LEPIDOPTERA

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

  • AGLAIS Dalman, 1816

    
    

    • Aglais rizana (Moore, 1872)

Aglais rizana (Moore, 1872)

•TYPE LOCALITY. «Cheeni (9000 feet). Middle Kunawur, N.W. Himalayas »

• RANGE. Pamirs-Alai, Afghanistan, NW. Himalaya.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Widely distributed in the Pamirs-Alai, sometimes in large numbers. The record by Tshikolovets (1997) of A. ladakensis (Moore, 1878) in the Pamirs actually concerns rizana.

•HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Mountain meadows at about 1,500-3,200 m a.s.l. Flight period: July - August. Host plant; Urtica. Larvae live and pupate in rolled leaves. Hibernation imaginal.

•SIMILAR SPECIES. Aglais urticae: UNF with a yellow area at base. A. nixa: UNS not so black: black spot at anal margin of FW separated from basal darkened area. A. caschmirensis: UPS with an extended black marking and dark dust, ground colour reddish brown; black spot at anal margin of FW merged with median spot and with basal darkened area: a large tooth on vein M^ present.

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