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NOTE: the text corresponds to (Korshunov & Gorbunov, 195) with additions
and corrections (Korshunov, 1996) incorporated 

FAMILIA LYCAENIDAE  [Leach], [1815]


  Mostly small butterflies (f.w.l. ranges from 9 to 23 mm, but 
usually is within 12-18 mm). The head is globular; the fore legs 
are reduced only in males; the eyes are surrounded with 
light scales. The colouration of the wing upperside is very 
diverse, most frequently it is of blue, brown, or orange 
colours. Sexual dimorphism is well expressed in the majority 
of species 
  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 speceis are 
obligatory mirmecophyls. The pupae are short and stout; they  
are attaced 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. 


SUBFAMILIA THECLINAE Svainson,  1831

TRIBUS THECLINI Svainson,  1831

  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.


GENUS ARTOPOETES Chapman, 1802.
Type species: Lycaena pryeri Murray, 1873.

  A monotypical genus.

320. Artopoetes pryeri (Murray, 1873).

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.


GENUS COREANA Tutt, [1907].
Type species: Thecla raphaelis Oberthur, 1880.

A monotypical genus.

321. Coreana raphaelis (Oberthur, 1880).

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 abserved 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 
tohether, 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.



GENUS USSURIANA Tutt, [1907].
Type species: Thecla michaelis Oberthur, 1880.

  An East-Asiatic genus with three species.


322. Ussuriana michaelis (Oberthur, 1880).

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: hemisphaeric 
with vertical ribs and quardangular 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. 


Ussuriana stygiana (Butler, 1881).

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 butches 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. 



GENUS SHIROZUA Sibatani et Ito, 1942.
Type species: Thecla jonasi Janson, 1877.

  A monotypical genus.


323. Shirozua jonasi (Janson, 1887).

    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; hibertnating. 
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. 



GENUS THECLA Fabricius, 1807.
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. 


324. Thecla betulae (Linnaeus, 1758).

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 crawns 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-geen, 
conical, with tiny sexangular 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 crawn, 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. 


325. Thecla betulina (Staudinger, 1887).

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 crawns 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: hemisphaeric, 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.



GENUS PROTANTIGIUS Shirozu et Yamamoto, 1956.
Type species: Drina superans Oberthur, 1914.

  A monotypical genus.


326. Protantigius superans (Oberthur, 1914)
(= pugatshuki Kurenzov, 1970).

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.



GENUS JAPONICA Tutt, 1907.
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.


327. Japonica saepestriata (Hewitson, 1865).

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 abdonem 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 
peculilar crest. Pupa: green, ellyptical, 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. 


328. Japonica lutea (Hewitson, 1865).

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 abdonem before 
oviposition; the eggs hibernate. Larva: light-green, set with 
light hairs. It lives and pupates on leaf undersidse. Pupa: 
light-green, ellyptical. 

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. 


329. Japonica adusta (Riley, 1930) (=lutea auct.)

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 
трется 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.



GENUS ARARAGI Sibatani et Ito, 1942.
Type species: Thecla enthea Janson, 1877.

  An East-Asiatic genus with two species.


330. Araragi enthea (Janson, 1877).

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.                       



GENUS ANTIGIUS Sibatani et Ito, 1942.
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.


331. Antigius atillia (Bremer, 1861).

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. 


332. Antigius butleri (Fenton, 1881).

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: Julye/Agust. 

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, difering 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 contnental 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. 



GENUS GOLDIA Dubatolov et Korshunov, 1990.
Type species: Ravenna pacifica Dubatolov et Korshunov, 1984.

     A monotypical genus.


333. Goldia pacifica (Dubatolov et Korshunov, 1984).

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 centre and at the base; 
wing underside grey with a postdiscal row of bleached dark 
spots in whitish rims; tail filiform, about 5 mm long. 



GENUS WAGIMO Sibatani et Ito, 1942.
Type species: Thecla signata Butler, [Apr. 1882].

  An East-Asiatic genus with two species.


334. Wagimo signata (Butler, 1882).

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, hemishperical, 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 gnawn 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. 



GENUS NEOZEPHYRUS Sibatani et Ito, 1942
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.


335. Neozephirus japonicus (Murray, 1845)
(= taxila auct. non Bremer, 1861).

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, hemisphaeric, 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 ant the continent are 
inhabited by ssp. regina Butler, 1881. 


336. Neozephirus smaragdinus (Bremer, 1861). (= diamantinus 
Oberthur, 1879).

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. 


337. Neozephirus brillantinus (Staudinger, 1887). (= 
aurorinus auct. non Oberthur, 1880; coruscans auct. non 
Leech, 1893). 

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 stroles 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. 



GENUS FAVONIUS Sibatani et Ito, 1942.
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.


338. Favonius orientalis (Murray, 1875).

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 particopation 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). 


339. Favonius korshunovi Dubatolov et Sergeev, 1982
(= macrocerus Wakabayashi et Fukuda, 1985).

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 evenig 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 lustre 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.


340. Favonius aquamarinus Dubatolov et Sergeev, 1987.

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, hemisphaeric, 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, lighht 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). 


341. Favonius taxila (Bremer, 1864) (= aurorinus Oberthur, 
1880; cognatus Staudinger, 1892). 

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 evenig they often fly in small 
swarms, sometimes visit flowers. 

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

PREIMAGINAL PHASES: studied in Primorie (Dantchenko et al., 
1995). Foodplants: Quercus mongolica. Eggs: whitish, 
haemispheric, 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 prominences 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. 


342. Neozephirus ultramarinus (Fixen, 1887).

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-
leaved 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. 
latifacsiatus. Tail about 3 mm long, filiform. 


343. Neozephirus jezoensis (Matsumura, 1915).

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. latifacsiatus; in female it 
is split into V-shaped spots. Tail short, about 2 mm long, 
widened basally.          


344. Neozephirus latifasciatus (Shirozu et Hayashi, 1959).

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 butches 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). 


345. Neozephirus saphirinus (Staudinger, 1887).

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 halled 
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 lustre than 
in other our species of the genus; in females it is brown 
with a wague 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. 


GENUS QUERCUSIA Verity, 1943.
Type species Papilio quercus Linnaeus, 1758.

   A monotypical genus.


346. Neozephirus quercus (Linnaeus, 1758).

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. 



TRIBUS DEUDORIGINI

GENUS ATARA Zhdanko, 1994.
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 narow fore wing without 
incision on its anal margin. Male genitalia are 1.5 times, there 
are differences in the shape of gnatos, 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. 


347. Atara arata (Bremer, 1861).

TYPE LOCALITY: the mountains of Bureya abd 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. 


- Atara caerulea (Bremer et Grey, 1852).

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. 



TRIBUS EUMAEINI Doubleday, 1847.


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 detalis 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. 


348. Fixenia herzi (Fixsen, 1887). 

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 (donwstream to the village 
Tsimmermanovka (E. Novomodnyi)), Primorye, NE China, Korea. 

HABITAT: wood edges, openin tree stand in valley brows-
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 lihgter, 
blueish-green; head glossy-black. Pupa: light-green, with a wide 
diamond-shaped brown-violet spot. Sometimes the larvae appear in mass 
quantitatives 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. 


349. Fixenia pruni (Linnaeus, 1758). 

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 thoracal segments and a 
brand on dorsal side of abdomen are cream-colured; 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 hemisphaerical abdomen; its upper convex part is covered with munerous 
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. 


GENUS NORDMANNIA Tutt, 1907.
Type species: Lycaena myrtale Klug, 1834. 
   Fore wing length 

350. Nordmannia prunoides (Staudinger,1887). 

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. 


351. Fixenia w-album (Knoch, 1782). 

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. 
macroacrpr. 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.


352. Fixenia eximia (Fixen, 1887). 

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.


353. Fixenia spini (Denis et Schiffermuller, 1775). 

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; laind 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.


354. Nordmannia latior (Fixsen, 1887)

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.


355. Fixsenia ilicis (Esper, 1799).

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 seleral orange spots at outer 
margin, there is no blue spot at tail base. Similar species: 
N. acaciae. 


356. Fixenia acaciae (Fabricius, 1787).

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. 



GENUS NEOLYCAENA Niceville, 1890.
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.


357. Neolycaena rhymnus (Eversmannm, 1832). 

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 lanting 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 segnets 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. 


358. Neolycaena falkovitchi Zhdanko et Korshunov, 1985. 

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. 


359. Neolycaena davidi (Oberthur, 1881). 

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 dorlas lines and, on segments 5-9, slanting 
lateral streaks, sligtly 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 wawy 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 mannert, 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.



GENUS CALLOPHRYS Billberg, 1820.
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.


360. Callophrys rubi (Linnaeus, 1758). 

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 are well expressed on hind wing.

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


361. Callophrys suaveola (Staudinger, 1881). 

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 
prominences on hind wing being the main diagnostic features (Migranov, 
1992). However, the size of these prominences is a very variable character
(say, in the butterflies from W Altai) and, to our mind, could be sufficient f
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.



GENUS AHLBERGIA Bryk, 1946.
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 Paalearctic genus with not less 
than 8 species.


362. Albergia frivaldszkyi (Kindermann in Lederer, 1853)
(= leei Johnson, 1992). 

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-leaved 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 Aprul. 

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 occured 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 distint
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.


362a. Ahlbergia tricaudata Johnson, 1992.

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 moult, 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 tergirtes 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 chokolate-brown in the third one. The subdorsal 
knobs are present on the second thoracic and 1st-6th abdominal segments, 
on 1st abdonimal segment they are large and dark-coloured entirely or 
into a ghreater 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 expance: 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.                


363. Albergia korea Jonhson, 1992. (= ferrea auct. non Butler, 1868).

TYPE LOCALITY: Korea.

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

HABITAT: bush formations and meadows in river valleys within broad-
leaved 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 incative. Males gather in small 
groups, they sit on branch tips, on aspen often on inflorescences, and 
are busking 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 shortige. The second and 
third moult 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 moults. Mature larva: 16-18 mm long, 
green, before pupation becomes nuddy-violet. Recorede 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. 

SUBFAMILIA LYCAENINAE  [Leach], [1815]

  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) . 


GENUS LYCAENA Fabricius, 1807.
Type species: Papilio phlaeas Linnaeus, 1761.

  A Holarctic genus including more than 10 species.


364. Lycaena helle (Denis et Schiffermuller,  1775)
(= amphidamas Esper, 1780). 

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 mounatis 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: 
flatened, 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. 


365. Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus, 1761). 

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 ggreyish-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 Setz, 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 noticeablylighter 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. 



GENUS THERSAMONIA Verity, 1919.
Type species.: Papilio thersamon, Esper, 1784.

  A Palearctic genus including about ten species.


366. Thersamonia thersamon (Esper, 1784).

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 wqithout 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. 


GENUS THERSAMONOLYCAENA Verity, 1957.
Type species: Papilio dispar Haworth, 1803.

  A Palearctic genus with eight species.

367. Thersamonolycaena violaceus (Staudinger, 1892) (= splendens auct. 
non Staudinger, 1882). 

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. 


368. Thersamonolycaena dispar (Haworth, 1803).

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, vasting 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. 



GENUS HEODES Dalman, 1816.
Type species: Papilio virgaureae Linnaeus, 1758.

  A Palearctic genus with six species.


369. Heodes alciphron (Rottemburg, 1775). 

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 
scarse 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 
nominotypecal subspecies, differing by a somewhat lighter whig 
underside ground colour. The name rubidus Korshunov, 1995, was proposed 
in Korshunov & Gorbunov (1995) as follows: "...A male from Mongolia 
described by Yu.P. Kosrhunov (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 follwoing: 
   "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." 


370. Heodes virgaureae (Linnaeus, 1758). 

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 differen 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. 


371. Heodes hippothoe (Linnaeus, 1761). 

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 
thoracal 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 dopts 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 irridescence, 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. 


372. Heodes tityrus (Poda, 1761). (= dorilis Hufnagel, 1766) 

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 
afteroon, while copulating pairs were observed mostly on 10-13 hr. In 
the evening the butterflies rised 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 aling back and above legs and 
slanting dark streaks on either side (sometimes incospicuous); body 
covered with short reddish hairs. The larva often contacs 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. 



SUBFAMILIA POLYOMMATINAE Swainson, 1827

TRIBUS NIPHANDINI Eliot, 1973.

  The tribe includes a single monotypical genus.


GENUS NIPHANDA Moore, 1875.
Type species:Niphanda tessellata Moore, [1875].


373. Niphanda fusca (Bremer et Grey, 1852). 

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-beije 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. 


TRIBUS POLYOMMATINI Swainson, 1827.


GENUS LAMPIDES Hubner, 1819.
Type species: Papilio boeticus Linnaeus, 1767.

  A monotypical genus.


374. Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767).

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 Peninsla 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 moult. Nine days later 
they underwent the seond 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. Rrear end of the body bears knobs and spinules. Before pupation 
the larva becomes purple and makes a frail silken cocoon, which 
incrusted 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. 


GENUS EVERES Huebner, [1819].
Type species: Papilio amyntas [Denis et Shiffermuller], 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. 


375. Everes argiades (Pallas, 1771).

TYPE LOCALITY: the Volga basin: the city Samara.

RANGE: The temperate Eurasia northwards to the middle taiga belt, north-
east to the Oimyakonskoe upland adn 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. 


376. Everes alcetas (Hoffmannsegg, 1804) (= coretas Ochsenheimer, 1808).

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. 


GENUS TONGEIA Tutt, 1908.
Type species: Lycaena fisheri Eversmann, 1843.

  A monotypical genus.


377. Tongeia fischeri (Eversmann, 1843).

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 eated 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 
foundator of the Moscow Society of Nature Explorers.


GENUS CUPIDO Schrank, 1801.
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.


378. Cupido minimus (Fuessly, 1775).

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 greenisg-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 gliittering scales 
on wing upperside in males. 


379. Cupido osiris (Meigen, 1829). 

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. 



GENUS CELASTRINA Tutt, 1906.
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.


380. Celastrina argiolus (Linnaeus, 1758). 

TYPE LOCALITY: England.

RANGE: The non-tropical Eurasia (except for the Pacific coastal 
regions) northwards to the forest-tundra zone, nowth-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 scarse 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. 


381. Celastrina ladon (Cramer, 1780). (= argiolus auct.). 

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 pearch 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 moults. 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, beije-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. 


382. Celastrina fedoseevi Korshunov et Ivonin, 1990. 

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. 


383. Celastrina heringi Kardakov, 1928 (= phellodendroni Omelko, 1987)

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 hirst 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: Phellodendron 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 
derk-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....). 


GENUS MASLOWSKIA Kurenzov, 1974.
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. 


384. Maslowskia filipjevi (Riley, 1934).

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 
understorey; 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 
foodpants 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 moult 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 browh clows. 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 sparce 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 upprside 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. 


385. Maslowskia oreas (Leech, 1893). 

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 foodpants, usually at bifurcation points or at the 
spine bases. The larva moults thrise sicnce 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 upprside 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 Cellastrina gigas Hemming, 1941, 
belongs in fact to M. oreas. 



GENUS SCOLITANTIDES Huebner,  [1819].
T.s.. Papilio battus [Denis at Schiffermuller], 1775.

  A monotypical species.


386. Scolitantides orion (Pallas, 1771). 

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: detrituous and rocky southern slopes up to the highlands; 
steppefied meadows, dry open woods, large-stoned screes. The imabines 
vere 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, 
gnowing 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 frm 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 larve: with 
swallen 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 browhish 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. hibernates. 

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. 



GENUS PSEUDOPHILOTES Beuret, 1958.
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 succiessful so far. In 
literature this species used to be erroneously considered as belonging 
to the South Ural fauna. 


387. Pseudophilotes vicrama (Moore, 1865) (= baton auct.). 

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 detrituous 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. 


388. Pseudophilotes jacuticus Korshunov et Viidalepp, 1980. 

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...). 



GENUS RUBRAPTERUS Korshunov, 1990.
T.s.: Lycaena bavius Eversmann, 1832.

  A monotypical genus.


389. Rubrapterus bavius (Eversmann, 1832). 

TYPE LOCALITY: the Orenburg Province.

RANGE: S Europe, N Africa. The species has been describedby 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 chequered. 



GENUS GLAUCOPSYCHE Scudder, 1872.
T.s.: Polyommatus lygdamus Doubledy, 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.


390. Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Doubleday, 1842). 

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. Habitst: 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 grovies; 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-brownb 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. 


391. Glaucopsyche alexis (Poda,  1761). (= cyllarus Rottemburg, 1775). 

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 moutain 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. 


392. Glaucopsyche lycormas (Butler, 1868)

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. 



GENUS BAJLUANA Korshunov, 1990.
T.s.: Lycaena argali Elwes, 1899.

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


393. Bajluana argali (Elwes, 1899).

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 detrituous 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 
cusions 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. 


GENUS MACULINEA van Ecke, 1915. 
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 conspicuos; 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 infloresceces 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 latters. 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.


394. Maculinea nausithous (Bergstrasser, 1779). (= arcas Rottemburg, 
1775). 

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 infrorescences 
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 setrrate bristles on 
occiput. At later insatrs 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 conicides 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. 


395. Maculinea arionides (Staudinger, 1887)

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 o 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 postdiscidal spots; underside 
light-blue, with postdiscal spots on the fore wing being much larger 
than others and stretched along veins. 


396. Maculinea alcon (Denis et Schiffermuller, 1775). 

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 dorlsa 
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.


397. Maculinea telejus (Bergstrasser, 1779)
(= euphemus Hubner, 1800).

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 multifacette sculpture 
withshitish ribs; laid on the foodplant inflrescences when the 
flowers just start to poen. Young larva: purple-brown with a 
black head and a black gland on the first tergit; on back there 
is sparse black warts bearing a single black hair each; spracles 
black-rimmed, those at body end protruding as short tubes. 
Mature larva: similar, bit 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 ourter 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 
winh 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 uppreside 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.  


398. Maculines kurentzovi Sibatani, Saigusa et Hirowatari, 1994. 

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. 


399. Maculinea arion (Linnaeus, 1758). 

TYPE LOCALITY: Germany: Nurnberg.

RANGE: Europe (except for the North), South and Middle Ural, the 
southern West Siberian Lowland, the Kuznetskoe Upland, Northe 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: hemisphaerical, blueish or 
greensh, 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). 


400. Maculinea cyanecula (Eversmann, 1848).

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. 


GENUS SHIJIMIAEOIDES Beuret,  1958.
T.s.:  Lycaena barine  Leech, [Jan. 1893].

401. Shijimiaeoides divina (Fixsen, 1887). 

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. 


GENUS PLEBEJUS Kluk, 1802.
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 fulll row of submarginal 
orange spots, usually fused.
    A Holarctic genus which, according to recent revisions, 
includes more than thirty species.


402. Plebejus pylaon (Fischer de Waldeheim, 1832). 

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, slmost 
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 bosy 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. 


403. Plebejus lucifer (Staudinger, 1867)
(= biton Bremer, 1861; lornex Higgins, 1981).

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 primaty homonym to biton Sluz, 2776, a 
subspecies of Polyommatus damon (D. et Sch., 1775)  
                              

404. Plebejus argus (Linnaeus, 1758) 

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 ourter 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 processus 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 
mentionning. 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 subspeces 
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 subspeceis. The dark border is 
about 1 mm wide, on the hind wing it is contacted by blask 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). "


405. Plebejus argyrognomon (Bergstrasser, 1779). 

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. Amercia. 

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 processus 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 uppersode 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. 


superspecies idas

  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 processus of the valva has about 10 minute 
teeth (Table ...). 
  The imagines of the constituing 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 teh Far East.


406. Plebejus (idas) idas (Linnaeus, 1758).

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 viole 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 processus 
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.&


407. Plebejus (idas) subsolanus (Eversmann, 1851) 

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, descrivbed as ongodai Tutt, 
1909 exhibit characters transitory between P. subsolanus and P. 
idas. It is not excluded that this territory is the zone of 
intragression between these taxa. Smaller size and a narrow 
border cherecterize also the subslecies ternejana Kurenzov, 1970 
described from the highlands (1500 m above sea level) of the 
Sikhote-Alin' (Primorye). 

SYSTEMATIC NOTES: Earlier this species was mentionned 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. 


408. Plebejus (idas) tancrei Graeser, 1888.

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 
whotosh spots in the ostdiscal area, rarely entirely whitish; on the hind wing 
underside the metallic glittering marginal spots are absent ore 
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 wingn underside being more close to the outer 
margin. Kamchatka is inhabited by the smallest subspecies 
kamtchatica Kurenzov, 1970, difering 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.

382. Vacciniina optilete (Knoch, 1781). 

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, Spiraea, Ledum, Aegopodium, 
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 eithger 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.

GENUS ARICIA Reichenbach, 1817.
T.s.: Papilio agestis Denis et Schiffermuller, 1775.

  A Palearctic genus including about 15 species.


410. Aricia eumedon (Esper, 1780)

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 centre. 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 smallet than in the subspecies eumedon, their size reducing 
from the anal angle to the apex, the dark lulunes accompanying 
they internaly 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."


411. Aricia allous (Huebner,  1819).
(= astarche auct. nnec Bergstrasser,1779; artaxerxes auct. nec 
Fabricius, 1793). 

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. 


411a. Aricia agestis (Denis et Schiffermueller, 1775).

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.


412. Aricia nicias (Meigen, 1830). (= donzelii Boisduval, 1832). 

TYPE LOCALITY: Rhetian Alps.

RANGE: the Pirenees, 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 aling 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. 



GENUS UMPRIA Zhdanko, 1994.
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.



413. Umpria chinensis (Murray, 1874).

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 chequered; 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. 



GENUS AGRIADES Huebner, 1819
T.s.: Papilio glandon de Prunner, 1798.


414. Agriades glandon (de Prunner, 1798) (= aquilo Boisduval, 1832; 
orbitulus auct. ) 

TYPE LOCALITY: the Western Alps.

RANGE: Certain mountain regions of Europa, 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 Menetries, 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. 



GENUS ALBULINA Tutt, 1909.
T.s.: Papilio pheretes Huebner, 1806.

  A Palearctic genus including not less than three species.


415. Albulina orbitulus (de Prunner, 1798) (= atys Huebner, 1803; 
pheretes Huebner, 1805). 

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, detrituous 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, wiht 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 sppots 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. 



GENUS CYANIRIS Dalman, 1816.
T.s.: Cyaniris argianus Dalman, 1816.

  A Paleacrtic genus with four or five speceis.


416. Cyaniris semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775). 

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, 
thoracal 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. 



GENUS GLABROCULUS Lvovsky, 1993 (= ELviria Zhdanko, 1994)
T.s.: Lycaena cyane Eversmann, 1837.

   F.w.l. 11-17 mm.


417. Glabroculus cyane (Eversmann, 1837). 

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 tyhe 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 
inflorecences 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 



GENUS RIMISIA Zhdanko, 1994.
T.s.: Lycaena miris Staudinger, 1881.

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


   Rimisia miris (Staudinger, 1881). 

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 thes 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 shevrones and, proximally, a white suffusion. Similar species: G. 
cyane. 



GENUS POLYOMMATUS Latreille, 1804.
T.s.:  Papilio icarus Rottemburg, 1775.

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


418. Polyommatus thersites (Cantener, 1834). 

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: 
hemisphaerical, slightly concave at apex, with a large-dimpled sculpture. 
They much resemble those of P. icarus but are somewhat smaller, with a 
smaller micropilar 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. 


419. Polyommatus amanda (Schneider, 1792). 

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. 


420. Polyommatus damon (Denis et Schiffermuller, 1775). 

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 buterflies 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. 
praeocc.), with a wide dark border on wing upperside. 


421. Polyommatus rippartii (Freyer, 1830). 

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 grenish, 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 menntionned by D.A. Boisduval as a 
person collecting butterflies at de Digne in June-July 1829. . 


422. Polyommatus damone (Eversmann,  1841) (= carmon auct. non Herrich-
Schaffer, 1851). 

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. 


423. Polyommatus damocles (Herrich-Schaffer, 1844)

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. 


- Polyommatus bellargus (Rottemburg, 1775)

TYPE SPECIES: W Germany.

RANGE: Europe (ecept 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. 


424. Polyommatus coridon (Poda, 1761).

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 corved row of black 
postdiscal spots, orange submarginal spots are either present or absent; 
suffusion of glittering scales occupies basal half of the wing. 


426. Polyommatus daphnis (Denis et Schiffermuller, 1775)
(= meleager Esper, 1779). 

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. 


427. Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775).

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 facetted sculpture; laid on the foodplant leaf 
upperside. Larva: light-green with a dark whitish-rimmed back line 
and dark slanting streaks on sides (the latters 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 fenale 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-
leaved forest; 4 males - 11 and 13.07.1981, 21.07.1982, 
11.07.1985, N Korea (Im Khon An).
   The subspeceis 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 basl 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. 


  superspecies eros

  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. 


428. Polyommatus (eros) tsvetaevi (Kurentzov, 1970).

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 ingeneer 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). 


429. Polyommatus (eros) kamtschadalus (Sheljuzhko, 1933)
(= eros auct. non Ochsenheimer, 1808). 

TYPE LOCALITY: Kamchatka.

RANGE: Polar Ural, the mountains of the norther 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 centre; 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.


430. Polyommatus (eros) boisduvalli (Herrich-Schaffer, 1844)
(=  eroides auct. non Frivaldsky, 1835).

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. Boisduvall (1801-1879) - a famous French 
lepidopterologist, a custodian of the Entomology Cabinet of the earl 
Deganet, a doctor. 


431. Polyommatus (eros) erotides (Staudinger, 1892) (= eros auct.)

TYPE LOCALITY: Zabaikalye: the Malakhanskiy mountain range: the 
setlement 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 weakl less expressed 
than in P. kamtschadalus.

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