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LEPIDOPTERA

Muschampia prometheus (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890)
Muschampia prometheus (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890)

• TYPE LOCALITY. "Trans-Alai" [Zaalaisky Mts.].

• RANGE. Confined to high mountains of Middle Asia.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Ghissar (Zeravshansky, Ghissarsky, Baisun-Tau Mts.), Darvaz (Peter 1, Darvazsky Mts.), Alai (Zaalaisky Mts., Alaiskaya Valley), the W. Pamirs (Vanchsky Mts.). Variation is relatively minor, no subspecies are presently known.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. High mountains (2,500-3,500 m a.s.l.). Flight period: July-September.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. M proteus, M staudingeri: UNH ground colour brownish, UNH submarginal spots well-developed; genitalia different (Fig.).

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

fig 3

Fig. Male genitalia of the staudingen- (right clasp and aedeagus) and the /w^w-groups (right clasp, uncus and gnatos): 1 - Muschampia staudingeri''(W. Kopet-Dagh); 2 - M. prometheus (Gissarsky Mts.); 3 - M. proteus (Katran-Too Mts., Alai); 4 - M. lutulenta ("Samarkand"); 5 - M. poggei (Armenia)