LEPIDOPTERA

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

  • MELITAEA Fabricius, 1807

    
    

    • Melitaea kotshubeji Sheljuzhko, 1929

Melitaea kotshubeji Sheljuzhko, 1929

• TYPE LOCALITY. «Touptschek» [Tuptchek Plateau, Peter I Mts., Tajikistan].

• RANGE. W. Tian-Shan. Alai, Darvaz.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The nominotypical subspecies occurs in the Peter I Mts. Specimens from the W. Transalai Mts. and the southern slope of the Alai Mts. have been distinguished as the ssp. bundeli Kolesnichenko, 1999. Material from the NE. Alai. Fergansky and Chatkalsky mts. has been described as the ssp. kugarti Kolesnichenko, 1999.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Montane meadows at 1,500-2,500 m a.s.l. Flight period: June to July. Host plant (Shchetkin, 1981): Ligularici thomsonii.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. Melitaea didyma, M. dta, M. ninae, M. enarea: male genitalia different).

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