LEPIDOPTERA

• N Y M P H A L I D A E Swainson, 1827

  • MELITAEA Fabricius, 1807

    
    

    • Melitaea (didyma) latonigena Eversmann, 1847

Melitaea (didyma) latonigena Eversmann, 1847

• TYPE LOCALITY. «...in provincia Irkutzkensis» [Irkutsk Region, Russia].

• SYNONYMS. atrata Higgins, 1935; mongoligena Bryk, 1940.

• RANGE. From the Altais to Lake Baikal and Yakutia; Mongolia.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The nominotypical subspecies occurs in S. Siberia fromTuva to Lake Baikal. The subspecies altaicaGrum-Grshimailo, 1893 (= ukoka Korshunov, 1998) has been described from the SW. Altais (Lake Markakol), being distinguished mainly by the small size and the reddish ground colour in females. In central-eastern Siberia (Yakutia), the small subspecies polaris Grum-Grshimailo, 1899 is known to occur.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Somewhat more humid stations than M. (didyma) didyma, in the mountains up to 2,000-2,500 m a.s.l. Flight period: June to July, usually in one generation, yet in S. Siberia in two generations.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. Melitaea didyma: on UNH, veins commonly without black scales. M. sutschana: on UPS, black marking more strongly developed; on UNH, veins commonly without black scales. M. didymoides: UPH submarginal lunules obscure or absent.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 2. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 2000