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LEPIDOPTERA

Parnassius cardinal
Parnassius cardinal cardinal Grum - Grshimailo, 1887

· TYPE LOCALITY."Flecken Tuptschek und an den Fuss des Kara-Schar (uber 20,000 Fuss)" [Plateau Tupchek, upper reaches of Kara-Shara River, Peter I Mts., Tajikistan].
· RANGE. Darvaz and Badahshan (N. Afghanistan).
· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. In Tajikistan, the species is confined to the western parts of the Peter I and Darvazsky Mts., where it is represented by the nominate subspecies. There is a partial geographical overlap with P. staudingeri inaccessibilis which is, however, isolated ecologically, flying in different habitats at about 4,000 m a.s.l.
· HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Occurring locally in the zone of high-montane meadows (3,000-3,600 In a.s.l.). In the Peter I Mts., it is associated with humid high-grass meadows altering in a mosaic-like way with steep clayey and stony slopes. In the Darvazsky Mts., it prefers dry stony slopes supporting a steppe-like vegetation. Flight period: June-July. Host plant: Corydalis ledebouriana.
· SIMILAR SPECIES. P. staudingeri -. HW red spots smaller and not connected with each other.



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