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LEPIDOPTERA

Esperarge eversmanni (Eversmann, 1847)
  Esperarge eversmanni   (Eversmann, 1847)

· TYPE LOCALITY. "Lepsa" [Lepsinsk, Dzhungarsky Alatau, Kazakhstan].

· RANGE. The whole of Middle Asia (except for high mountains of the E. Pamirs and central Tian-Shan) to the Hindu Kush and the NW. Himalaya.

· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The nominate subspecies occurs in Dzhungarsky Alatau, N. and Inner Tian-Shan; similar to it are also populations from W. Tian-Shan. Other forms are as follows: ssp. unicolor Grum-Grshimailo, 1892 (Ghissar, Alai) and ssp. cashmirensis Moore, 1874 (the W. Pamirs).

· HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Flowery and grassy habitats with rich arboreal vegetation, rarely found on stony slopes; altitudes 1,000-2,700 m a.s.l. Butterflies prefer shady places, resting on tree trunks and branches, piles of stones, etc. Flight period: June (the end of May at lower altitudes) to August.

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