LEPIDOPTERA

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

  • SPIALIA Swinhoe, [1912]

    
    

    • Spialia orbifer (Hubner, [1823])

Spialia orbifer cornea Reverdin, 1927

• TYPE LOCALITY. Hungary (de Jong, 1974).

• SYNONYMS: tesselloides Herrich-Schaffer, [1845]; minor Rebel, 1909.

• RANGE. S. and SE. Europe, temperate Asia from Turkey across Central Asia to Korea.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The S. European part, the whole Caucasus and Middle Asian mountains, Kazakhstan, S. Siberia from the Altai to the Ussuri region. A highly variable species, especially in the development of UPS white spotting and UNH ground colour; individual variation, however, masks the geographical pattern to a great extent. Besides the nominate subspecies, the following subspecies are known which may be applied to the territory in question: ssp. hilaris Staudinger, 1901 (described from N. Mesopotamia); ssp. cornea Reverdin, 1927 (described from Afghanistan); ssp. lugens Staudinger, 1886 (described from E. Tian-Shan); ssp. pseudolugens P. Gorbunov, 1995 (described from the Altai and the S. Urals).

• TAXONOMIC NOTES. Both status and distribution of the subspecies requires a revision due to the existence of transitional specimens and the great individual variation.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Steppe habitats on plains and grassy slopes in the mountains up to 3,200 m a.s.l. Flight period: April-August in one or two generations depending on the latitude and altitude. Host plants in Europe (Lamport, 1913; Forster, Wohlfahrt, 1955; Higgins, Riley, 1980): Rosaceae (Rubus idaeus, Sanguisorba officinalis, S. minor, Potentilla gelida, etc.). Hibernation larval.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. S. phlomidis, S. osthelderi, S. geron: UPS white spots large, UNH discal spots arranged in a band.

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