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LEPIDOPTERA

Pyrgus darwazicus Grum-Grshimailo, 1890
Pyrgus darwazicus Grum-Grshimailo, 1890

• TYPE LOCALITY. "Touptschek" [Kara-Shura River near Pass Gardani-Kaftar, Tupchek Plateau, Peter 1 Mts., Darvaz].

• SYNONYMS: submurina Reverdin, 1933.

• RANGE. Confined to the mountains of Middle Asia and NE. Afghanistan.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Ghissar, Alai (including Zaalaisky Mts.), Darvaz, the W. Pamirs. Varies greatly in size and white spotting pattern. Spots typically reduced above and below in the nominate subspecies (some females are almost unmarked), but in other subspecies the spots may be partly or fully developed, as in P. alpinus. The nominate subspecies occurs in Ghissar, Alai and Darvaz; the ssp. distinctus de Jong, 1979 has been described from the W. Pamirs, and the ssp. celsimontius Kauffmann, 1952 is known from the SW. Pamirs and Badahshan, NE. Afghanistan.

• TAXONOMIC NOTES. The subspecific composition requires a revision as there are intermediate populations.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Alpine and subalpine belts at 2,300-4,300 m a.s.l. Flight period: July-August.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. P. alpinus: white pattern fully developed, UNH ground colour bright, UNH discal spots almost in line with subtornal spots. P. cashmirensis: UNH central discal spot extended basad.

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

fig 4

Fig. Male genitalia of the Pyrgus malvae- (right clasp, uncus and gnatos), centaureae- and alpinus-groups (right clasp):
1 - P. malvae malvae (Sumy Reg., Ukraine);
2 - P. melotis ponticus (Armenia);
3 - P. centaureae (Aktash, S. Altai);
4 - P. sibirica (Aktash, S. Altai);
5 - P. alpinus alichurensis (SE. Pamirs);
6 - P. darwazicus celsimontius (E. Pamirs);
7 - P. cashmirensis pumilus (Shugnansky Mts., W. Pamirs)