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LEPIDOPTERA

Parnassius actius
Parnassius actius actius Eversmann, 1843

· TYPE LOCALITY. "Altai" [Dzhungarsky Alatau, Kazakhstan]. The indication in the original description of "Altai" as the type locality is wrong.
. · RANGE. From Tian-Shan and the Pamirs-Alai to NW. India, Pakistan, NE. Afghanistan and China.
· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. In general, this species is not highly variable. However, the following subspecies are recognized besides the nominate one which occurs in the Dzhungarsky Alatau Mts.: ssp. minutus Verity, 1911 - N. Tian-Shan; ssp. ambrosius Stichel, 1907 - central Tian-Shan; ssp. dubitabilis Verity, 1911 - N., W. and Inner Tian-Shan; ssp. flora O. Bang-Haas, 1915 - Alai, Ghissar; ssp. brutlus O. Bang-Haas, 1915 - the E. Pamirs. The status of the ssp. pseudobrutus Bryk et Eisner, 1914 requires confirmation.
· HABITATS AND BIOLOGY . Stony slopes and screes, rocky ridges at 3,000-4,500 m a.s.l.; more rarely in the alpine meadow belt at 2,700-2,800 m a.s.l. (Pass Colon, Inner Tian-Shan). Host plant (Kreuzberg, 1984): Rhodiola.
· SIMILAR SPECIES. P. tianschanicus. larger, UPF marginal band broader and always reaches the dorsum in both sexes, red spots larger. P. jacquernonti. UPH with red basal spots.

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