. The subspecies pseudoaegon Butler, 1881 is known, differing with a light-blue colouration of the male wing upperside, which shows a narrow dark border accompanied by black spots on the hind wing. In this subspecies the underside ground colour is whitish, the red submarginal spots on the hind wing are large but isolated from each other. From the Yakutsk environs the subspecies caerulea was described [but after publication its author communicated he confused the genitalia preparations so the description refers in fact to Plebejus (idas) tancrei]. Original description: "Blue upperside ground colour is found also in the males of P. argus from Central Yakutia. They approach by a number of external features to Plebejus tancrei verknojanicus, also inhabiting Yakutia, but well differ from them by the genitalia (see Appendix). We describe them here as Plebejus argus caerulea P. Gorbunov, sbsp. n.

HOLOTYPE: - a male. F.w.l.: 12.5 mm. The wing upperside is glittering- blue, whereas violet in other Siberian subspecies. The dark border is about 1 mm wide, on the hind wing it is contacted by black spots situated between the veins. The wing underside ground colour is pale- grey, a bit darker than in the South Yakutian butterflies of ssp. clarasiatica. On the fore wing upperside the marginal spots are small, clear-cut, the row of the postdiscal spots is less curved than in ssp. clarasiatica.

MATERIALS: HolotypeL: a male, C Yakutia, the Yakutsk city, the Botany Garden, a meadow on a larch wood edge, 28.06.1992 (P. Gorbunov). Paratypes: the same locality, 28.06.1992 - 1 male (P. Gorbunov); Yakutia, 2.07.1968 - 2 males (Zakharov). "

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Hanau-Munzberg.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia, in W Siberia northwards to the southern taiga belt, in E Siberia to the Prilenskoe Plateau, Verkhoyanye and the Magadan Region; known from N. America.

HABITAT: various meadows, steppes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: usually in two broods, in middle June/July and August/September, respectively; in the North and in highlands - in June/July in a single brood.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Ecksten, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Fabaceae, such as Astragalus, Trifolium, Mellilotus, Coronilla. Eggs: round, wrinkled, white with an orange dot at the apex; laid singly on the foodplant, hibernate. Larva: bright-green, rarely brown, covered with dots and fine velvety hairs; a reddish or brown line goes along the back and a similar one - beneath the whitish spiracles; there are slanting whitish streaks on the sides; the head and thoracic legs are brownish-black. The larva usually hides on the ground, it is visited by ants of the genera Lasius and Formica. Pupa: at first green, later become pale-brown, the hind part of the body and the eyes are reddish-brown; it is placed in a shelter made out of several silk-spun leaves, or in an ant nest.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-18 mm. The wing upperside in males is violet or blue with a narrow (usually less than 0.5 mm wide) dark border; the underside is light-grey in both sexes. The fore tibia ends with a small tooth. In the male genitalia the apex of the costal process of the valva bears a great number of very fine teeth (Table....). Similar species: P. (idas), P. argus.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from Ural, W. Siberia, Altai and Prisayanye belong to the subspecies caerulescens Grum- Grshimailo, 1893. They differ from the European ones, in particular, by a more narrow dark border in males. The subspecies chalcha Korshunov, 1982 is reported for Tuva, this subspecies widely ranges in Mongolia and differs by a more blue than violet wing upperside ground colour in males. Close to it, but to some extent smaller, is the subspecies transbaicalensis Kurenzov, 1970, described by the materials from Pribaikalye, Zabaikalye and the Stanovoe Upland. The subspecies jacutica Kurenzov, 1970 ranges in Yakutia and the Magadan region, it differs by smaller submarginal spots on the hind wing underside and a darker wing upperside ground colour in males. The largest subspecies ussurica Forster, 1936 inhabits Priamurye and Primorye.

In males the wing upperside is blue with dark veins and an outer dark border which is wider than 0.5 mm. The fore tibia in both sexes is pointed apically but bears no tooth. In the male genitalia the costal process of the valva has about 10 minute teeth (Table...).

The imagines of the constituting taxa are very close to each other (and superficially resemble also P. argyrognomon and P. argus); they replace each other geographically, except for P. subsolanus and P. tancrei in the Far East.

TYPE LOCALITY: South Sweden.

RANGE: Europe, Anterior Asia, the mountains of Central Asia and E and SE Kazakhstan, South and Central Ural, the southern West Siberia. The details of geographical distribution in Ural and Siberia are insufficiently known. There exist reliable records for a number of sites in the Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, and Tomsk regions, and for Altaiskiy Kray [the Altai region].

HABITAT: meadows of different types, in Altai Mts. occurs up to 2000 m altitude.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/July, the possibility of the second brood not being excluded in southern regions.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Forster, Wohlfahrt, 1955). Foodplants: Fabaceae (Astragalus, Chamaecytisus, Coronilla, Lathyrus, Lotus, Lupinus, Medicago, Trifolium, Vicia, etc.), Vaccinium was also reported. Eggs: round, wrinkled, white with a dark dot at the apex. Larva: green with a diffuse dark- brown or reddish line on back, with an interrupted white rim, slanting white strokes on sides, reddish-brown strokes at spiracles, and a light line above the legs; the body is covered with short hairs. The larvae are found almost exclusively near the nests of the ants Lasius niger, Formica cinerea, F. fusca. Pupa: green or pale greenish-brown, with yellowish abdominal segments; in the nests of the mentioned ant species.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-16 mm. The wing upperside in males is violet with conspicuous dark veins and rather a narrow (0.5-1.5 mm) dark border; the wing underside is straw- grey or whitish in both sexes; the glittering marginal spots are present. In male genitalia the apex of the costal process of the valva has no large teeth (see Appendix). Similar species: P. subsolanus, P. argus, P. argyrognomon.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from Ural and the West- Siberian Lowland are close to the subspecies idas, males of which are characterized by a violet wing upperside with a dark border about 1 mm wide, accompanied with black spots on the hind wings. The butterflies from the Kuznetskoe Upland and Altai by a number of characters (a lighter wing underside ground colour and a wider border in males) approach P. subsolanus.

TYPE LOCALITY: Irkutsk.

RANGE: The mountains of S Siberia, the southern Far East, Mongolia, N and NE China, Korea, Japan.

HABITAT: meadows of different types, up to the tree-line in the mountains. The butterflies actively visit flowering plants (Orostachys spinosa, Trifolium repens, Oryganum vulgare, Dracocephalum nutans), and form congregations on the wet ground in hot days.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Japan (Fukuda et al., 1984). Foodplants: Vicia, Astragalus, Hedysarum and other legumes. Eggs: flattened, white; deposited and hibernate on the stems, large leaves, or stones at the foodplant base. The young larva feeds on buds and young leaves, in the last instar it is visited by ants. Mature larva: green with a yellowish-white lines beneath the spiracles. Pupa: light-green; under the leaves, in the leaf fall, or under gravel.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-19 mm. The wing upperside in males is dark-blue with dark veins and a dark outer border more than 2 mm wide, in females it is dark-brown without noticeable suffusion of blue scales. There is a smooth cline of increasing the width of this border from 1 mm in West Siberia to almost the entire outer half of the wing in the Far East. The wing underside in both sexes is light-grey or whitish; the marginal black spots on the hind wing usually lack metallic- glittering scales. Similar species: P. idas, P. tancrei, P. argus.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: In the East Sayan, Pribaikalye and, possibly, eastwards there ranges the subspecies subsolanus (= aegonides Bremer, 1864; ? = ida Grum-Grshimailo, 1891; ? = kenteana Staudinger, 1892). The butterflies from the Kuznetskiy mountain region, Altai, and the West Sayan, described as ongodai Tutt, 1909 exhibit characters transitory between P. subsolanus and P. idas. It is not excluded that this territory is the zone of introgression between these taxa. Smaller size and a narrow border characterize also the subspecies ternejana Kurenzov, 1970 described from the highlands (1500 m above sea level) of the Sikhote-Alin' (Primorye).

SYSTEMATIC NOTES: Earlier this species was mentioned under the name cleobis Bremer, 1861, but the comparison of types of cleobis and subsolanus, preserved in Zoological Institute (StPetersburg) showed their conspecificity. Maybe it would be better to regard this species as conspecific to the previous one.

TYPE LOCALITY: the city Nikolaevsk-na-Amure,

RANGE: E Siberia, Kamchatka, the eastern ranges of the mountains of Bureya, Lower Priamurye (downstream of Komsomol'sk- na-Amure), mountains of NE. China.

HABITAT: valley meadows, pebble banks, open woods on rocky mountain slopes; in Kamchatka - montane fruticulose tundras; in the Koni Peninsula (the Magadan Region) these butterflies were recorded on the flowery bluffs of the coastal terrace, they feed on the flowers of Astragalus alpinus, Oxytropis czukotica (Kosterin, 1994).

FLIGHT PERIOD: July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Probable foodplants: Empetrum nigrum s.l., Ledum, Vaccinium, Astragalus.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-17 mm. The wing upperside in males is blue with rather a narrow (up to 2 mm) dark outer border; the wing underside in both sexes is greyish with whitish spots in the postdiscal area, rarely entirely whitish; on the hind wing underside the metallic glittering marginal spots are absent or there present one or two of them in males and up to six ones in females.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The largest (f.w.l. 15-17 mm) nominotypical subspecies ranges in the Amur basin; ssp. verchojanicus Kurenzov, 1970, widely distributed in the north of E. Siberia, including the Ochot coast, differs by a smaller size, a darker ground colour of the wing underside and on average a narrower border in males and also the submarginal spots on the fore wing underside being more close to the outer margin. Kamchatka is inhabited by the smallest subspecies kamtchatica Kurenzov, 1970, differing from verchojanicus by a reduction of the dark border on the wing upperside in males to a hardly noticeable dark line.

ETYMOLOGY: K.A. Tancre - an ornithologist and entomologist, an explorer of E Siberia and the Far East.

GENUS VACCINIINA Tutt, 1909.

T.s..: Papilio optilete Knoch, 1781.

A Holarctic genus with two species.

T.l.: Germany: Brunswick.

RANGE: the northern half of Eurasia, penetrating in the mountain region as south as the Tien-Shan and Mongolia, the Sakhalin, the Kuriles, Japan, the north-west of N America.

HABITAT: open stands in dark-needle coniferous forests, pine and larch woods with the peat moss in the ground layer, raised bogs, tundras of various types. The imagines visit flowering plants, such as Geranium, Polygonum, Aegopodium, Ledum, Spiraea, Dracocephalum, Cacalia, Achillea; in the taiga belt they are mostly found under the forest canopy.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/July, in the polar regions - July/August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Ecksten, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Vaccinium uliginosum, V. myrtillus, Oxycoccus (Vacciniaceae), reported also Empetrum (Empetraceae). Eggs: whitish, round with fine wrinkles; deposited singly on the foodplant stems and leaves. A young larva eats the leaf mesophyl but lefts the veins; a mature one feeds on leaves, flowers, and berries; it hibernates. Mature larva: light- or yellowish-green, with a white lengthwise streak, dark bordered above, going along either side and accompanied by two rows of white dots above and beneath; spiracles white; body covered with fine fulvous hairs. Pupa: yellowish, dark-brown or light-green, with red spots between segments; set with reddish hairs; it is found on the foodplant stem or leaves.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 10-15 mm. Wing upperside violet-blue with a narrow dark outer border in males, dark-brown, usually with a violet suffusion, in females; on hind wing underside at anal angle there is a glittering blue ocellus and a large orange spot proximally of it.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: In the northern Ural, Siberia and the northern Far East ssp. sibirica Staudinger, 1892 (= baicalica Kurenzov, 1970) is widely distributed, differing from the nominotypical one by somewhat lighter both wing sides and a well expressed violet suffusion on hind wing upperside in females. From Priamurye and the Sikhote-Alin' Mts. the largest ssp. amurica Kurenzov, 1970 is known, differing from sibirica by larger black spots on wing underside. Dark butterflies from the southern Ural were described as uralensis Seitz, 1909 (Courvoiser i.l.); the island butterflies - as sachalinensis Kurenzov, 1970: the Sakhalin; kurilensis Matsumura, 1927: the island Paramushir (the N Kuriles); kamuikotana Matsumura,1928: the island Kunashir (the S Kuriles). The latter taxon little differs from daisetsusana Matsumura 1926, described from Hokkaido.

T.s.: Papilio agestis Denis et Schiffermuller, 1775.

A Palearctic genus including about 15 species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Erlangen.

RANGE: The non-tropical Eurasia, locally northwards to the subpolar regions.

HABITAT: forest and subalpine forb meadows; "mari" [bogged up larch woods]. The imagines visit the Geranium flowers much more frequently than the others.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June in the forest-steppe zone; July in the North and in highlands.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Geranium (G. pratense and others), Erodium (Nel, 1982). Eggs: greenish, round, flattened at the poles; deposited singly. The larvae hatch at 5-8th day. A young larva: greenish with a black head. Mature larva: yellowish-green with a fine whitish pubescence and a vague light-yellow stripes along head and spiracles. The larva hibernates. Pupa: light greenish-yellow with a darker dorsal side.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-17 mm. Wing upperside brown in both sexes; fringe evenly white; on hind wing underside postdiscal spots form an evenly convex row without a white area between the fourth and fifth spots, a narrow white beam goes from discal spot to outer margin, which may be absent (f. fylgia Spangberg). In some regions this form predominates.

GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: The butterflies from the southern half of Ural and Siberia little differ from ssp. eumedon. From Kamchatka the ssp. fylgides P. Gorbunov, 1995 has been described. Original description:

"...All the specimens from Kamchatka, known to us, have no white beam on the hind wing underside and are characterized by the black dots and orange spots (in males) of the hind wing underside smaller than in typical butterflies. We describe them as a subspecies Aricia eumedon fylgides P. Gorbunov, sbsp.n.

MALE. F.w.l. 11.2-13.0 mm. The wing upperside is evenly dark- brown. The wing underside ground colour is ash-grey. Five postdiscal spots on the fore wing and six on the hind wing are significantly smaller than in the nominotypical subspecies. The black discal spot on the fore wing is as well smaller. The discal spot on the hind wing is white, triangular in shape, in two paratypes with black scales in the center. The white beam is absent. Dark spots at the fore wing outer margin are reduced to traces, the orange spots (peculiar to the subspecies eumedon) are not seen here. On the fore wing underside the orange spots are smaller than in the subspecies eumedon, their size reducing from the anal angle to the apex, the dark lunules accompanying they internally are weakly expressed. The hind wing base has a suffusion of glittering blueish scales, the black basal spots are absent or only one of them, closest to the fore margin, is present. The fringe is evenly white.

FEMALE. F.w.l. 13.4-14.2 mm. The wing upperside is brown with three orange lunules at the anal angle of the hind wing. The wing underside ground colour is brown-grey. The basal. discal and the postdiscal black spots are as in males. The orange submarginal spots are much larger, 3-4 of such pale-orange spots are present also on the fore wing. The black lunules (internally) and black dots (externally) accompanying the orange spots are less expressed than in the nominotypical subspecies.

MATERIALS: The holotype: a male - 22.07.1983, Kamchatka, Paratunka (V.N. Olshvang). Paratypes: 2 males - 22.07.1983, the same locality; 3 males 1 female - 14.07.1983, Kamchatka, ganal'skaya Tundra (V.N. Olshvang); 3 males 1 female - 6.07.1968, Kamchatka, the Mil'kovo District, the middle flow of the Kavycha River; 4 males - 18.06.1984, Kamchatka, the environs of the city of Petropavlovsk."

TYPE LOCALITY: the Alps.

RANGE: N Africa, Europe, Anterior and Central Asia, N and E Kazakhstan, Ural (from the Subpolar to South), Siberia (northwards to the northern taiga belt), the southern Far East, the Sakhalin, and also Mongolia, N and NE China, Korea.

HABITAT: damp meadows of various types, birch groves. The imagines were observed to feed on the flowers of Geranium, Myosotis palustris, Trifolium lupinaster, T. pratense, Vicia, Myosotis palustris, Origanum vugare, Dracocephalum nutans, Inula, Cirsium (Korshunov, 1969).

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/July, locally in S Ural and Siberia in two broods: late May/July and late June/Autumn.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe. Foodplants: Geranium, rarely Erodium, reported is also Helianthemum nummularium. Eggs: light- greenish, flattened, wrinkled, laid singly on the foodplant flowers. Larva: green with a dark-green stripe along back and a light lateral line bordered with pink spots. It hibernates in the third instar. Pupa: greenish-yellow with dark arch-like streaks at eyes. Being disturbed, it produces a crunching sound. Hibernation occurs at the stage of mature larva.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-16 mm. Wing upperside is dark-brown in both sexes, in females and often also in males with orange lunules at outer margin; on hind wing underside row of postdiscal spots interrupted between the second and third spot and a white area presents between the fourth and fifth spots.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: subspecies: inhonora, Jahontov, 1909: Ural; strandi Obraztsov,1935 (= monarchus Higgins, 1982): Siberia, Priamurye; mandzuriana Obraztsov, 1935: Primorye; sachalinensis Matsumura, 1919: the Sakhalin.

TYPE LOCALITY: the surroundings of Vienna.

RANGE: Europe, Crimea, Caucasus, Anterior and Central Asia, Kazakhstan. In the book by V. and A. Lukhtanov (1994) localities are shown for S Ural, in the Irtysh River basin north to 55th latitude, for the southern part of W Altai.

HABITAT: meadows and steppes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: probably in two broods, from May to autumn.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: in the Saratov Region Centaurea ruthenica, Helianthemum (Kumakov, Korshunovm 1979), in Crimea Geranium, Erodium (Nekrutenko, 1985)

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l. 12-14 mm. Wing upperside: brown with a full row of orange lunules, with a narrow discal spot on fore wing; hind wing underside with a triangular white brand.

TYPE LOCALITY: Rhetian Alps.

RANGE: the Pyrenees, the Alps, some forest regions of N Europe and W Siberia, North and Middle Ural, the mountains of S Siberia and Mongolia. A local species.

HABITAT: meadow areas, often damp, in dark-needle coniferous forests, pine woods, edges of birch groves. In Central Altai the species is rather frequent in woody stows among steppes, for instance in the surroundings of Kuray. The imagines feed mostly on the flowers of Geranium, also on Glechoma hederacea, Origanum vulgare, Dracocephalum nutans.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/early August, depending on the locality.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in N Europe (Henriksen, Kreutzer, 1982). Foodplants: Geranium (G. sylvaticum, G. pratense, and others). Eggs: white, later become greenish, haemisphaeric, flattened at the pole; deposited singly. The larvae hatch out at 5-8th day. Young larva: greenish with a black head. Mature larva: yellowish-green, densely covered with fine hairs, with three narrow brown dark lines on either side, a dark-green stripe along back, and vague slanting lines on sides of each segment. Hibernation occurs at the stage of egg or a young larva. Pupa: yellowish-green with a brown streak along back, covered with light hairs; it lies on the ground.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-14 mm. In males wing upperside glistening greyish-green or blueish with a dark outer border about 2-4 mm wide; in females wing upperside dark-brown; on hind wing underside there is a white beam going throughout from wing base to outer margin, orange spots at the outer margin are obscure.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: Ural and West-Siberian lowland are inhabited by ssp. Aricia nicias kolosovi Korshunov, 1995 (pro. Lycaena nicias septentrionalis Krulikowsky in Seitz, 1909, nec. Lycaena icarus septentrionalis Fusch, 1900, differing from the Central-European butterflies by a lighter wing underside ground colour and, on average, a narrower dark border on wing upperside in males. Altai and the Kuznetskoe Upland are inhabited with ssp. bittis Fruhstorfer, 1915, differing by a blue ground colour of wing upperside and a wider dark border in males. The subspecies borsippa Fruhstorfer, 1915 was described from Zabaikalye.

Type species: Lycaena chinensis Murray, 1874.

F.w.l. 13-15 mm. From a close genus Aricia differs by naked eyes, the structure of the male and female structure. A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: China: northwards of Peking.

RANGE: Mongolia, West, Central, and North-East China, Korea. In the Asian Russia rather common in SE Zabaikalye (at the village Nizhnii Tsasuchei, Torei Lakes). By occasional findings, possibly of migrated specimens, is known from Novosibirsk (R. Dudko leg.), Khakassia (Lake Shira environs), the Minusinsk Hollow (the Tagarskiy island at the city Minusinsk), forest regions of Zabaikalye.

HABITAT, FLIGHT PERIOD: In SE Zabaikalye the imagines were observed flying in late May/late June in steppefied areas, fields, wasting lands.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-15 mm. Wing upperside is dark-brown in both sexes with large orange spots forming a postdiscal band on each wing; fringe checkered; hind wing underside lacks a white area or beam.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: little studied. The taxon sibiricana V. Kozantshikov, 1923 was described from the Minusinsk surroundings.

T.s.: Papilio glandon de Prunner, 1798.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Western Alps.

RANGE: Certain mountain regions of Europe, Polar Ural, the north of Middle Siberia, E Siberia, the mountains of S Siberia and Mongolia, Chukotka, Kamchatka, the north and west of N America. A local species.

HABITAT: montane tundras: rocky, dwarf-birch, and with the domination of Dryas, alpine meadows, larch parklands. In Central Yakutia and Zabaikalye, besides, stony outcrops on meadowy and steppefied areas.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July in the majority of sites. On the Prilenskoe Plateau and Zabaikalye: middle June/early July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: in Yakutia Saxifraga bronchialis and S spinulosa (V. Dubatolov), in Zabaikalye S. spinulosa (O. Kosterin). From Europe and America reported are also Saxifraga oppositifolia and Fabaceae (Astragulus alpinus), Primulaceae (Androsace bungeana, A. septentrionalis), Diapensiaceae (Diapensia lapponica), Vaccinium (Vacciniaceae). According to observations in Scandinavia (Henriksen, Kreutzer, 1982), eggs: greenish-white, laid singly or in batches on different parts of foodplants. Larva: green, with a dark whitish-rimmed stripe along back, red spots on each segment, a reddish lateral line and dark transversal strokes on each segment. Spiracles dark, surrounded by white rings. Body covered with short brownish hairs. The larva hibernates. Pupa: light-brown with streaks on wing cases; it can be found in hollows between gravel or in rock crevices.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 10-14 mm. The wing upperside is blueish-steel-coloured in males and brownish in females; the pattern on the hind wing underside consists of white spots of various shape and size, some of which may contain black dots, on a darker background.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: Ssp. aquilo Boisduval, 1832, ranging in N Europe, is known from Polar Ural. ssp. wosnesenskyi Ménétriés, 1857 inhabits the northern Middle and East Siberia and Far East, it differs from aquilo by a darker hind wing underside ground colour and smaller white spots. In the mountains of S Siberia and Mongolia there ranges ssp. diodorus Bremer, 1864 (= orbitulinus Staudinger, 1892), differing from the northern subspecies by distinct black spots on hind wing underside and a presence of black dots on white spots on hind wing underside.

T.s.: Papilio pheretes Hübner, 1806.

A Palearctic genus including not less than three species.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Italian Alps: Piemont.

RANGE: The Alps, S Scandinavia, the Stanovoe Nagorye Upland, the mountains of S Siberia, Mongolia and C China; by few findings is known from N Ural (the village Burmantovo), S Ural (the Iremel' mountain), steppen Transbaikalia (at Lake Barun-Torei), the northern Amur Region (at Tynda, V. Fedorov leg.), Lower Priamurye (Komsomol'sk-na Amure), the northern Sikhote-Alin' (the Khadi River). A local species.

HABITAT: montane forest and highland meadows, detritus screes, rocky areas, in the mountains of S Siberia - up to 3000 m altitude. In SE Zabaikallye is reported for a plain steppen bank of Lake Barun-Torei (Pljushch, 1992). According to observations by V. Ivonin in Pribaikalye, in humid habitats of forest meadows the butterflies are larger and lighter than in steppefied biotopes. The butterflies were observed to feed on the flowers of Ranunculus, Astragalus, Lathyrus, Myosotis, Lappula, Primula, Taraxacum.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/late July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Norway (Henriksen, Kreutzer, 1982). Foodplants: Astragalus alpinus, A. frigidus, and A. oroboides are known. Eggs: white, with a network of minute dimples, laid singly on the foodplants. Larva: dark-green with dark-brown hairs, with a row of brown spots along back and a light lateral line; head black; body hairs rise from white star-shaped knobs. The larva hibernates. Pupa: yellowish- brown, with lightened wing cases and short brown hairs on back.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-17 mm. In males wing upperside is glistening-blue with a dark outer border about 1 mm wide, in females upperside dark-brown; hind wing underside with large oval white spots on a greenish-grey background.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: From the Hentei [Kentei] Mts. ssp. pheretimus Staudinger, 1892, differing from European butterflies by a larger size, a full row of the postdiscal spots on the fore wing underside, larger white spots on hind wing underside and a wide black border on wing upperside in males, especially on the hind wing, where it is usually accompanied with black spots. Somewhat westerly, from the Sayans, ssp. sajana Ruhl in Ruhl et Heyne, 1895 has been described, which ranges also in the Altai. Males of this subspecies lacks black spots at the black border of hind wing upperside, while females lack a suffusion of blue scales on the upperside.

T.s.: Cyaniris argianus Dalman, 1816.

A Palearctic genus with four or five species.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Saxonia: Halle.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia, locally northwards to the forest-tundra zone (the Ob' Basin), the Sakhalin.

HABITAT: meadows of various kinds, including highland ones, steppefied slopes, pastures, settlements. The imagines feed on various flowers: Astragalus, Trifolium pratense, Goniolimon speciosum, Limonium gmelinii, T. repens, Veronica longifolia, V. incana, Origanum vulgare, Thymus marschallianus, Dracocephalum nutans, Aster alpinus, etc.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in most regions June/July, in the southern range in two broods: middle May/late June and July/August, respectively.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others). Foodplants: various Fabaceae, such as Trifolium, Melilotus, Genista. Eggs: small, greenish-blue; laid singly or as a row of several ones, usually on the foodplant. Larva: light-yellowish-green with a dark back and obscure lateral lines; body is covered with fine hairs; head, thoracic legs and spiracles dark-brown. The larva eats the flowers, after hibernation - leaves. Pupa: light-olive-green or brown; on the foodplant stems; it is also able of hibernation.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-16 mm. In males wing upperside is violet with a dark outer border about 1 mm wide, in females it is brown; the hind wing underside is blueish-grey with the only row of black spots in the postdiscal area and a suffusion with glittering blue scales at the base. Similar species: Cupido osiris.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: In Ural and the West Siberian Lowland there ranges ssp. uralensis Tutt, 1909, rather close to the nominotypical subspecies and differing from it by smaller black spots on the wing underside and on average a wider dark border in males. Ssp. altaiana Tutt, 1909 (= pavlovi Kurenzov, 1970) is reported for S Siberia. The males of the subspecies amurensis Tutt, 1909, ranging in Priamurye and Primorye, have the widest dark border on wing upperside.

T.s.: Lycaena cyane Eversmann, 1837.

F.w.l. 11-17 mm.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Orenburg Province: Guberli (Suschkin, 1909).

RANGE: Povolzhye (the city Samara), the south of West (many localities) and Middle (the Krasnoyarsk surroundings, the Stolby nature reserve) Siberia , Altai, the West Sayan, the southern Pribaikalye (the Temnik River), the Prilenskoe Plateau (the surroundings of Yakutsk), the mountains of E Kazakhstan and C. Asia. In 1995 was found by O. Kosterin in SE Zabaikalye (the hill Teli on the isthmus between the Torei Lakes, the village Verkhnii Tsasuchei). A local species.

HABITAT: dry rocky slopes, often with bushes, steppefied meadows on river terraces, open larch woods. The imagines keep to the inflorescence of Goniolimon speciosum, less frequently feed on the flowers of Leucanthemum vulgare etc. or rest on Spiraea bushes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: early June/late July, depending on the locality.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplant: Goniolimon speciosum (Plumbaginaceae).

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-17 mm (rarely 10 mm). In males wing upperside glittering blue; in females brown with a suffusion of glittering blue scales, light spots at fore wing outer margin and orange ones at hind wing outer margin. Pattern of hind wing underside contrasted, consisting of black spots on a whitish background and, at outer margin, a row of bright-orange spots reducing in size from anal angle to costa. Similar species: R. miris.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: The subspecies kozhantschikovi Sheljuzhko, 1928, described from Minusinsk, ranges in the mountains of S Siberia, a small form deserticola Elwes, 1899 had been described from the surroundings of Kosh-Agach (SE [Russian] Altai), ssp. tarbagata Suschkin, 1909 - from the Tarbagatai Mts. (SE Kazakhstan).

SYSTEMATIC NOTES: Recently the subgenus Glabroculus Lvovsky, 1993 (Zoosyst. Rossica, vol. 2: 175-176) was stated for P. cyane

T.s.: Lycaena miris Staudinger, 1881.

F.w.l.: 11-15 mm. Differs from Polyommatus by naked eyes, very large black submarginal spots on fore wing underside, details of the male genitalia, much reduced anthevaginal plate of females.

A monotypical genus.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Tarbagatai Mts.

RANGE: Central Asia, NW China. In the Altai Mts: the Ul'binskii Mt. Range in the Bukhtarma River basin, the Saur, Tarbagatai and other mountains of E Kazakhstan. Probably in Altai Mts the species can penetrate into Russian Territory.

HABITAT: dry steppe and desert belts in the mountains.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-15 mm. Wing upperside dark-brown; underside light-brown with large black spots, on hind wing with basal blueish suffusion and submarginal ochre-coloured spots accompanied with black chevrons and, proximally, a white suffusion. Similar species: G. cyane.

T.s.: Papilio icarus Rottemburg, 1775.

A Palearctic genus which, as regarded in a broad sense, includes not less than 70 species.

TYPE LOCALITY: France: Vosges.

RANGE: S Europe, the Western and Central Asia north-east to the forest- steppe zone of West Siberia, Altai, the intermontane hollows of Tuva.

HABITAT: steppefied meadows, steppes on mountain slopes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in two broods in middle May/late June and August

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Chapmann, 1914; Forster, Wohlfarht, 1955). Foodplants: Onobrychis spp. and other Fabaceae. Eggs: hemispherical, slightly concave at apex, with a large-dimpled sculpture. They much resemble those of P. icarus but are somewhat smaller, with a smaller micropylar area, larger and more relief facets. Eggs are laid by 1-2 on the foodplant. Mature larva: blueish-green with lighter and dark dots and a wide light dorsal stripe on segments 2-10 and yellowish streak below spiracles, margins of these stripes being accompanied with long whitish hairs; head small, brown; spiracles dark-rimmed. Pupa: stout, olive-green with a darker back line and light-green wing cases; found in litter or upper ground layer.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-16 mm. In males wing upperside violet-blue, in females brown with orange submarginal lunules. On fore wing underside there is no black spot in cell; the hind wing underside the second (from the costa) black spot of the postdiscal row situated just under the first spot of submarginal row. Similar species: P. icarus.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: The southern Ural and W Siberia are inhabited with ssp. thersites. For the mountains of S Siberia reported is the subspecies orientis Sheljuzhko, 1928.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Sweden: Blekinge.

RANGE: The non-tropical Eurasia, in Siberia as northwards as the middle taiga belt; in the eastern Asia - only in the Amur basin.

HABITAT: forest meadows, mostly in valleys. Imagines were observed (Y. Korshunov) to feed on the flowers of Rosacea, Trifolium, Medicago, Onobrychis, Vicia, Veronica, Origanum vulgare, Dracocephalum nutans, D. ruyshiana.

FLIGHT PERIOD: June/July, in the southern Ural and Siberia scarce imagines of the second brood were recorded in August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others), Ural (Chislov, 1977). Foodplants: Vicia cracca, Chamaecystis ruthenicus) and other Fabaceae. Eggs: white, with a complicated sculpture. Larva: dark-green, covered with dense fine hairs, with a line along back which is reddish brown, light-rimmed, and laterally accompanied by chains of brown spots; a white stripe goes above legs and prolegs; the head is glossy black or brown. Pupation occurs in a frail cocoon in the upper ground layer.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-20 mm. In males wing upperside glittering blue, in females brown with orange submarginal lunules. On hind wing underside orange spots at outer margin reducing in size from the anal angle to the costal margin, in males they usually do not reach the latter.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: The butterflies of the southern Ural and Siberia are close to ssp. amanda (?= lydia Krulikovsky, 1892, the type locality - the Kazan' Province). Ssp. amurensis Staudinger, 1892 ranges in Priamurye and Primorye, it differs by larger orange and black spots on hind wing underside and a bright greenish-blue ground colour of wing upperside in males.

TYPE LOCALITY: Vienna.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), S Ural, the southern Siberia, E Kazakhstan, Mongolia. This is a local species but in some places it is very abundant.

HABITAT: meadow patches in river valleys, mountain slopes, at birch groves and pine woods; meadow steppes. The butterflies were observed to feed on the flowers of Onobrychis arenaria, Medicago falcata, Trifolium, Astragalus, Thymus serpyllum, Cirsium (Korshunov, 1969, etc.)

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Onobrychis arenaria, reported also Trifolium, Medicago falcata and other Fabaceae. The hibernation occurs at the stage of the egg or a young larva. Larva: yellowish-green with a dark-green stripe on back and either side and a yellowish or reddish line along spiracles; body covered with dense hairs. The larva feeds on the flowers and is usually accompanied by ants. Pupa: ochre-coloured or greenish-yellow with a darker dorsal side.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-19 mm. In males wing upperside glistening silvery-blue with a wide (about 3 mm in width) dark outer darkening, in females wing upperside brown. Pattern of wing underside consists of postdiscal black spots, which are much larger on fore wing than on hind one, and a bright and contrasted white beam on hind wing.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: The southern Ural and Siberia are inhabited with ssp. damon. In the mountains of S Siberia and N Mongolia there ranges ssp. mongolensis Kocak, 1980 (= mongolica Kurenzov, 1970, nom. preocc.), with a wide dark border on wing upperside.

TYPE LOCALITY: the Alps.

RANGE: S Europe, Anterior Asia, the mountains of the eastern Central Asia and E Kazakhstan, S Ural, the southern West Siberian Lowland, the Upper Obr' basin, the Kuznetskoe Upland, the Kuznetskoe Alatau and Altai Mts. A local species.

HABITAT: steppefied meadows and meadow steppes on mountain slopes, wood edges, river terraces, bush thickets. At the village Troitskoe, the Karasuk District of the Novosibirsk Region, these butterflies were observed to feed exclusively on the flowers of Vicia multicaulis (V. Ivonin), while in Hakassia feeding on Allium odorum was also observed (Y. Korshunov).

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Forster, Wohlfarht, 1955; and others). Foodplants: Onobrychis arenaria. Eggs: at first greenish, later white. Larva: resembles that of P. damon.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-18 mm. The wing upperside is dark- brown in both sexes; pattern of wing underside consists of postdiscal black spots, which are slightly larger on fore wing than on hind one, and, on hind wing underside, an inconspicuous white beam.

ETYMOLOGY: Rippert de Beaugeney was mentioned by D.A. Boisduval as a person collecting butterflies at de Digne in June-July 1829..

TYPE LOCALITY: the Volga Basin: Sergievsk, by the lectotypus (Dantchenko, Lukhtnov, 1993).

RANGE: SE Europe, S Ural (the villages Abazanovo, Aknazarovo, the settlements Bugul'chan, Uchaly), Altai, Tuva, the southern Middle Siberia (the surroundings of the cities Krasnoyarsk and Minusinsk), the western half of Mongolia. A local species.

HABITAT: edges of forest-steppen pine woods and birch groves, steppefied areas, predominantly on bushy mountain slopes and on river terraces.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/August, depending on the locality.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplant: Hedysarum grandifolium. Eggs are laid on leaf underside (Dantchenko, 1995).

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-17 mm. In males wing upperside glistening blue with a narrow (about 0.5 mm) dark outer border, in females brown. Pattern of wing underside consists of postdiscal black spots, which are much larger on fore wing than on hind one, and, on hind wing underside, a diffuse white beam, several diffuse submarginal spots, and a light suffusion of glittering greenish scales at base. As compared to P. damocles, wings more narrow, angle formed by fore wing outer and hind margin blunt, glittering of male wing upperside more dull.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: ssp. damone is found in S Ural. The mountains of S Siberia and Mongolia are inhabited by the subspecies altaica Elwes, 1899 (= sibirica Staudinger, 1899, nom. praeocc., nec Lycaena optilete sibirica Staudingerm 1892), differing by a widened suffusion of glittering scales and always a well expressed white beam on hind wing underside. For S Tuva a smaller ssp. walteri Dantchenko et Lukhtanov, 1993, differing by a lighter ground colour and the most developed glittering basal suffusion on hind wing underside.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Ural: Guberli, by the neotypus (Dantchenko, Lukhtanov, 1993).

RANGE: SE Europe (the Saratov and Ulyanovsk Regions), S Ural (Bashkiria and Orenburg Region).

HABITAT: Steppefied slopes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: late June/late July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied by A. Dantchenko (1995). Foodplant: Hedysarum grandifolium. Eggs are laid mostly on stems. Mature larva, according to the photo in Dantchenko (1995): greenish, with dense light hairs.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-16 mm. Wing wider than in P. damone; angle formed by fore wing outer and hind margin close to right, glittering of male wing upperside very bright.

SYSTEMATIC NOTE: Y. P. Korshunov is not convinced that taxon damocles is bona species. Noteworthy that the specimens corresponding to P. damone proper are found not far from the type locality of P. damocles.

TYPE SPECIES: W Germany.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North and North-East). Reliably known for the Volga Basin, once has been reported for Orenburg (Vorontsovskii, 1906).

HABITAT: meadow patches, southern lime-stone slopes of river valleys.

FLIGHT PERIOD: May/June and July/August, in tow broods.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Forster, Wohlfarht, 1955; and others). Foodplants: Coronilla varia; reported are also Genista, Trifolium. Eggs: light-green. Larva: at first dark-green with black spots, later become dark or pale-brown, it has a dark dorsal line accompanied with a row of triangular orange spots, interrupted yellow spiracular line; head and thoracic legs black. The larva keeps to leaf underside, hibernates. Pupa: green or brownish, with a darker dorsal side; it is found on the ground or litter.

TYPE LOCALITY: Austria: Harz.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), Anterior Asia, S Ural, S Zauralye (the village Sosnovka). A local species.

HABITAT: dry forest-steppen meadows, lime-stone outcrops in river valleys and on mountain slopes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: July/middle August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Astragalus, Coronilla varia, Hippocrepis, Vicia, and other Fabaceae. Eggs: greenish-white. Larva: bright, green or blueish-green (the ventral side being lighter) with a dark line along back which is accompanied by sides by chains of yellow spots, another one row of dull yellowish spots goes along legs and prolegs on either side; body covered with small warts bearing reddish hairs; head is glossy black with a transversal grey stroke above mouth. The larva hides at daytime and is visited by ants of the genus Formica. Pupa: slender, muddy-ochre-coloured with a dark line along back and light brands on wing cases; it lies freely on the ground or under gravel.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 15-17 mm. In males wing upperside glittering silvery-blue with rather a wide (about 2 mm) dark outer border, in females dark-brown with obscure submarginal red spots on hind wing; pattern of hind wing underside contrasted, it consists of black spots with white rims, discal spot being white, and triangular orange spots at outer margin.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: S Ural is probably inhabited by the subspecies jahontovi Wnukowsky, 1934.

425. Polyommatus coelestinus (Eversmann, 1843).

TYPE LOCALITY: the piedmonts of S Ural.

RANGE: S and SE Europe, Anterior Asia, S Ural (the Sakmara River basin), and occasional findings in Zauralye (at the town Troitsk and the villages Bredy and Bugul'chan). A local species.

HABITAT: steppes on southern slopes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle May/middle June.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in S Europe. Foodplants: Anthillis vulneraria; for the Volga basin and S Ural also reported were the legumes Melilotus and Trifolium.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 12-14 mm. Wing upperside blue with a narrow (about 0.5 mm) dark outer border in males and brown in females; pattern of hind wing underside consists of an evenly curved row of black postdiscal spots, orange submarginal spots are either present or absent; suffusion of glittering scales occupies basal half of the wing.

TYPE LOCALITY: Vienna.

RANGE: S Europe, Anterior Asia, S Ural and A Zauralye [Transuralia].

HABITAT: steppefied meadows at wood edges, bushes, wind-breaking stripes.

FLIGHT PERIOD: prolonged, middle June/August.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others). Foodplants: Astragalus, reported also other Fabaceae (Coronilla, Lathyrus) and Thymus (Lamiaceae). Hibernation occurs at the ovum stage. Larva: green with yellowish swellings and black spiracles.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 11-18 mm. Wing upperside blue with a narrow (about 0.5 mm) dark outer border in males and brown in females; hind wing outer margin wavy at anal angle; the hind wing underside pattern consists of dull dark white-rimmed spots.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: The butterflies from S Ural can be attributed to ssp. boricus Fruhstorfer, 1910, isolated on the basis of absence of the females of main, blue, form.

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Berlin.

RANGE: The non-tropical Eurasia, northwards (in the Ob' River basin) to the forest-tundra, the Sakhalin.

HABITAT: various meadows, settlements, in the mountains and in the taiga belt the species occur mostly in river valleys or at human dwellings.

FLIGHT PERIOD: mainly in two broods, late May/Autumn, in Polar Ural the imagines of the only brood were observed in late July/early August. From Primorye this species is known us by July specimens only.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; and others), Ural (Chislov, 1977). Foodplants: Fabaceae (Trifolium, Medicago, Melilotus, Ononis, Genista, Lotus, Astragalus), and also Fragaria vesca or some other herbs. Eggs: pale-reddish-brown or light-greenish; with a faceted sculpture; laid on the foodplant leaf upperside. Larva: light-green with a dark whitish-rimmed back line and dark slanting streaks on sides (the latter may be not expressed), and yellowish or whitish wavy or interrupted lines beneath spiracles; body set with fine short light hairs; head small, black; on the seventh segment there is a gland for attracting ants. Among the larvae cases of cannibalism are known. The larva is able of hibernation. Before pupation the larvae move to the litter or descend to the ground, down to 1.5 cm, where make a frail cocoon within plant residues or ground particles. Pupa: short, with a rounded abdomen terminus, glossy dark-greenish-brown with a dark dorsal line and yellow spiracles.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-19 mm. In males wing upperside violet, in females brown, sometimes with strong suffusion of blue scales, with orange submarginal lunules. On fore wing underside cell usually contains a black spot (or two or three spots); on hind wing underside the second (from the costa) black spot of postdiscal row shifted to costa from the first spot of submarginal row. Similar species: P. thersites.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: From the West Siberian Lowland the subspecies fuchsi Sheljuzhko, 1928 has been described, from Central Yakutia - the subspecies ammosovi Kurenzov, 1970. Two subspecies from the territory considered were described in (Korshunov & Gorbunov, 1995). The original descriptions are given below:

Polyommatus icarus korshunovi P. Gorbunov, 1995

Original description:

"In the populations of S Siberia the appearance of butterflies is very diverse. However, in arid regions in average smaller individuals, with somewhat narrower wings, a whitish wing underside ground colour in males and greyish in females, evidently predominate. The orange submarginal spots in them are smaller than in the butterflies from more northern regions and are isolated from each other. The females have or have not red small submarginal lunules on the wing upperside, which is often substantially suffused with blue scales. Based on these characters we state a subspecies Polyommatus icarus korshunovi P. Gorbunov, sbsp.n.

MATERIALS: The holotype: a male - 26.05.1990, Tuva, the Erzin River valley (V.V. Dubatolov). Paratypes: a male - the same locality; 2 females - 27.07.1972, Tuva, Toora-Khem (Yu.P. Korshunov); a female - 19.08.1962, Tuva, the Tes[-Khem] River (L. Violovich); a female and male - 17.06.1963, the same locality; 2 males - 18.06, 1987, Tuva, the Toszha District, Lake Azas, (V. Zinchenko); a male - 1-5.05.1993, Tuva, the Kyzyl city environs (D. Logunov); 2 males - Tuva, the Shivilig-Khem River, a bushy steppe (O. Kosterin); 3 males - 21.06.1907, SE Altai, the Chuiskaya Steppe, Kosh-Agach; a female - 13.07.1097, the Chuiskii Tract road, the Kuraiskaya Steppe [a collector is dropped - it was E.G. Rodd] ; a female - 19.07.1966, SE Altai, between the mountain Supor and the Chuiskaya Steppe, 2000-2400 m [above the sea level]."

Polyommatus icarus omelkoi Dubatolov et Korshunov, 1995

Original description.

"Butterflies from the southern Far East differ from the Siberian ones by in average larger size (f.w.l. being 17-19 mm in males, 16.5-18 mm), reduction of the basal suffusion with glittering scales on the hind wing underside, which usually does not extend out of the row of basal spots, enlarged black dots on the wing underside, and a lighter (whitish) wing underside ground colour in males. By these characters we state a subspecies Polyommatus icarus omelkoi Dubatolov et Korshunov, sbsp.n.

MATERIALS: The holotype: a male - 17.07.1993, Primorie, the Anuchinskii District, 14 km north of Chernyshevka (V.V. Dubatolov, V.K. Zinchenko). Paratypes: 2 males 2 females - 15.07.1993, the same locality; 1 male - 18.07.1993, 20 km NNW of Chernyshevka, Kamenistyi Klyuch, a road in a montane broad- leafed forest; 4 males - 11 and 13.07.1981, 21.07.1982, 11.07.1985, N Korea (Im Khon An).

The subspecies is named after the surname of Omel'ko, Michail Michailovich, a lepidopterologist at the Ussuriiskii Reserve, an explorer of the life history of a number of butterfly species of S Primorie."

In (Korshunov, 1996) the following was added to the description of this subspecies: "in males wing upperside violet with a narrow black border. Fringe bicoloured: its outer one third white, inner two third grey. Wing underside whitish, black spots rather large, their white rims poorly noticeable on background. In females wing upperside brown with large submarginal spots; on wing underside basal suffusion practically absent. All other subspecies are smaller, their fire wing length usually does not exceed 17 mm"

Besides, an error penetrated into the dedication: M. M. Omelko is not affiliated at the Ussuriiskii Nature Reserve, he is a director of the Gormotaezhnaya [Montane Taiga] Station of the Far Eastern Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

F.w.l.: 13-17 mm. Wing upperside is glittering blue or greenish-still, with a dark outer border about 0.5-1.5 mm wide, in males and brown in females; on fore wing underside cell usually contains a black spot; along outer margin of hind wing underside in both sexes there is a full row of orange spots of even size.

TYPE LOCALITY: Primorye: the Suputinka River.

RANGE: Middle Priamurye (found at Khabarovsk by E. Novomodnyi), S. Primorye, N Korea.

HABITAT: meadows of river terraces and mountain valleys.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in two broods, in June and middle July/late September.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-16 mm. In males wing upperside lacks a greenish tint, outer border about 0.5-1 mm wide; in females wing upperside brown with large orange submarginal lunules on both wings and without suffusion of blue scales; on wing underside orange submarginal spots larger than in other species of this group; on hind wing they are usually fused into a contiguous band, always well expressed on fore wing.

ETYMOLOGY: Anatoliy Vasilievich Tsvetaev (1903-1980) - an engineer at the factory "Nature and School", the biggest Soviet butterfly collectionist (the collection is now preserved in the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University).

TYPE LOCALITY: Kamchatka.

RANGE: Polar Ural, the mountains of the north of Middle and East Siberia and the Far East, Kamchatka. A local species.

HABITAT: montane meadows at the tree line in river and brook valleys, pebble banks, felled areas. In the Polar Ural the butterflies concentrated on sunny areas of railway embankments (P. Gorbunov), in the Koni Peninsula (the Magadan Region) on flowery slopes of coastal terraces, where they feed on the flowers of Oxytropis czukotica and Astragalus alpinus (Kosterin, 1994)

FLIGHT PERIOD: July.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: According to observations by P.Yu. Gorbunov in Polar Ural, the foodplants are Hedysarum sibiricum and Oxytropis sordida Eggs: small, green, button-shaped with a depression in center; laid singly on the foodplant leaf underside. Young larva: green with a black head, set with whitish hairs emerging from small black warts. It gnaws out small stripes from the middle of a leaf and eats flowers.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 13-14 mm. In males wing upperside lacks a greenish tint, outer border about 0.5-1 mm wide; in females fore wing usually to some extent suffused with blueish scales, whitish or orange submarginal lunules present on hind wing upperside; in both sexes on wing underside there is a suffusion of glittering scales at base and along anal margin. Similar species: P. erotides, P. boisduvali.

GEOGRAPHCAL VARIATION: The nominotypical subspecies inhabits Kamchatka; the subspecies extremiorientalis Kurenzov, 1970 has been stated for Verkhoyan'ye and the Kolyma River basin; the subspecies taimyrensis Korshunov, 1982, close to the former, was described from the Taymyr Peninsula and inhabits also Polar Ural. In the Vitim River basin "north of 56 degrees of northern latitude" there ranges ssp. herzi Korshunov, 1995, pro venus Herz., 1898, nec Polyommatus venus Staudinger, 1886.

TYPE LOCALITY: S Russia.

RANGE: SE Europe, S Ural, the southern West and Central Siberia, Altai, the Angara River basin. A local species.

HABITAT: meadow patches in birch groves, pine woods, in river and brook valleys, on mountain slopes. Imagines were observed to feed on Orostachys spinosa, Trifolium pratense, Vicia, Dracocephalum nutans, Inula salicina, Allium, etc.

FLIGHT PERIOD: middle June/late July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Astragalus.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-16 mm. In males wing upperside blue with a violet tint and lacking a greenish tint, outer border about 1-1.5 mm wide; in females wing upperside brown, fore wing lacks a suffusion with blueish scales, orange submarginal lunules present on hind wing; in both sexes basal suffusion of wing underside by glittering scales very weak, submarginal orange spots larger than in P. erotides and P. kamtschadalus.

ETYMOLOGY: J.B.A. Boisduval (1801-1879) - a famous French lepidopterologist, a custodian of the Entomology Cabinet of the earl Deganet, a doctor.

TYPE LOCALITY: Zabaikalye: the Malakhanskiy mountain range: the settlement Kudara-Somon.

RANGE: The mountains of S Siberia (Central and SE Altai being inhabited by this species while North Altai - by the previous one), Zabaikalye, Mongolia.

HABITAT: steppefied meadows and steppes on rocky south-exposed slopes and in montane river and brook valleys, up to the highlands.

FLIGHT PERIOD: in two broods, in late May/June and middle July/September; in highlands the single brood is observed in July.

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: Foodplants: Fabaceae.

PECULIAR TRAITS OF IMAGO: F.w.l.: 14-15 mm. In males wing upperside of a silvery-greenish tint, outer border being 1 mm wide; in females fore wing lack a suffusion of blueish scales, row of whitish or orange submarginal lunules present on the hind wing; in both sexes on wing underside basal suffusion of glittering scales very weak, less expressed than in P. kamtschadalus.