LEPIDOPTERA
PIERIDAE Duponchel,1835
COLIAS Fabricius,1807
Colias nastes Boisduval, 1832
Colias nastes mongola Alpheraky, 1897
• RANGE . From the Altai and Sayan mts. across the Chukot Peninsula, Alaska and the N. American tundra's to Greenland.
• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The Altai and Sayan mts. - ssp. mongola Alpheraky, 1897; N. Siberia, the Chukot Peninsula - ssp. streckeri Grum-Grshimailo, 1895 (= zemblica Verity, 1911; = sibirica Kurentzov, 1970, nom. praeoccup.; = dezhnevi Korshunov, 1995); the Far East - ssp. jacutica Kurentzov, 1970 (=jacuticola Weiss et Mracek, 1989).
• TAXONOMIC NOTES. Until now, the N. European populations have been referred to this species. However, we regard populations from the tundra's of the European part as belonging to another, similar species - C. tyche Boeber, 1812. This results from sympathy of both species in the north of Siberia, the Far East and the Chukot Peninsula. The status of C. mongola has also been obscure for a long time, this taxon being referred either to C. nastes or to C. cocandica, or treated as a separate species. The recently obtained rich material of C. nastes jacutica collected in NE. Yakutia has revealed the missing link between mongola and the typical nastes, thus allowing to regard both as "good" subspecies.
• HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Lowland and mountain tundras, also alpine meadows at 2,200-2,700 m a.s.l. Flight period: July-August. Known host plants in N. America (Scott, 1986): Astragalus alpinus, Oxytropis, Hedysarum.
• SIMILAR SPECIES. C. tyche: FW apex distinctly pointed; UPS dark pattern less strongly developed; UPH row of submarginal lunules placed nearer to outer edge; UNH ground colour with yellowish tinge.
Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997