LEPIDOPTERA

• H E S P E R I I D A E Latreille, 1809

  • MUSCHAMPIA Tutt, [1906]

    
    

    • Muschampia kuenlunus (Grum-Grshimailo, 1893)

Muschampia kuenlunus (Grum-Grshimailo, 1893)

• TYPE LOCALITY. "Trans-Alai" [Zaalaisky Mts.].

• RANGE. Confined to high mountains of Central Asia.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Alai (Alaisky, Zaalaisky, Katran-Too Mts.), the W. Pamirs (Shugnansky Mts.), Tian-Shan (Talassky, Kirghizsky, Zailiisky Alatau, Naryntau, Terskei-Alatau Mts.). Variation can be seen in intensity of the white suffusion and in size of the submarginal spots both on UPS and UNS.

• TAXONOMIC NOTES. In general, the Pamirs-Alai and Tian-Shan populations seem to display differences of subspecific level, but some of them are transitional, and ecological variation cannot be excluded either. Furthermore, the specific status of M. kuenlunus itself is still questioned, because there are virtually no genitalic differences from M. nobilis, while intermediates occur in the Alaisky Mts. Here we treat kuenlunus and nobilis as separate species, with a revision of the taxonomy of the entire complex being in preparation.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Flight in the forest zone or higher in the mountains, at 2,500-3,400 m a.s.L, from the end of June till the beginning of August, presumably in a single generation.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. M. tessellum: UPS white spots large, UNH discal spots well-separated. M. nobilis: FW pointed, whitish suffusion dense, white spots reduced, submarginal spots usually absent.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997