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LEPIDOPTERA

Karanasa straminea Bogdanov, 1997
Karanasa straminea Bogdanov, 1997

· DESCRIPTION. Male (Holotype). FW length 21 mm (19-23 mm in the series). FW apex pointed, wing appearing triangular, dorsum and termen being almost equal in length. UPS ground colour dark brown, sometimes dark chestnut; base and costa somewhat lightened, pale coloration being not intensive and almost absent in some specimens. Postdiscal band very strongly contrasting, sharply outlined, irregularly serrate outwardly, its inner margin being even, considerably narrowed at vein M3; its colour uniform straw-yellow, with slight tawny suffusion outside the anal ocellus. Postdiscal ocelli large, black, centred with faint white dots or sometimes blind, almost equal-sized in all specimens, except for one paratype in which the anal ocellus is reduced. Fringes whitish, more rarely grey, contrastingly chequered by dark brown at veins and divided throughout by a fine dark brown line. HW rounded; UPH dark brown, slightly paler at base and along dorsum. Postdiscal band with inner margin even and outer margin dentate; its colour straw-yellow like of UPF, slightly darkened along outer margin. Outer field between band and margin slightly dusted yellowish along veins. Fringes almost white. Androconial scales absent.

The male genitalia are similar to those of K. decolorata, K. josephi and K. incerta and seem to have no diagnostic importance.

Female. FW length 24-25 mm. FW produced, apex rounded. UPS pattern and colour as in male, but markings less strongly contrasting and general appearance more dull. Postdiscal ocelli often blind. HW and fringes as in male. UNS in both sexes similar to that of other Karanasa species. Antennae grey-brown above, whitish beneath. Head, thorax and abdomen grey-brown, densely covered with reddish hairs.

· RANGE. Confined to the Vanchsky Mts.

· HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Stony and steppe-clad slopes at 3,500-3,700 m a.s.l. Flight period: July-August.

· SIMILAR SPECIES. K. incerta: smaller; fringes darker. K. pamira: larger; postdiscal band uniform ochreous-yellow or brownish. K. decolorata grumi: larger; all UPS markings less strongly contrasting; male with an androconial field.

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