Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Diurna)
of the Katunskii mountain range, Central Altai.
O.E.Kosterin
Actias. Russian Journal for Scientific Lepidopterology.
1994 - Vol. 1 - No 1-2 - p. 45-76.
Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Division of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue 10, 630090
Novosibirsk, Russia.
KEY WORDS: butterflies, the Altai Mts., the Katunskii mt. range,
biotope specificity, Boloria Moore s.str.
ABSTRACT. Based on the collections and observations made by the
author in 1985-1988 in different sites on the Katunskii mt. range, as
well as the collections preserved in the Zoological Museum of the
Biological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of
Sciences, Novosibirsk, an annotated list is compiled including 127
butterfly species. Besides, 14 species collected in neighbouring
territories are regarded as possibly occurring on the range. For each
species all the collected materials are mentionned with a
specification of the sites and altitudes. For the majority of species
their biotopic distribution is characterized, in several cases some
other ecological peculiarities are described. The work starts with a
brief description of geography and vegetation of the study area, a
short review of conventional ecological groups of butterflies is given
in the epilogue.
(A Russian resume is placed at the end of a document)
Abbreviations: F.i. - feeding of imagines was observed on..., V.D.-
[collected by] V.V.Dubatolov; I.L. - [collected by] I.I.Lyubechanskii;
# - male; $ - female.
Although the butterfly fauna of Altai in general is studied quite
sufficiently [Elwes, 1899; Shtandel, 1957; Korshunov, 1978], data
concerning Central Altai are rather scant. This communication puts on
record observations and collections made by the author while
participating in the work of the Altai Floristic Team of the Central
Siberian Botanical Garden of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Siberian
Division, Novosibirsk [ЦСБС СО АН СССР], which explored the range in
1985-1988.
The Katunskii mt. range [Катунский хребет]( or the "Katunskie
Belki" [Катунские Белки] mt. range) is situated in the most elevated
part of the Altai-Sayan Mountain System. It includes the highest
summit of Siberia, i.e. Mt. Belukha [г. Белуха] (4,506 m above the sea
level), its massif being a powerful centre of recent glacier
formation. The range is characterized by the complete set of
altitudinal belts of vegetation expressed in the Altai-Sayan Mountain
System, from desertificated steppes to the nival zone [Kuminova, 1960;
Sedelnikov, 1988]. Since the range is latitudinally oriented, the
amount of precipitation decreases eastward and in line with this the
vegetation belts undergo certain elevation. For this reason, in the
brief description given below, the average altitudes of the respective
belts are specified. The vegetation is described according to
A.V.Kuminova [1960] and, for high-mountain zone, to B.P.Sedelnikov
[1988].
The steppe belt is fragmentarily represented by the so-called rocky
steppes on southern slopes. Patches of these steppes go up to 1,500 m
and acquire a meadowy nature with altitude. In the lower reaches of
the Akkem [Аккем] river, being overgrazed by sheep, these steppes
become desertified. As a rule, the western and eastern slopes are
covered by thickets of bushes, mostly Caragana arborescens Lam., C.
pygmaea (L.) DC., Spiraea chamaedrifolia L., Rosa acicularis Lindl.,
Cotoneaster melanocarpus Fisch. ex Blytt. The large intermontane
hollows adjacent to the range, i.e. Uimonskaya and Katandinskaya
[Уймонская и Катандинская котловины] from the north, and Samakha
[Самаха] - from the east, originally were also covered by steppes, but
at present they are almost completely used for agricultural purposes.
The rivers descending from the northern main slope of the range
have well developed terrace systems in their lower flows. These
terraces, as well as the terraces of the Katun [Катунь] river at the
northern margin of the range, are covered by meadow or steppe
vegetation, from mesophilous meadows on the lower terraces to meadow
steppes on the upper ones, sometimes - by larch (Larix sibirica
Ledeb.) parkland with a steppe-like field layer.
The forest belt is well developed on the northern main slope,
ranging from the Katun banks (about 900 m alt.) to 2,000 m at the
western and 2,200 m at the eastern ends of the range. On the southern
main slope, the forest belt is narrower, or, in the upper reaches of
the Katun, even fragmentary, allowing intergradation of the steppen
and subalpine vegetation. Forests cover a typical water erosion relief
where numerous streams have narrow gorges and the slopes are very
steep. In its lower part, the belt is represented by mixed larch/birch
(Betula pendula Roth.) forests, with Spiraea predominating in a dense
understorey. Besides, stripes of riparian spruce (Picea obovata
Ledeb.) forest are stretched along river banks, and, in the valleys of
the Akkem and the Nizhnii Kuragan [Нижний Кураган] rivers, patches of
aspen wood (Populus tremula L.) are present. With altitude, the share
of birch decreases while that of conifers trees. In the lower part of
the forest belt the conifers are mostly represented by the larch with
participation of the fir (Abies sibirica Ledeb.) and the Siberian
stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour). With altitude, the share of the
pine grows and the spruce appears, so that at 1,500-1,800 m a.s.l.
there are areas of a typical dark-needle taiga, with the spruce
predominating. In the Akkem valley the dark taiga-needle forms a
contiguous belt. The siberian stone pine becomes a dominant at
1,800-2,000 m where its pure stands are frequent. Lonicera altaica
Pall. ex DC. dominates in the undergrowth there, locally Betula
fruticosa Pall. is also very abundant. Approximately above 1,600 m
large stoned screes and stony rivers - "kurums" [курумы] become
common, with a characteristic set of plant species. At the same
altitudes, numerous natural openings appear which are covered with
long forb meadows, which gradually acquire a subalpine nature with
altitude.
Siberian stone pine or larch subalpine parklands form the upper
limits of the forest belt. They alternate with subalpine meadows.
These are polydominant or with dominance of either Anthriscus
sylvestris (L.) Hoffm., Saussuraea latifolia Ledeb., Rhaponticum
carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin, Veratrum lobelianum Bernh., or Geranium
albiflorum Ledeb. In the eastern part of the range, the subalpine belt
is poorly developed, alpine vegetation contacting with the forest belt
mostly through larch parklands with the dwarf birch (Betula
rotundifolia Spach.) thickets in the undergrowth layer.
Transition between subalpine and alpine belts (subalpinotypic and
mountain tunda belts, according to V.P.Sedelnikov [1988]) lies at
2,000 m (e.g. at Lake Nizhnee Akkemskoe) to 2,300 m (e.g. at the Katun
sources). This usually coincides with the drop of declivity at the
bottom of numerous cirques of glacial origin, where long-forb
subalpine (subalpinotypic) meadows are replaced by short-forb alpine
(alpinotypic) meadows, mainly with the dominance of Aquilegia
glandulosa Fisch. ex Link, Dracocephalum grandiflorum L., Trollius
altaicus C.A.Mey., or Polygonum bistorta L., while the slopes (mostly
northern) are covered by a winter snow levelled dwarf birch tundra.
Approximately at the same altitudes, elevated fragments arrear of the
ancient denudation peneplain, which border the alpine part of the
range and occupy a substantial area in its eastern and, especially,
western part. These smoothly waved surfaces are covered by a dwarf
birch tundra with fragmentary alpine meadows. The other tundra types,
namely that formed by Dryas oxyodonta Juz., as well as grassy, lichen,
and detritous tundras, are developed at 2,400-2,600 m. In the eastern
part of the range, the tundras formed by Kobresia myosuroides (Vill.)
Fiori et Paol. are frequent. (They become very common on the ranges
east of the studied one). At greater altitudes, the higher plants
(e.g. Rhodiola quadrifida (Pall.) Fisch. et Mey., Salix berberifolia
Pall., Saxifraga sibirica L. etc.) are very sparse on screes and rocks
free of perennial snow.
In the upper reaches of the Katun river, the subalpine meadows with
dominance of Anthriscus sylvestris are developed up to 2,200 m, while
the tundra belt is scarcely represented. So, the transition to the
nival zone above 2,700-2,800 m goes through the chionophilic
alpinotypic meadows [Sedelnikov, 1988] with dominance of Ranunculus
altaicus Laxm., Sibbaldia procumbens L., Callianthemum sajanense
(Regel) Witas.
In wide and flat valleys of the upper flow of the Katun river, the
Belaya Berel [Белая Берель] and, to some extent, the Koksu [Коксу]
rivers, at 1,600-1,800 m, sedge marshes and tussock wet meadows with
more or less dense bushes of Pentaphylloides fruticosa (L.) O.Schwarz
are developed. Besides, sedge, cottongrass, or moss marshes, as well
as boggy thickets of Betula rotundifolia and Salix glauca L. are
frequent along lake and river banks within the alpine zone.
The detailed description of the vegetation of the Katunskii range,
as well as the full list of the plant species recorded, can be found
in the work by the head of our expeditions I.A.Artyomov [1993].
The sites are enumerated below where the observations and
collections were made. Each site is assigned with a conventional name
given in capital letters in brackets. The sites are shown in a map
(Fig.1). In July 1985, the team worked in the valley of the Akkem
River: in alpine zone around the Akkem lakes, at 2,000-2,500 m (UPPER
AKKEM), and in the valley of the Yarlu [Ярлу] stream, being a right
confluent of the Akkem river, at2,050-2,500 m (YARLU); in the
dark-needle taiga belt, at about 1,600 m (MIDDLE AKKEM); and in the
lower part of the Akkem valley 8-10 km upstream of its confluence with
the Katun (LOWER AKKEM). In August 1985, the eastern part of the range
was explored: the sources of the Zaichyonok [Зайч\нок] river in an
elevated ancient peneplain, at 2,000-2,500 m (ZAICHYONOK), and the
Katun right bank near the Agafonikha [Агафониха] stream (AGAFONIKHA).
In July 1986, the valley of the Nizhnii Kuragan was studied: the
environs of the lakes in the upper reaches, at 1,700-2,500 m (UPPER
KURAGAN), an old burnt-over area of the junction of the Nizhnii
Kuragan and Karairy [Карайры] rivers, at 1,400 m (KARAIRY); a narrow
taiga-clad gorge of the Eshtu [Ешту] stream, at 1,200 m, (ESHTU); the
vicinity of the Gromotukha [Громотуха] stream where the mixed forest
alternates with large openings on the Nizhnii Kuragan alluvial plain,
at 1,100 m (GROMOTUKHA); steppefied and mesophilous meadows on the
banks of Nizhnii Kuragan near its mouth, at 950 m (LOWER KURAGAN). In
July 1987, we explored the upper reaches of the Katun and Belaya Berel
rivers: the valley of the Kapchal [Капчал] river, at 1,800-2,500 m
(KAPCHAL); a subalpine parkland in the low interfluve of the Katun and
Belaya Berel rivers near the Altyn-Bulak [Алтын-Булак] brook, at 1,700
m (ALTYN-BULAK). The source of the Katun at Gebler glacier, at 1,800 m
(KATUN SOURCE), the Eleshchadyr [Елешчадыр] brook at the right bank of
the Katun with a larch parkland, 1,700 m (ELESHCHADYR), and the valley
of Belaya Berel river at the same altitude (BEREL) were also visited.
At the junction of the ranges Katunskii and Listvyaga [Листвяга] the
environs of the waterfall at the Yazovaya [Язовая] river several km
south of Lake Yazovoe [Язовое], at 1,600 m, the dark-needle taiga belt
(WATERFALL), and the surroundings of the Yazovka village [Язовка] at
the junction of the Yazovaya and Belaya Berel (YAZOVKA) were examined.
(The three latter sites belong to Kazakhstan). In July 1988, the works
were carried out in the eastern part of the range: in the forest belt
at the right bank of the Koksu [Коксу] river a few km upstream from
its junction with the Argut [Аргут] river, at 1,600 m (KOKSU); and at
the highland sources of the Argem [Аргем] river (this name is used by
the local population while the map gives the name Direntay
[Дирентай]), at 2,200-2,500 m (ARGEM), and in the valley of its
anonimous right confluent, at 2,200-2,500 m (CONFLUENT OF ARGEM).
Some sites adjacent to the studied range were also visited: in 1985
and 1986, the left Katun bank and the southern foot of the
Terektinskii range [Теректинский хребет] near the Tyungur [Тюнгур]
village, at 900 m (TYUNGUR); and in 1988, the Step Samakha
intermontane hollow at the junction of the Koksu and the Argut, 1,600
m (SAMAKHA)
According to the collector's kind permission, this paper uses also
materials taken in the Katunskii range by V.V.Dubatolov, its
collection being kept at the Zoological Museum of the Biological
Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Division (BI SO
RAN), Novosibirsk, and referred to hereafter as "V.D.", and by
I.I.Lyubechanskii, his personal collection, indicated as "I.L".
V.V.Dubatolov collected in the valley of the Nizhnii Kuragan
river7-8 km upstream from its junction with the Katun, at 1,000 m
(KURAGAN), and in the vicinity of the sources of the Bertkem [Берткем]
stream situated between the valleys of the Nizhnii Kuragan and the
Kucherla [Кучерла] rivers, 8-10 km SE of the Katanda [Катанда]
village, at 2,000-2,500 m (BERTKEM). Besides, he has thoroughly
explored the southern foot of the Terektinskii range, 7 km west of
Katanda (see Fig.1, site 7) where some species appeared to be abundant
which were captured on the Katunskii range by few several specimens.
Such cases will be mentionned in the species list. I.I.Lyubechanskii
has studied the surroundings of Lake Talmene [Тальменье озеро], at
1,300 m (TALMENE); he also visited the lakes Nizhnee Multinskoe
[Нижнее Мультинское], at 1,600 m (LOWER MULTA), and Srednee [Среднее]
Multinskoe, at 1,700 m (MIDDLE MULTA). Besides, several specimens
collected by other persons preserved in the Museum are also
mentionned.
The list of the butterflies species found on the Katunskii mt.
range, with a specification of all the collected materials and a brief
characterization of their biotopic preferences (and some other notes)
is given below. The absence of a reference to the altitude implies
that it is specified above in the site list. The author's collection
is now also kept at the Zoological Museum of BI SO RAN.
List of butterfly species of the Katunskii mt. range.
1. Spialia orbifer (H1bner, 1823).
Several individuals were met with in the lower reaches of the Akkem
river on a wet ground near a brook at the edge of a mixed forest.
Materials: KURAGAN, steppe slope, 15.VII.1983, 1 specimen, V.D.;
LOWER AKKEM, 1,040 m, 21.VII.1985, 1#.
2. Syrichtus tessellum (H1bner, 1802).
It occurs at low altitudes (up to 1,600 m in the Koksu valley) on
meadows, including steppe meadows.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, 1,100 m,
26.VII. 1985, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 1#; 25.VII.1988, 1$.
3. Pyrgus malvae (Linnaeus, 1758).
An individual was observed near the Yazovka village on 1.VII.1987
on a steppe meadow on southern slope, 1,200 m.
4. Pyrgus alveus (H1bner, 1830).
The species was found twice: YARLU: a small subalpine meadow in an
open Siberian stone pine/ larch forest, at 2,150 m, 7.VII.1985, 1#;
KOKSU: a bluff of an overgrazed river terrace, 26.VII.1988, 1#.
5. Pyrgus centaureae (Rambur, 1839).
Recently (Devyatkin, 1990) (Fig.2) it has been shown that two
similar sympatric species inhabit Altai: Pyrgus centaureae and
P.sibiricus (Reverdin, 1911). Both species seem to have similar
ecological standards, as in several sites they were collected
simultaneously. I failed to distinguish them in the field, so I can
only say that the skippers of either of the two species were quite
common in the upper reaches of the Katun (in 1987) and Argem (in 1988)
rivers, however, in the valleys of the Argem and Kuragan no specimen
was met with. The skippers were found in the tundra belt, occurring
even near perennial snow above 2,500 m. Most frequently they flew in
dwarf birch tundras and chionophilic alpinotypic meadows (either
polydominant or with dominance of Sibbaldia procumbens or Ranunculus
altaicus). They were recorded also on alpine meadows with Aquilegia
glandulosa in the valleys of small springs, but were not found below
2,000 m. These butterflies have a habit to sit on wet ground or moss
at the edges of melting snow patches. F.i.: Lagotis integrifolia
(Willd.) Schischk.
Materials: BERTKEM, tundra, 2,300 m, 13.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.;
KAPCHAL, 2,000 m, 11.VII.1985, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,100 m,
14.VII.1988, 1#; 2,200 m, 20.VII.1988, 1$.
6. Pyrgus sibiricus (Reverdin, 1911) (Fig.3).
Materials: ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m, 10.VIII.1985, 1$; CONFLUENT OF
ARGEM, 2,400 m, 12.VII.1988, 1$; 2,400 m, 20.VII.1988, 1#; 2,200 m,
20.VII.1988, 1$.
7. Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas, 1771).
It is a characteristic species of the forest belt, flying on forest
meadows on openings, in open forests and at river banks. It also
penetrates to subalpine belt where it was met with twice, in both
cases - on a brook bank on southern slopes: on a short-forb meadow and
on a long-forb subalpine meadow with dominance of Anthriscus
sylvestris.
Materials: YAZOVKA, 1,200 m, 1.VII.1987, 1#; KAPCHAL, 1,800 m,
14.VII.1987, 1#; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,150 m, 17.VII.1988, 1#
8. Carterocephalus silvicolus (Meigen, 1829).
Like the previous species, this one is common in the forest belt on
forest meadows.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#; 24.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; MIDDLE
AKKEM, 1,800 m, 10.VII.1985, 1#; 1,600 m, 16.VII.1985, 2#, 1$;
YAZOVKA, 1,200 m, 1.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 14.VII.1987, 2#;
LOWER MULTA, 1,630 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#; I.L.; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14
VII.1991, 1#, 1$; 16.VII.1991, 1$, I.L..
9. Thymelicus lineola (Ochsencheimer, 1802).
This species is very common on steppe meadows and steppes, thus
occurring mostly on southern slopes at low levels.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 26.VII.1985, 1#; AGAFONIKHA, 25.VIII.1985,
1#.
10. Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758).
Probably owing to its relatively late flying period, this species
was observed only thrice: on 11.VIII.1985 on an Aquilegia alpine
meadow (ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m), on 25.VIII.1985 - on a shingle bank of
the Katun river (AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m), and on 24.VII.1986 on a steppe
meadow at the mouth of the Nizhnii Kuragan river(1,000 m, 1$). F.i.:
Solidago dahurica Kitag., Crepis tectorum L.
11. Ochlodes faunus (Turati, 1950).
I have observed a single individual on a forest meadow (at 1,600 m)
in the Yazovaya valley on 17.VII.1987.
Materials: KURAGAN; 6.VII.1983, 1#, G.S.Zolotarenko; TALMENE, 1520
m, 18.VII.1991, 1#, I.L..
12. Parnassius phoebus (Fabricius, 1793) (Fig.4).
This is the most abundant representative of the genus Parnassius
in the studyregion. It is most common at the junction of subalpine and
alpine meadows where one can observe a large number of males flying
just above the forb in a sunny weather. Along stream valleys, where
its larval food plant Rhodiola rosea L. grows, Parnassius phoebus
reaches 2,500 m altitude, but apparently avoids tundra biotopes. At
the same time, it frequently occurs at much lower altitudes in the
forest belt, usually at large rocks accompanied by small meadows, as
it was observed at the Nizhnii Kuragan and Yazovaya valleys. In the
former valley, these butterflies were also common on old burnt-over
areas as low as 1,100 m. At the foot of the Terektinskii range,
southern in exposure, several individuals were met with even at steppe
slopes at 1,100 m. F.i.: various brightly-flowering plants: Scorzonera
radiata Fisch. et Ledeb., Aster alpinus L., Ligularia sibirica (L.)
Cass., Sajania monstrosa (Willd. ex C.Spreng.) M.Pimen. etc. The
latter plant is the most attractive for all butterfly species, so it
appears to be almost the only plant visited by butterflies on the
alpine meadows where it grows .
In 1985, the first males of Parnassius phoebus were observed on
July 7-9th. In 1986, when all the phenological phenomena took place
earlier, the species was already abundant in the beginning of July. At
the sources of the Zaichyonok, the small apollo flew in great numbers
until the end of our observations on 18.VIII.1985. On 19.VII.1988, a
caterpillar of this species was found on a plant of Rhodiola rosea
growing on a rock in the Argem valley, at 2,400 m, while in the same
site numerous imagines of the same species were flying. This
individual probably was extraordinarily belated.
Materials: BERTKEM, 9.VII.1983, 1#, Jukka Jalava (Zoological Museum
of the University of Helsinki); YARLU, 2,500 m, 7.VII.1985, 1#; 2,150
m, 8.VIII.1985, 1#; UPPER AKKEM, 2,050 m, 9.VII.1985, 1#; ZAICHYONOK,
2,000 m, 11.VIII.1985, 1#; 1,800 m, 14.VIII.1985, 7#, 1$;
18.VIII.1985, 1#; TYUNGUR: 1,100 m, 1.VII.1986, 1#, 1$; GROMOTUKHA,
3.VII.1986, 1#; KARAIRY, 6.VII.1986, 1#; UPPER KURAGAN, 2,000 m,
12.VII.1986, 4#, 1$; KATUN SOURCE, 1,800 m, 9.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL,
1.VII.1986, 1#, 1$; ALTYN-BULAK, 20.VII.1987, 1$; 22.VII.1987, 1#,
CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 12.VII.1988, 2#; 14.VII.1988, 1#; 2,000
m, 20.VII. 1988, 1#; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 7#, 1$; LOWER MULTA,
1,630 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.; a mountain in the surroundings of Lake
Talmene, 1,900 m, 19.VII.1991, 1#, 1$, I.L.
13. Parnassius nomion Fischer von Waldheim, 1823 (Fig. 5).
It is a common species of rocky southern slopes. It was also found
on a steppe meadow at the mouth of the Nizhnii Kuragan river where,
however, Sedum hybridum L. grew, being certainly a larval food plant
of this species. The flight period starts approximately about July
10th; scarce worn-out individuals were observed at the mouth of the
Agafonikha stream until 26.VIII.1985.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,040 m, 21.VII.1985, 1#; 1,200 m,
26.VII.1985, 2#; KOKSU, 25.VII.1988, 1#, 1$.
14. Parnassius apollo (Linnaeus, 1758) (Fig.6).
This species resembles the previous one in ecology and abundance
but is less strictly confined to southern slopes and more easy
penetrates to terrace steppe and mesophilous meadows, it is also
common on bushy slopes. These butterflies were observed even in the
streets of the Tyungur village. The maximal recorded altitude is 1,600
m (the Yazovaya valley). In 1986, the flight period started in the
very beginning of July. F.i. of this an the previous species: plants
with large and bright inflorescences: Crepis sibirica L., Achillea
millefolium L., Filipendula vulgaris L., Thymus serpyllum L. s.l.,
Allium nutans L. etc.
Materials: KURAGAN, 24.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, 1,040 m,
21.VII.1985, 2#, 1$; 1,200 m, 26.VII.1985, 2#; AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m,
25.VIII.1985, 1$; LOWER KURAGAN, 23.VII.1986, 1#; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988,
1#; 25.VII.1988, 1#; a mountain in the surroundings of Lake Talmene,
1,950 m, 16.VII.1991, 1#, 1$, I.L.
15. Parnassius eversmanni M2n2tri3s in Siemaschko, 1850.
It was observed by V.V.Dubatolov in the beginning of the flight
period on July 12-14th, 1983, at 2,400 m on the outer southern slope
of the cirque of the sourse of the Bertkem river. The slope was
overgrown by Juniperus sp. and Betula rotundifolia.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,500 m, 13.VII.1983, 1#, 2$, V.D. and
J.Jalava.
16. Parnassius ariadne Lederer, 1853.
Over the territory of the range, this species was met twice: a male
was caught at the steppen south slope above Yazovka, and a female
feeding on a flowering Aquilegia sibirica Lam. was observed in an old
open Pinus sibirica forest in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley near the
Gromotukha stream on 3.VII.1986. The latter biotope seems to be
unusual for the species, as the observations made on 1.VII.1986 on the
southern slope of the Terektinskii range (about 1 km east of Tyungur)
suggest a different, and a very strict, ecological standard. The
butterflies were found there in abundance at 1,300 m at a rather
narrow belt of steep steppe slope, southern in exposure, just under a
ledge covered by a stripe of open larch forest, almost at its edge. On
a neighbouring, less steppefied south-west slope, no individual was
observed. Butterflies of both sexes flew just above the grass. They
sat very rarely and only on the flowers of Dracocephalum nutans L. or,
less frequently, D. ruyschiana L., ignoring other flowers.
Parnassius ariadne was also very abundant 7 km west of Katanda,
V.D. The habitat of the species at Yazovka coincided with the one
described in detail.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 1,300 m, 1.VII.1986, 3#, 1$; YAZOVKA, 1,300 m,
1.VII.1987, 1#.
17. Papilio machaon (Linnaeus, 1758).
Individuals of this species can be met with in all the altitudinal
belts. In highlands, the machaon was observed on 7.VII.1985 on a
tundrous divide between two right confluents of the Akkem river, at
2,500 m; and on 15.VII.1988 in the valley of the Argem confluent, at
2,200 m. In the forest belt, it can be found on forest meadows on
openings and near large rocks disturbing tree canopy. At low
altitudes, it is more frequent on meadows and steppen slopes.
Sometimes the butterflies are found simultaneously with the
caterpillars, this being accounted for the longevity of adults. Four
larvae of the last instar were found on 24.VII.1986 on Anthriscus
sylvestris on a forest meadow in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley, at 1,100
m; one larva of the last instar on 25.VII.1988 on Seseli condensatum
(L.) Reichenb. Fil. on the eastern slope of the Koksu valley.
Materials: BERTKEM, 12.VII.1983, 1$, A.V.Barkalov; CONFLUENT OF
ARGEM, 2,200 m, 15.VII.1988, 1$; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 19.VII.1991, 3#,
I.L.
18. Leptidea morsei (Fenton, 1881).
Materials: WATERFALL, a forest meadow on a glade, 1,600 m,
15.VII.1987, 1#.
19. Leptidea sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758).
A common species occurring (probably together with the previous
one) on forest meadows and at brooks in the forest belt and
penetrating into subalpine meadows and the meadows of southern slopes,
river terraces and larch parklands.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 1#; KAPCHAL, 1,800 m, 4.VII.1987,
2#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 15.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 2#;
TALMENE; 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 2#, I.L.
20. Aporia crataegi (Linnaeus, 1758).
A mass species of low and moderate altitudes in great numbers
penetrating into the alpine and even tundra belts.
Materials: KURAGAN; 6.VII.1983, 1#, G.S.Zolotarenko; UPPER AKKEM,
1,800 m, 4.VII.1985, 1#; 7.VII.1985, 1#; TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1986, 1$;
KAPCHAL, 1,800 m, 4.VII.1987, 2#; KOKSU, 1,600, 11.VII.1988, 1#;
TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
21. Anthocharis cardamines (Linnaeus, 1758).
It resembles Leptidea spp. in habitat preference, being common in
the forest belt and meadows of lower altitudes. It was also abundant
in the subalpine belt in the upper Katun basin in 1987. This butterfly
obviously tends to inhabit river and brook banks.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM: 1,100 m, 27.VII.1985, 1#; ESHTU,
3.VII.1986, 1#; KAPCHAL, 1,700 m, 11.VII.1987, 1#.
22. Euchloe ausonia (H1bner, 1799) (Fig.7).
This specoes was found only in the upper reaches of the Katun
(including the Kapchal) and in the eastern part of the range, being
quite common there. In the former region, the butterflies ranged from
forest meadows to alpine ones (from 1,600 to 2,300 m) but they were
especially abundant on subalpine meadows, tending to inhabit brooks,
like the previous species. On the eastern spurs of the range, they
were abundant in the subalpine belt at 2,000-2,200 m. Besides, on
11.VII.1988 several specimens were found at the bank of the Koksu
river at 1,600 m on steppe meadows on southeastern slopes where they
flew together with such steppen species as Colias chrysotheme and
Boeberia parmenio. In the Katun basin, the species finished flying on
July 20ths; in the Koksu basin, they continued flying well over July
in highland but were absent from the Koksu banks as early as on
16.VII.1988. F.i.: Lathyrus gmelinii Fritsch., Geranium albiflorum.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,300 m, 12.VII.1983, 1#; 13.VII.1983, 1#;
14.VII.1983, 1$ (V. D.); KAPCHAL, 1,700 m, 3.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; 2,300
m, 10.VII.1987, 1#; KATUN SOURCE, 1,800 m, 9.VII.1987, 1$;
ALTYN-BULAK, 1,700 m, 13.VII.1987, 2#, 1$; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
11.VII.1988, 1#, 2$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,000 m, 12.VII.1988, 1#;
2,200 m, 14.VII.1988, 2$; 21.VII.1988, 1#.
23. Euchloe creusa (Doubleday, 1847) ssp. orientalis (Bremer,
1844).
The only female was found flying over the road crossing a forest
meadow at a large glade near the waterfall at the Yazovaya river, at
1,600 m, on 15.VII.1986. This species was considered to range westward
up to the Sayans and has not been yet reported from the Altai Mts.
[Korshunov, 1985b; Belyaev, 1986].
24. Pontia edusa (Fabricius, 1777) (= Pontia daplidice auct. non
Linnaeus, 1758).
Pontia edusa is most common at low altitudes in the man-affected
landscapes (near roads and villages), but flies also on steppe
southern slopes. Besides, it was frequent in subalpine parklands at
the Altyn-Bulak, and in the Argem confluent valley a specimen was
caught on alpine meadow at 2,200 m, whereas A.Kravchenko has collected
a male on the moraine of the Akkem glacier at the altitude of about
2,400 m!
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 3.VII.1985, 1#; AGAFONIKHA, 9.VII.1985, 1#;
YAZOVKA, 1,200 m, 1.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL 1,600 m, 18.VII.1987, 1#;
ALTYN-BULAK, 1,650 m, 21.VII.1987, 1#; 23.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; SAMAKHA,
9.VII.1988, 1$; 10.VII.1988, 1$; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 1#, 1$;
21.VII.1988, 1#; 25.VII.1988, 2#; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m,
11.VII.1988, 1#; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 17.VII.1991, 1#; 19.VII.1991, 1#,
I.L.; UPPER AKKEM, the moraine of the Akkem glacier, about 2,400 m,
12.VIII.1993, 1# (A.Yu.Kravchenko).
25. Synchloe callidice (H1bner, 1805).
Males were observed by V.V.Dubatolov on asouthern tundra slope (at
2,500 m) 3 km south of the Bertkem cirque on July 12th and 13th, 1983;
a male was caught at the sources of the Nizhnii Kuragan river on an
alpine meadow at 2,200 m; several males were observed at the sources
of the Kapchal river at 2,500 m. One of them flew over the top of a
crest which had just become free of snow. Several minutes after it had
been captured another male appeared over this top. Probably the males
occupy such relief maxima and exclude other individuals.
Unexpectedly, a female was met with beyond the tundra belt on the
forest meadow near the Yazovaya waterfall, at 1,600 m, it fed on the
flowers of Crepis sibirica.
Materials: UPPER KURAGAN, 12.VII.1986, 1#; KAPCHAL, 2,500 m,
11.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 15.VII.1987, 1$.
26. Pieris napi (Linnaeus, 1758).
This is the most numerous pierid species of both the forest belt
and highlands. It flies on terrace meadows, forest meadows on
openings, at river banks, on subalpine (where it is especially
abundant) and alpine meadows up to 2,500 m. The specimens collected
are very heterogeneous in coloration and might belong to several taxa
into which P. napi is now being split.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,200 m, 11.VII.1983, 1#; 12.VII.1983, 4#. 1$,
V.D.; 2,400 m, 12.VII.1983, 1$, A.V.Barkalov; 2,200 m, 13.VII.1983,
2#, 4$; 14.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1$; 24.VII.1983,
1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, 21.VII.1985, 2#; 28.VII.1985, 1#; ZAICHYONOK,
1,600 m, 18.VIII. 1985, 1#; GROMOTUKHA, 21.VII.1986, 1#; YAZOVKA 1,200
m, 1.VII.1987, 1$; KAPCHAL, 1,700 m, 3.VII.1987, 1$; 4.VII.1987, 1#,
1$, 2,100 m, 5.VII.1987, 1#; 2,300 m, 10.VII.1987, 1$; WATERFALL,
1,600 m, 15.VII.1987, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 3$; 25.
VII.1988, 1#, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,100 m, 12.VII.1988, 2#, 1$;
14.VII.1988, 1#; 17.VII. 1988, 1#; LOWER MULTA, 1,630 m, 9.VII.1991,
1#, 1$, I.L.; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 3#, 1$, I.L.
27. Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758).
This species rarely occurs at low altitudes.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 2nd terrace, 1,100 m, 30.VII.1985, 1#;
KOKSU, a road in a larch forest, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 1#.
28. Colias hyale (Linnaeus, 1758).
This generally synantropic species is common on steppe and
overgrazed meadows in the lower parts of the river valleys. Twice it
has been found at about 1,600 m: in Step Samakha and over the road
crossing a forest meadow in the Yazovaya valley.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 1#; AGAFONIKHA, 25.VIII.1985, 1$;
YAZOVKA, 1,200 m, 1.VII.1987, 1#; SAMAKHA; 10.VII.1988, 1#.
29. Colias palaeno (Linnaeus, 1758).
Colias palaeno was observed only in the Koksu valley: on a bushy
opening in a spruce/larch forest at a brook (1,700 m, 12.VII.1988,
1$); in an open larch forest (1,600 m, 24.VII.1988, 1$); and at the
border of a larch forest and a steppen slope (1,600 m, 26.VII.1988,
1#).
30. Colias chrysotheme (Esper, 1781).
The species was observed only in the Koksu valley on July 9th-10th
1988; in Step Samakha on steppe as well as on irrigated fields, and on
southern steppe slopes, often overgrazed, at the same altitude of
1,600 m. It was quite abundant. The males swiftly flew over the
ground, females usually got into the air being disturbed. When this
region was revisited 16.VII.1988, these butterflies were already
absent. F.i.: Brassica sp., Aster alpinus.
Materials: SAMAKHA, 10.VII.1988, 1#; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 1#, 1$.
31. Colias mongola Alpheraky, 1897 (Fig.8).
The species was met with once (20.VII.1988), on a crest dividing
two sources of the Argem river, as high as at 2,780 m. The detritous
tundra covering the crest contained very few sparsely growing higher
plant species: Festuca kryloviana Reverd., Salix berberifolia,
Saxifraga sibirica L., Dracocephalum discolor Bunge, Oxytropis
oligantha Bunge, etc., the latter probably could be a larval food
plant for Colias mongola. The day was rainy, but just after the sun
had appeared for a short time about a dozen of butterflies of both
sexes started flying low above the ground. Sometimes they sat for a
while on the lee side of the crest. After the sun disappeared, all
they sat down immovable.
Materials: 4#, 1$.
32. Colias tyche Boeber, 1812 (Fig.9).
Colias tyche was found twice: on subalpine meadows in a Pinus
sibirica/Larix sibirica parkland on the southern slope of the Yarlu
valley, 2,100 m, and on meadowy slopes on the Koksu left bank, 1,600
m. F.i.: Ligularia sibirica.
Materials: YARLU, 7.VII.1985, 2#, 1$; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 2#.
33. Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758).
It was observed in the Kapchal valley on subalpine meadows with the
last larch trees, 1,700 m.
34. Nordmannia prunoides (Staudinger, 1887).
This species occurs at low altitudes, mostly at southern slopes and
tends to occur near bushes, as the larvae of this species develop on
Spiraea (V.V.Dubatolov, personal communication). A specimen was also
met with at the Katun bank at an edge of a mixed wood.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,200 m, 22.VII.1985, 1#; 26.VII.1985, 1#;
AGAFONIKHA, 23.VIII.1985, 1 specimen.
35. Heodes virgaureae (Linnaeus, 1758).
It was recorded on meadows on the Katun banks (at 900-1,000 m) and
on the bank of the Nizhnii Kuragan river near its mouth, from the end
of June to the end of August, the species was also found on a wet
meadow on the Koksu bank at 1,600 m.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 1$; AGAFONIKHA, 25.VIII.1985, 1#,
1$.
36. Heodes hippothoe (Linnaeus, 1761).
This species was common on alpine and short-forb subalpine meadows
at the basins of the sources of the Zaichyonok, Nizhnii Kuragan and
Katun rivers (in the latter region it also occurred in subalpine
parklands), but was not found in the Akkem (probably due to
phenological reasons) and Argem (in spite of thorough search) basins.
F.i.: Saussuraea latifolia.
Materials: ZAICHYONOK 11.VIII.1985, 1#; 1,800 m, 14.VIII.1985, 1$;
UPPER KURAGAN, 2,200 m, 12.VII.1986, 1#; ALTYN-BULAK; 1,700 m,
22.VII.1987, 1#; subalpine meadow on southern slope to the south of
Lake Talmene, 1,950 m, 19.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
37. Heodes alciphron (Rottemburg, 1775).
A male was collected by V.V.Dubatolov in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley
4 km upstream from its mouth on 9.VII.1983.
38. Lycaena helle (Denis et Schifferm1ller, 1775).
An individual was observed at the bushes on the south-facing rocks
in the taiga belt in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley, at 1,300 m, another
one - at the rock foot in the Katun valley, at 1,700 m.
Materials: KURAGAN, long forb forest meadow, 1,300 m, 6.VII.1983,
1$, G.S.Zolotarenko; BERTKEM, 11.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; KURAGAN,
23.VII.1983, 1$, V.D.; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
39. Tongeia fischeri (Eversmann, 1843) (Fig.10).
It occurs on rocky steppes on southern slopes, but never being
abundant.
Materials: YAZOVKA, 1,300 m, 1.VII.1987, 1$; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
25.VII.1988, 1$; 26.VII.1988, 1$.
40. Cupido minimus (Fuessly, 1775).
These butterflies fly on various meadows: valley forb mesophilous
meadows, steppe meadows of southern slopes, forest meadows on openings
and glades, in the Argem and the Katun valleys they were found on
subalpic meadows. A great number of these butterflies was observed on
11.VII.1988 on wet ground in an open spruce/larch forest on the left
bank of the Koksu river, in several hundred metres of the closest
meadowy slope.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 1$; KATUN SOURCE, 1,800 m,
9.VII.1987, 1$; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 14.VII.1987, 1#; 15.VII.1987, 1#;
KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 3#, 2$; 12.VII.1988, 1#; 25.VII.1988, 2$;
CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,150 m, 14.VII.1988, 1#; MIDDLE MULTA, 1,650 m,
9.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
41. Scolitantides orion (Pallas, 1771).
This species, as being trophically connected with Crassulaceae,
inhabits rocky southern slopes, it is recorded up to 1,650 m
(Altyn-Bulak). F.i.: Geranium pseudosibiricum J.Mayer, Sedum ewersii
Ledeb.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 2#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, 1,200 m,
26.VII.1985, 1$; KARAIRY, 1,400 m, 6.VII.1986, 1#; YAZOVKA, 1,300 m,
1.VII.1987, 1$.
42. Maculinea arion (Linnaeus, 1758)
Maculinea arion was found on steppe slopes and on a forest meadow
on a glade, at 1,600 m.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,200 m, 26.VII.1985, 1#; YAZOVKA, 1,250 m,
1.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 14.VII.1987, 1#.
43. Maculinea telejus (Bergstr4sser, 1779).
A female was caught on 30.VI.1986 in a larch parkland on the Katun
right bank near Tyungur.
45. Plebejus subsolanus (Eversmann, 1851) (= Plebejus cleobis
(Bremer, 1861)).
The taxonomic attribution of the blues of the group Plebejus (idas)
of Altai remains obscure, so our specimens are determined
prelimenarily. The distinction between Plebejus subsolanus and
Plebejus idas (Linnaeus, 1758) is based on the width of the black
margin on the wing upperside in males, which is less than 1 mm in P.
idas and is much wider in P. subsolanus, besides, there is certain
differences in the colour of the male wing upperside [Korshunov,
1985a]. According to the personal communication of V.V.Dubatolov,
these characters exhibit in fact a contiguous variation forming a
cline in South-West Siberia where the transition between P. idas and
P. subsolanus takes place. The margin width in our specimen is 1.5 mm,
the male wing upperside is blue with a slight violet tint.
In the lower part of the Akkem valley, this was the most common
Plebejus species, being abundant on terrace meadows and meadowy parts
of southern slopes. I failed to observe this species in other sites
but it should be taken into account that low altitudes in other
valleys was examined less thoroughly.
Materials: KURAGAN, 9.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, 1,040,
21.VII.1985, 1#; 22.VII.1985, 8#, 2$; 1,100 m, 26.VII.1985, 1#;
27.VII.1985, 2#, 2$.
46. Plebejus argyrognomon (Bergstr4sser, 1779).
This species has been found in contrast habitats. Several
individuals were met with on an alpine meadow with dominance of
Hedysarum austrosibiricum B.Fedtsch. developed on the alluvium of the
Yarlu bank, 2,200 m. They were rather small, with the male fore wing
length of 11 mm. Several specimens of the normal size were caught also
on a subalpic meadow on the southern slope of the valley of the Argem
confluent valley, 2,150 m. At the same time, these butterflies
occurred on dry steppes of the hollow of Step Samakha and on the rocky
southern slopes of the Koksu left bank, 1,600 m.
Materials: YARLU, 2,200 m, 8.VII.1985, 1#; SAMAKHA, 1,600 m,
9.VII.1988, 1$; 10.VII.1988, 2#, 2$; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 1#; CONFLUENT
OF ARGEM, 14.VII.1988, 1#.
A CORRECTION TO THE PUBLISHED VERSION!
The specimens from YARLU and CONFLUENT OF ARGEM were in fact
Plebejus idas sailjugemicus Zhdanko et Samodurov, 1999: a highland SE Altaian
taxon frm the idas complex.
47. Plebejus pylaon (Fischer von Waldheim, 1823).
The only female was caught on the steppe southern slope of the
Koksu left bank at 1,600 m on 11.VII.1988. According to the personal
communication of V.V.Dubatolov, this species was common in the end of
June, 1983, at the southern foot of the Terektinskii range 7 km west
of Katanda. On the base of the specimens collected there a new
subspecies Plebejus pylaon katunensis B5lint et Lukhtanov was
described [B5lint, Lukhtanov, 1990].
47. Plebejus argus (Linnaeus, 1758).
The species was found at low altitudes in the majority of the sites
examined, besides, it was recorded on a southern slope subalpine
meadow in the Argem basin.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, 1,200 m,
22.VII.1985, 1#; TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1986, 1#; LOWER KURAGAN, 1,000 m,
23.VII.1986, 1$; 24.VII.1986, 1$; YAZOVKA, 1,200 m, 1.VII.1987, 1#;
CONFLUENT OF ARGEM; 2,150 m, 14.VII.1988, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
11.VII.1988, 2#; 26.VII.1988, 1#, 1$.
48. Plebejus lucifera (Staudinger, 1867).
Plebejus lucifera was found thrice: KURAGAN, 950 m, a steppen
slope, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, a steppen rocky western
slope, 1,100 m, 26.VII.1985, 1$; SAMAKHA, a forb meadow at the edge of
a larch forest, 1,600 m, 10.VII.1988, 1$. The species was also
abundant on the southern foot of the Terektinskii range 7 km west of
Katanda in the end of June, 1983, V.D.
49. Vacciniina optilete (Knoch, 1781).
It is a characteristic species of dark-needle taiga occurring in
forests with spruce at 1,300-1,600 m in the places with open stand of
trees: on steep slopes, at rock outcrops, on small openings, at rivers
and brooks, but it does not penetrate into forest meadows on large
openings. F.i.: Geranium albiflorum, Aegopodium alpestre Ledeb.
Materials: KURAGAN, 14.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; MIDDLE AKKEM, 1,600 m,
16.VII.1985, 1#; ESHTU, 1,300 m, 20.VII.1986, 1#, 1$; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
25.VII.1988, 1$.
50. Agriades glandon (Prunner, de, 1798) ssp. diodorus (Bremer,
1864) (= Agriades orbitulinus (Staudinger, 1892)) (Fig.11).
The only female was caught on 20.VII.1988 in the Argem right
confluent valley in a larch parkland with dwarf birch thickets in the
undergrowth, developed on an ancient glacial moraine, at 2,200 m.
51. Albulina orbitulus (Prunner, de, 1798) (Fig.12).
It was found at the Yarlu valley and at the sources of the Argem
river. In the former site it was common on a subalpine southern slope
meadow with dominance of Geranium albiflorum, at 2,250 m, and on an
alpine Hedysarum austrosibiricum meadow on bank alluvium. In the
latter site, the species was found on a marshy Carex and dwarf birch
tundra in a glacial cirque, on an alpine meadow on a northern slope,
at 2,500 m, and on a detritous tundra on an eastern slope at 2,700 m.
It is worth mentionning that in both sties a predominating rock is
chlorite, and fine detritous chlorite slopes and alluvial banks (with
the characteristic plant species Saxifraga oppositifolia L., Crepis
nana Richards.) are widespread. Besides, only in these sites we found
such butterflies as Melitaea arcesia and Clossiana frigga. However, a
male of Albulina orbitulus was caught by I.I.Lyubechanskii in the
taiga belt on a forest meadow near a large scree on the western slope
at the southern bank of Lake Srednee Multinskoe, whereas
G.S.Zolotarenko found a male as low as on a road on the steppen Katun
terrace at a distance 7 km west of Katanda (23.VI.1983)!
Materials: YARLU, 2,150 m, 7.VII.1985, 2#; 2,200 m, 8.VII.1985, 1#;
ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 2#; 2,700 m, 20.VII.1988, 1$; MIDDLE
MULTA, 1,650 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
52. Polyommatus erotides (Staudinger, 1892)
It is a characteristic species of steppes: it occurs on rocky
southern slopes, in the hollow of Step Samakha, in larch parklands.
Unexpectedly, a male was met with at 2,200 m in a larch/dwarf birch
parkland in the Argem right confluent valley - together with Agriades
glandon!
Materials: TYUNGUR, 29.VI.1985, 1$; 30.VI.1985, 1$; LOWER AKKEM,
1,100 m, 21.VII.1985, 1#; 1,050 m, 27.VII.1985, 2#; 28.VII.1985, 2#;
SAMAKHA, 1,600 m, 10.VII.1988, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 25.VII.1988, 1#;
CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 17.VII.1988, 1#.
53. Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775).
This usually abundant species turned out to be rather uncommon on
the study area, occurring at low altitudes on meadows and steppen
slopes, as a rule - near settlements. It was abundant only in the
vicinity of Tyungur and Yazovka.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 29.VI.1985, 1$; 30.VI.1985, 6#, 3$; 30.VI.1986,
1#; ЯЗОВКА, 1,200 m, 2#, 1$; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 1#; 26.VII.1988, 1#,
1$.
54. Plebicula amanda (Schneider, 1792).
This is a species of valley meadows at 900-1,100 m. It was the most
abundant species of Lycaenidae at the Akkem low reaches and also on
forest meadows in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley, at 1,200 m. The highest
record is 1,600 m (the Akkem valley).
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 1#,
1$; 30.VI.1986, 1$; MIDDLE АККЕМ, 1,600 m, 16.VII.1985, 1#; LOWER
AKKEM, 1,040 m, 21. VII.1985, 2#; 22.VII.1985, 1#, 1$; 26.VII.1985,
1#, 1$; 27.VII. 1985, 1#; GROMOTUKHA, 1,100 m, 21.VII.1986, 1#.
55. Sublysandra cyane (Eversmann, 1837).
A female was caught at the foot of the steppe western slope of the
hollow of Step Samakha. V.V.Dubatolov also have found a male on a
steppe slope in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley. In both sites the
Goniolimon speciosum (L.) Boiss. presented, which seems to be a larval
food plant of the species, since in West Siberia Sublysandra cyane was
recorded only from the plant associations with the participation of
Goniolimon speciosum, the imagines feeding mostly on its flowers (the
personal communication of V.V.Dubatolov).
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; SAMAKHA, 1,600 m,
9.VII.1988, 1$.
56. Argodiaetus damon (Denis et Schiferm1ller, 1775).
It was found only in the lower part of the Akkem valley where it
was, together with Plebicula amanda, the most abundant species of
blues. However, Agrodiaetus damon tends mostly to inhabit steppes
rather than meadows.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,040 m, 28.VII.1985, 3#, 1$; 1,200 m,
30.VII.1985, 1#.
57. Eumedonia eumedon (Esper, 1780).
It occurs on mesophilous forb meadows in the lower parts of river
valleys, where is rather common, and on forest meadows. At the same
time, it was found on a Geranium albiflorum subalpine meadow on the
southern slope of the Yarlu valley, at 2,150 m, and sometimes was met
with also on steppe rocky slopes. F.i.: Geranium albiflorum, G.
pseudosibiricum.
I.I.Lyubechanskii has obtained an aberrant male, in which the
characteristic stroke on the hind wing underside connecting the medial
spot with the margin is not white but black with a narrow white
margin.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 1#;
YARLU, 2,150 m, 7.VII.1985, 1#; LOWER AKKEM, 1,050 m, 26.VII.1985, 5#;
GROMOTUKHA, 3.VII.1986, 1#; YAZOVKA, 1,300 m, 1.VII.1987, 1$;
WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 15.VII.1987, 1$; SAMAKHA, 1,600 m, 9.VII.1988, 1#;
KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 1$; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 15.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
58. Aricia allous (H1bner, 1819).
Several specimens occurred in the lower part of the Akkem valley
and on the bank of the Katun river at the Kucherla [Кучерла] village,
while on the southern main slope of the range, in 1987, this species
appeared to be very abundant on forest meadows and subalpine meadows
about the tree-line up to 1,800 m (once it was found even in a
larch/dwarf birch parkland). In other sites, the species was not met
with, the reason of this is unclear.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; TYUNGUR, 3.VII.1985, 1#;
KAPCHAL, 1,750 m, 8.VII.1987, 1$; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 15.VII.1987, 1#,
1$; 18.VII.1987, 1#; ALTYN-BULAK, 1,650 m, 21.VII.1987, 1#;
22.VII.1987, 1#; 25.VII.1987, 1#; 27.VII.1987, 1#; TALMENE, 1,520,
14.VII.1991, 4#, I.L.
59. Aricia nicias (Meigen, 1830).
Several individuals were observed on mesophilous and steppefied
meadows in the lower part of the Akkem valley. The species was rather
common 7 km west of Katanda in the end of June, 1983, V.D.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,050 m, 21.VII.1985, 1#; 22.VII.1985, 1#.
60. Cyaniris semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775).
This eurybiont species occurs from the lowest altitudes to the
subalpine belt (e.g. 2,150 m in the valley of the Argem confluent) on
various meadows; it penetrates also to steppe slopes.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#; 24.VII.1983, 1#, 1$,
V.D.;TYUNGUR, 30.6.1985, 2#; AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m, 25.VIII.1985, 2$;
GROMOTUKHA, 1,100 m, 3.VII.1986, 1#; YAZOVKA, 1.VII.1987, 3#; KAPCHAL,
1,800 m, 3.VII.1987, 1$; 4.VII.1987, 1#; KATUN SOURCE, 1,800 m,
9.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 14.VII.1987, 5#, 1$;
16.VII.1987, 2#; ALTYN-BULAK, 1,650 m, 14.VII.1987, 1#, 1$;
24.VII.1987, 12#; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,150 m, 14.VII.1988, 1#; KOKSU,
25.VII.1988, 1$; 26.VII.1988, 1$; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 4#,
1$, I.L.
61. Neptis rivularis (Scopoli, 1763).
This common species is trophically connected with Spiraea, so it
occurs mostly at the bushes in forest and bushy steppe, avoiding both
dense forests and large open space and tending to glades, forest edges
and bush thickets on western, eastern and southern slopes. I was found
up to 1,600-1,700 m.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,050 m, 22.VII.1985, 1$; TYUNGUR,
30.VI.1986, 1#; LOWER KURAGAN, 1,000 m, 3.VII.1986, 1#; ESHTU, 1,300
m, 16.VII.1986, 1$; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 18.VII.1987, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600
m, 11.VII.1988, 1#; MIDDLE MULTA, 1,650 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.;
TALMENE, 1,520 m, 15.VII.1991, 1$, I.L.
62. Limenitis populi (Linnaeus, 1758).
It was seldom observed at 1,000-1,100 m in the Akkem and Nizhnii
Kuragan valleys, mostly on openings and edges of mixed forest with
participation of asp.
Materials: GROMOTUKHA, 1,100 m, 22.VII.1986, 1#.
63. Polygonia c-album (Linnaeus, 1758).
A worn-out male was caught in the Yazovaya valley, at 1,600 m, at
the foot of large rocks.
64. Nymphalis vau-album (Denis et Schiferm1ller, 1775).
It was often observed in the end of August, 1985, on glades and
edges of mixed forests in the Katun valley (AGAFONIKHA). Probably it
was not recorded in other sites owing to its late flight period.
65. Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758).
This species was often met with in various biotopes at low
altitudes, and was equally common in the tundra belt, where these
butterflies were observed mostly on large-stoned screes.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,200 m, 12.VII.1983, 1#, A.V.Barkalov;
13.VII.1983, 3# (V. D.); LOWER AKKEM, 1,100 m, 28.VII.1985, 1#;
30.VII.1985, 1$; ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m, 11.VIII.1985, 1$; TALMENE, 1,520
m, 14.VII.1991, 1$, I.L.
66. Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758).
It occured on steppes and meadows at low altitudes (in the valleys
of the Akkem and Agafonikha rivers). At the same time, extremely
worn-out individuals were twice observed in dwarf birch tundra at
2,500 m: in the valleys of the Yarlu (7.VII.1985) and the Argem
confluent.
Materials: AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m, 27.VIII.1985, 1#; CONFLUENT OF
ARGEM, 2,500 m, 27.VII.1985, 1#.
67. Araschnia levana (Linnaeus, 1758).
This species occurs mostly at river and brook banks within the
forest belt. In the study region, only one generation seems to
develop, as all the specimens, including those caught on August 23th,
have the coloration of the spring generation.
Materials: MIDDLE AKKEM, 1,600 m, 16.VII.1985, 1$; AGAFONIKHA,
1,000 m, 23.VIII.1985, 1$; UPPER KURAGAN, 1,700 m, 12.VII.1986, 1$;
YAZOVKA, 1.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 17.VII.1987, 1#; TALMENE,
1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
68 Euphydryas maturna (Linnaeus, 1758).
Euphydryas maturna occurs on forest openings in the lower part of
the forest belt, below 1,200 m (the Akkem, Nizhnii Kuragan and
Yazovaya valleys).
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,000 m, 3.VII.1985, 1#, 1$; YAZOVKA, 1,200
m, 1.VII.1987, 2$.
69. Euphydryas iduna (Dalman, 1816).
This arctoalpine species was found in the Kapchal valley at 2,700 m
on 5.VII.1987 on a southern slope alpine meadow just beneath a crest
with perennial snow on its northern slope. Only Pyrgus centaureae or
P. sibiricus and Pieris napi flew together with Euphydryas iduna.
Another recorded habitat was quite different. It was the Nizhnii
Kuragan valley above the lakes, at 1,800 m, in the upper part of the
forest belt. Two males were caught there on the very bank on a wet
meadow with Betula rotundifolia and Salix glauca bushes. The specimens
differ substantially from those of the Kapchal valley. The latters
have the characteristic clear greyish, almost white, ground colour of
the wing underside, with only traces of black postdiscal line between
the orange marginal band and the central maculum on the hind wing
underside. In the butterflies of the Nizhniy Kuragan valley the line
is fully expressed on the hind wings and its traces appear on the fore
wings. A greyish-yellowish tint appears near it on the ground colour,
and the dark basal suffusion on the hind wing underside is developed
much stronger than in the Kapchal specimens. Thus, the specimens of
the Nizhnii Kuragan deviates much from the typical appearance of
Euphydryas iduna, but, nevertheless, they differ well from well the
similar species E.intermedia, which was numerous on the same meadow.
Most probably, the deviation was the consequence of an environmental
modification.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,500 m, 13.VII.1983, 1#, 1$, J.Jalava;
14.VII.1983, 1# (V. D.); UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800 m, 13.VII.1980, 2#;
KAPCHAL, 2,700 m, 5.VII.1987, 1#.
70. Euphydryas intermedia (M2n2tri3s, 1859).
It is the most numerous butterfly of the forest belt, from the
birch forest of low altitudes to larch/dwarf birch parklands, tending
to fly around bushes at edges and on openings and at river and stream
banks. In the Argem basin, the species sometimes occurred also on
alpine meadows at brook banks, up to 2,200 m. F.i.: Anthriscus
sylvestris, Senecio nemorensis L., and other plants with large
inflorescences.
Materials: the western slope of the Nizhnii Kuragan valley 7 km
upstream of its mouth, 9.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; UPPER AKKEM, 1,800 m,
4.VII.1985, 1#; 2, 050 m, 7.VII.1985, 2#, 1$; TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1986, 1#;
GROMOTUKHA, 1,200 m, 3.VII.1986, 2$; KARAIRY, 1,400 m, 6.VII.1986, 2#,
1$; UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800 m, 13.VII.1986, 2#, 1$; KAPCHAL, 1,750 m,
8.VII.1987, 1$; WATERFALL, 14.VII.1987, 1#, 2$; ALTYN-BULAK,
23.VII.1987, 1#; KOKSU, 10.VII.1988, 1$; 11.VII.1988, 1#, 1$;
CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 14.VII.1988, 1$; 17.VII.1988, 1$; LOWER
MULTA, 1,630 m, 9.VII.1991, 3#, 1$, I.L.; TALMENE, 1,520 m,
14.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
71. Euphydryas aurinia (Rottemburg, 1775).
Two specimens close to the typical subspecies were caught at:
TYUNGUR, a forb meadow at an edge of a larch forest at the right Katun
bank, 900 m, 30.VI.1985, 1#; YAZOVKA, a steep southern slope, 1,300 m,
1.VII.1987, 1$. These butterflies were quite common on the southern
foot of the Terektinskii range 7 km west of Katanda (June 1983, V.D.).
E.aurinia banghaasi (Seitz, 1908) (Fig.13). This alpine subspecies
was found only in the Akkem valley where it was very abundant on
marshy, with dwarf birch thickets, banks of Lake Nizhnee Akkemskoe.
Materials: UPPER AKKEM, 2,050 m,5.VII.1985, 3#.
Thus, we face the situation described by L.G.Higgins [1950, p.
457]: "Another alpine form, banghaasi Seitz, appears in eastern
Siberia, in the Sajan and Kentei Mountains, where it flies at about
6000 ft, while the lowland aurinia laeta Christoph [this taxon was
described from Yakutia! - О.К.] occurs in the neighbouring valleys".
According to this expert in the genus Euphydryas Scudder, it would be
quite reasonable to assign a species rank to the alpine and lowland
forms of Euphydryas aurinia, but he abstain from doing this because of
the lack of differences in male genitalia. However, it is hard to
imagine that the habitats of both subspecies are separated to such an
extent that their genofonds remain isolated all along the mountain
systems. Therefore, the stability of differences suggests either the
species rank of the taxa or their environmental nature.
72. Mellicta athalia (Rottemburg, 1775).
Materials: TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 2#; UPPER KURAGAN, 2,000 m,
12.VII.1986, 1#, 1$ (in copuli), WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 17.VII.1987, 1#;
SAMAKHA, 1,600 m, 10.VII.1988, 1#; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m,
12.VII.1988, 1#.
73. Mellicta britomartis (Assman, 1848).
Materials: TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 2#; LOWER AKKEM, 1,100 m,
22.VII.1985, 2#; 23.VII.1985, 1#; 28.VII.1985, 1#; KARAYRY, 1,400 m,
6.VII.1986, 2#; KAPCHAL, 1,700 m, 11.VII.1987, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
11.VII.1988, 1#.
The two latter species in Altai are practically indistinguishable
in the field, so it was impossible to trace the peculiarities of their
ecology. Obviously, both species exhibit a high ecological plasticity:
they were found in a larch parkland at the Katun bank (Mellicta
athalia and M. britomartis), on steppen southern slopes (M.
britomartis), on an old burnt-over land (M. britomartis), on a
long-forb forest meadow (M. athalia), on subalpic meadows in the
basins of the Nizhnii Kuragan (M. athalia) and Kapchal (M.
britomartis) rivers, on an alpine meadow in the valley of the Argem
confluent valley, at 2,200 m (M. athalia).
Mellicta sp. - females of the two previous species. Materials:
LOWER AKKEM, 1,100 m, 26,VII,1985, 1$; 1,200 m, 26.VII.1985, 1$;
YAZOVKA, 1,300 m, 1.VII.1987, 3$; ALTYN-BULAK, 1,650 m, 22.VII.1987,
2$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 12.VII.1988, 1$; KOKSU,1,600 m,
25.VII.1988, 2$.
74. Mellicta menetriesi (Caradja, 1895) ssp. centralasiae
(Wnukowsky, 1929).
A male and a female was found on a steppe meadow at the mouth of
the Nizhnii Kuragan river. Another male was caught in a larch parkland
on the alluvial plain of the Katun river right bank at the Eleshchadyr
brook. This specimen has slightly aberrant characters: it is small,
the upperside with a very diffuse dark ornament and with small
remainders of a very light ground tone contrasting with orange
submarginal band.
Materials: LOWER KURAGAN, 1,000 m, 23.VII.1986, 1$; 24.VII.1986,
1#; ELESHCHADYR, 1,650 m, 3.VII.1987, 1#; TALMENE, 1,520 m,
14.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
75. Melitaea diamina (Lang, 1789).
Materials: TALMENE, 1,520 m, a dry meadow in open spruce forest,
14.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
76. Melitaea latonigena Eversmann, 1847 (Fig.14).
It is a characteristic and numerous species of steppe slopes. In
the Argem confluent valley, it was found also at 2,200 m on a southern
slope of an ancient moraine covered by meadow with participation of
both alpine and steppen plant species.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM, 1,100 m,
23.VII.1985, 2#, 1$; 26.VII.1985, 1#; 30.VII.1985, 2#; YAZOVKA, 1,300
m, 1.VII.1987, 4#, 5$; WATERFALL, 1,650, 16.VII.1985, 1$; SAMAKHA,
1,600 m, 9.VII.1988, 2#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 1#; 25.VII.1988,
1#, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 200 m, 12.VII.1988, 1#.
77. Melitaea cinxia (Linnaeus, 1758).
It occurs together with the previous species on southern slopes,
and also on meadows, but is much less abundant.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 4.VIII.1985, 1#; YAZOVKA, 1,300 m, 1.VII.1987,
1#; SAMAKHA, 10.VII.1988, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 1$;
TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
78. Melitaea arcesia Bremer, 1864.
This pure alpine species was found only at the sources of the Akkem
and Argem rivers, where it flew on marshy dwarf birch tundras with
patches of alpine meadow. F.i.: Scorzonera radiata.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,400 m, 13.VII.1983, 2#, 2$, V.D.; UPPER
AKKEM, 2,050 m, 7.VII.1985, 3#; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 2#.
79. Melitaea phoebe (Denis et Schiferm1ller, 1775).
This species was twice found on steppen slopes.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,100 m, 28.VII.1985, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
19.VII.1988, 2$.
80. Boloria (pales (Denis et Schiferm1ller, 1775)) sp.
In the end of July, 1987, in the upper reaches of the Katun, Belaya
Berel and Yazovaya rivers, butterflies were found from the species
aggregate pales of the genus Boloria Moore, 1900, which can hardly be
attributed to any of the species of this aggregate (or the subspecies
of Boloria (pales), if, following Warren [1944], to consider the genus
Boloria s.str. as having only three true species). The attribution of
the specimens to the B. (pales) group, based on the male genitalia
structure, is undoubtful; in addition, their wing shape and the
outline of the central band on the hind wing underside are peculiar to
the species group. Among the taxa of this group only Boloria
aquilonaris (Stichel, 1908), which now is usually regarded as a bona
species, have been reported from Altai. This butterfly has a wide
Palearctic range but is ecologically confined mostly to moorland. Our
specimens can not be determined as B. aquilonaris because of a very
fine black marking of the wing upperside (Fig.15 a) (in B. aquilonaris
the marking is heavy) and the coloration of the hind wing underside
(Fig.15 b): rather light dull red ground colour, a well expressed
lightening of the ground colour between M3 and Cu1 distally of the
central band (which is weakly expressed in B. aquilonaris), and a wide
unsuffosed central band varying in colour from ochre to lemon-yellow.
In one female, this yellow coloration is as well spread over the
ground colour of the hind wing underside. According to A.Crosson du
Cormier [1982], the character of the central band corresponds well to
that of B. banghaasi (Seitz, 1909), which is an East-Siberian (ranging
westward to the Sayans) and Mongolian form, which has been given a
species rank by the cited author. He indicated another peculiar
character of this form: in the submarginal row on the hind wing
upperside, the spot in cell 5 is steadily greater than its
counterparts in cells 4 and 6. Only one male specimens from my series
meets this criterion, while in others the spots in cells 5 and 6 are
of approximately the same size but exceed that in cell 4. However, the
very fine marking of wing upperside and also a relatively small size
(the fore wing length in the males is 16-17 mm, in females - 18 mm)
does not allow to attribute our butterflies to B. banghaasi. On the
other hand, they resemble a Central Asian (described from Amdo) taxon
B. sifanica (Groum-Grshimailo, 1891), yet known to me only from
literature. Our specimens seem to be at least a new subspecies, the
description and species attribution of which require, however, a
critical assessment of Siberian and certain Central Asian
representatives of the B. (pales) group. This work is forthcoming.
These butterflies were strictly confined to very peculiar biotopes:
wide and flat river valleys at 1,650-1,700 m covered with wet meadow,
sometimes with tussocks or even bogged, with more or less sparse
bushes of Pentaphylloides fruticosa. It worth mentionning that on a
neighbouring gygrophytic subalpine meadow, with Allium ledebourianum
Schult. et Schult. fil. as a dominant, there was found Boloria napaea
altaica, but not the butterflies considered. This indicates at obvious
ecological distinction between these related species.
To the same form I attribute two males caught at 1,800 m at the
upper flow of the Nizhnii Kuragan river on wet meadow with dwarf birch
thickets, which, however, deviate from the above described type in the
direction of B. aquilonaris. They have more expressed marking of the
upper side and the darker coloration of the hind wing underside. It is
not excluded that in Altai there exists a cline or any other pattern
of geographic and/or ecological transition between B. aquilonaris, B.
banghaasi, and the Central Asian type of the B. (pales) group.
Materials: UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800 m, 13.VII.1986, 2#; BEREL, 1,600 m,
24.VII.1987, 5#, 2$; The sources of the Yazovaya river, 1,550 m,
27.VII.1987, 1#, 1$.
ADDITION TO THE PUBLISHED VERSION.
These buterflies were later described as Boloria pales roddi Kosterin, 2000.
81. Boloria napaea (Hoffmansegg, 1804) ssp.altaica
(Groum-Grshimailo, 1893).
It is a mass species of highland, inhabiting mostly alpine meadows
and penetrating into tundras and short-forb subalpic meadows. In the
western part of the range, this species was thrice observed also at
moderate altitudes: on a wet meadow almost entirely composed by
Polygonum bistorta and Ranunculus sp., at the bank of the Samakha
brook, at 1,600 m, on a wet overgrazed meadow at the Koksu left bank,
at 1,600 m, and on a forb meadow on a southern slope near a forest
edge, at 1,650 m. Probably the wet habitats at the intermediate
altitudes fit as well the ecological standard of the species, that was
also observed in Europe [Warren, 1944].
In the Akkem upper flow, the first individual was recorded on
7.VII.1985, while in 1987, when all phenological phenomena were late,
the only pair of this species was obtained as late as on 22.VII. In
the Zaichyonok basin, these butterflies flew in abundance until
18.VIII.1985, when the observation was finished. F.i.: Solidago
dahurica, Senecio turczaninovii DC., Scorzonera radiata, Allium
lineare L., Polygonum bistorta, and others, but at the sources of the
Zaichyonok river, these butterflies fed exclusively on the flowers of
Sajania monstrosa (Fig. 16).
At the sources of the Argem river, an aberrant male was caught
having cream-white wings with hardly noticeable brick-red (instead of
black) traces of the pattern, but the basal dark suffusion of the
wings, as well as the body coloration, were normally developed.
Materials: Kaitanakskii state farm [Кайтанакский совхоз], 2,200 m,
31.VII.1973, 1#, 1$, L.F.Levina; YARLU, 2,500 m, 7.VII.1985, 1#;
ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m, 10.VIII.1985, 2#, 3$; 11.VIII.1985, 2$; 1,800 m,
14.VIII.1985, 3#; 1,700 m, 17.VIII.1985, 3#, 2$; 18.VIII.1985, 1$;
UPPER KURAGAN, 2,000 m, 12. VII.1986, 2#; 1,800 m, 13.VII. 1986, 1#;
ALTYN-BULAK, 1,650 m, 22.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; SAMAKHA, 1,600 m,
9.VII.1988, 1#, 1$; KOKSU, 1,700 m, 2.VII.1988, 1#; 25.VII.1988, 1$;
1,600 m, 26.VII.1988, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200-2,400 m,
12.VII.1988, 2#, 5$; 14.VII.1988, 1$; 16.VII.1988, 2#, 3$;
17.VII.1988, 4#, 5$; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 12#, 10$.
82. Boloria frigidalis Warren, 1944.
This taxon, described as a "form" of Boloria napaea altaica,
distinctly differs from this species by a smaller size and by a dark
purple-brown ground colour of the hind wing underside [Warren, 1944].
Later it was referred to as a separate species [Forster, 1968]. The
lack of intermediate forms and the sympatricity with B.n.altaica
suggests that B.frigidalis is either a phenotype determined by a
single gene, that is very improbable, or a distinct species.
I have found this species only at the sources of the Argem river.
Several specimens were caught among numerous B. n. altaica (these
butterflies were easily distinguishable even while flying) on the
patches of alpine meadow on a bottom of a cirque at 2,500 m. Besides,
a female was found on the crest of this cirque at 2,700, together with
Colias mongola. It is noteworthy that, in this region, Boloria napaea
altaica occurred in abundance from the subalpine to tundra belts,
while B. frigidalis was not met with below 2,500 m. This might
indicate at certain ecological differences between these taxa, that
supports their species rank.
Materials: ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 1#, 1$; 2,700 m,1$.
83. Proclossiana eunomia (Esper, 1799).
This species was quite abundant in the highlands of the Akkem and
the Argem basins, where it was mostly confined to marshy dwarf birch
tundras and occurred also on neighbouring alpine meadows. In the upper
flow of the Nizhnii Kuragan river, several butterflies were found in
the upper part of the taiga belt among bushes growing along the
lateral streams of the river, at 1,800 m. Besides, a female was caught
at 1,600 m on a boggy meadow at the bank of the Samakha brook, flowing
across the hollow of Step Samakha, that is already within the steppe
belt. The inclination of the species to wet habitats is obvious,
nevertheless, a male was found at the middle flow of the Akkem river,
which lacks such habitats owing to the steepness of slopes. F.i.:
Scorzonera radiata, Polygonum bistorta etc.
An aberrant male was caught at the sources of the Argem river
with a reddish-white wing ground tone and a reduced dark marking on
the upperside of both wings and on the underside of the fore wings. On
the hind wing underside a heavy brown suffusion presents along the
veins, through which the dark outer margin of the central band and the
very diffuse marginal spots can be traced.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,200 m, 10.VII.1983, 1#; 2,400 m, 11.VII.1983,
1#; 13.VII.1983, 3#, V.D.; MIDDLE AKKEM, 1,600 m, 4.VII.1985, 1#, 1$;
UPPER AKKEM, 2,050 m, 5.VII.1985, 3#; 7.VII.1985, 3#; 8.VII.1985, 1#;
UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800 m, 13.VII.1986, 1#1$; SAMAKHA, 1,600 m,
10.VII.1988, 1$; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 26.VII.1988, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM,
2,200 m, 17.VII.1988, 1$; ARGEM, 19.VII.1988, 8#, 4$.
84. Clossiana selenis (Eversmann, 1837).
This species was seldom found in the taiga belt of the Nizhnii
Kuragan and Yazovaya valleys on glades and openings. In larch and
larch/spruce forests along the Koksu banks, these butterflies appeared
to be abundant in 1988, but only until the middle of July.
Materials: GROMOTUKHA, 1,200 m, 3.VII.1986, 1#; ESHTU, 1,300 m,
22.VII.1986, 1$; KARAIRY 1,400 m, 6.VII.1986, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
10.VII.1988, 3#; 11.VII.1988, 3#, 2$; 25.VII.1988, 1#; LOWER MULTA,
1,630 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
85. Clossiana selene (Denis et Schiferm1ller, 1775).
Clossiana selene is also confined to the forest belt, mostly to its
upper part, occurring on forest meadows. On the southern main slope of
the range, i.e. in the Katun and the Yazovaya valleys, it was very
abundant.
Materials: UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800 m, 13.VII.1986, 1#; YAZOVKA, 1,200
m, 1.VII.1987, 1#; KAPCHAL, 1,750 m, 8.VII.1987, 1#; ALTYN-BULAK,
13.VII.1987, 3#; 21.VII.1987, 2#; 22.VII.1987, 1#, 2$; ELESHCHADYR,
1,660 m, 3.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 14.VII.1987, 3#;
17.VII.1987, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 1#; LOWER MULTA, 1,630
m, 9.VII.1991, 1$, I.L.; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 1$, I.L.
86. Clossiana euphrosyne (Linnaeus, 1758).
Clossiana euphrosyne is a quite abundant species with a wide range
of habitats. It occurs on the forestless slopes at low altitudes, on
forest meadows in the forest belt, on subalpine meadows, and
penetrates into the alpine belt: at the sources of the Argem river it
was recorded at 2,500 m. Like the previous species, this was numerous
on the southern main slope of the range in 1987, the ecological
differences between them being clearly expressed. Although both
species occurred from the lower part of the forest belt to the
subalpine belt, Clossiana selene was especially abundant on forest
meadows at about 1,600 m, while C.euphrosyne - in the subalpine zone
near the tree-line (1,700-1,800 m), mostly at stream banks.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,200 m, 11.VII.1983, 3#, 1$, V.D. and
A.V.Barkalov; 13.VII.1983, 8#, 1$; 14.VII.1983, 3#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM,
1,200 m, 26.VII.1985, 1#; KARAIRY, 1,400 m, 6.VII.1986, 1#; YAZOVKA,
1,200 m, 1.VII.1987, 4#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 17.VII.1987, 1$;
18.VII.1987, 1$; 22.VII.1987, 1$; ELESHCHADYR, 1,660 m, 3.VII.1987,
1#; 4.VII.1987, 1#; KAPCHAL, 1,800 m, 9.VII.1987, 3#, 1$; 10.VII.1987,
1$; KOKSU, 11.VII.1988, 2#, 1$; 26.VII.1988, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM,
2,200 m, 12.VII.1988, 1#; 14.VII.1988, 1#, 1$; 17.VII.1988, 1#; ARGEM,
2,300 m, 19.VII.1988, 1#; 2,500 m, 1#.
87. Clossiana freja (Thunberg, 1791) (Fig.17).
It was met with by me only in the Argem basin, where it was rather
abundant in dwarf birch tundra on north-exposed gentle slopes and
occurs rarely on neighbouring Aquilegia alpine meadows at brook banks.
These butterflies have a habit to sit on wet mossy ground.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,300 m, 10.VII.1983, 1$; 11.VII.1983, 1#;
13.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 14.VII.1988, 1#,
1$; 16.VII.1988, 2$; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 2$.
88. Clossiana frigga (Thunberg, 1791).
This species, as well as Melitaea arcesia, was found only in the
vicinity of Lake Nizhnee Akkemskoe and at the sources of the Argem
river (only in the cirque of one of the sources, at 2,500 m, and not
in the valley of the right confluent, which was thoroughly examined).
In both points, it was found only on marchy dwarf birch thickets. In
the first case, they were the thickets of the subalpine zone (not
levelled by winter snow), in the second - the levelled mossy dwarf
birch tundra. F.i.: Lagotis integrifolia.
Materials: UPPER AKKEM, 2,050 m, 5.VII.1985, 1#; 7.VII.1985, 1#,
1$; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 3#, 2$.
89. Clossiana dia (Linnaeus, 1767).
On the eastern end of the range, this species occurred in 1988 in
larch/dwarf birch parklands and on dwarf birch tundras, together with
с Clossiana freja, and was found also on alpine meadows. Beyond this
site, C.dia was met with once on the meadow with sparse
Pentaphylloides fruticosa bushes in the Katun valley at the
Eleshchadyr brook, at 1,660 m.
Materials: ELESHCHADYR, 1,660 m, 13.VII.1987, 1#; CONFLUENT OF
ARGEM, 2,200 m, 16.VII.1988, 1#; 20.VII.1988, 1$; ARGEM, 2,500 m,
19.VII.1988, 4#.
90. Clossiana thore (H1bner, 1803).
It was recorded only in the Yazovaya valley, where it flew on
long-forb meadows, often wet meadows with Filipendula ulmaria (L.)
Maxim. and on openings in spruce forests at 1,600 m. F.i.: Ligularia
sibirica, Senecio praticola Schischk. ex Serg. etc.
Materials: WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 14.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; 17.VII.1987,
2#.
91. Clossiana titania (Esper, 1793) (Fig.18).
Clossiana titania, together with the previous species, flew at
1,600-1,700 m in the Yazovaya valley on long-forb forest meadows, on
glades and openings. A male was also caught on a wet meadow with
Polygonum bistorta as a dominant at the bank of the Samakha brook. An
impression arises that this species occurs in the places with the
presence of Betula fruticosa.
Materials: WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 17.VII.1987, 1#; 18.VII.1987, 1#;
ALTYN-BULAK, 1,700 m, 23.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; 25.VII.1987, 1#; SAMAKHA,
1,600 m, 10.VII.1988, 1#; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII.1991, 1#;
18.VII.1991, 1$, I.L.
92. Brenthis ino (Rottemburg, 1775).
It is one of the most numerous butterflies of various meadows:
steppe, terrace and forest ones. On the southern main slope of the
range, it was abundant also in subalpine Siberian stone pine and larch
parklands at 1,700 m, and a caterpillar of this species was found on
Rubus saxatilis L. in the Kapchal valley on a subalpic meadow at 1,800
m.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1985, 1#;
30.VI.1986, 2#, 1$; LOWER AKKEM, 1,050 m, 20.VII.1985, 1#;
21.VII.1985, 1#; 22.VII.1985, 1#; 30.VII.1985, 1#; AGAFONIKHA,
25.VIII.1985, 1#; 27.VIII.1985, 1#; WATERFALL, 18.VII.1987, 1#;
ALTYN-BULAK, 1,700 m, 22.VII.1987, 3#; SAMAKHA, 9.VII.1988, 1#; KOKSU,
1,700 m, 26.VII.1988, 1$; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14.VII. 1991,1#, I.L.
93. Issoria eugenia (Eversmann, 1847).
It is confined to the alpine and subalpine belts, being most common
on alpine meadows in stream valleys, but sometimes is observed in the
upper part of the forest belt. These butterflies exhibit a highly
expressed territorialism, they try to chase out any appearing
butterfly, even Parnassius apollo. In 1987, the flight of this species
began about July 20th. F.i.: Solidago dahurica.
Materials: ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m, 11.VIII.1985, 1#; 14.VIII.1985, 3#;
1,900 m, 14.VIII.1985, 1#; 18.VIII.1985, 2#, 1$; UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800
m, 13.VIII.1986, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 18.VII.1987, 1#; ALTYN-BULAK,
1,700 m, 23.VII.1987, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 17.VII.1988,
1#; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 1#.
94. Issoria lathonia (Linnaeus, 1758).
This species was observed at the Altyn-Bulak brook and around Lake
Yazovoe on the roads (that is a characteristic feature of the species
behavior) in subalpine parklands.
Materials: ALTYN-BULAK, 1,700 m, 23.VII.1987, 1#; the bank of Lake
Yazovoe 1,600 m, 27.VII.1987, 1#; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 15.VII.1991, 1#,
I.L.
95. Fabriciana niobe (Linnaeus, 1758).
It flies on valley meadows at low altitudes, in forest meadows,
occurs in the subalpic belt and penetrates into alpine meadows (up to
2,200 m).
Materials: ZAICHYONOK, 1,800 m, 18.VIII.1985, 2$; ALTYN-BULAK,
1,700 m, 23.VII.1987, 1#; the bank of Lake Yazovoe, 1,600 m,
17.VII.1987, 1$; SAMAKHA, 9.VII.1988, 2$; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988,
1#; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 12.VII.1988, 1$; 14.VII.1988, 1$.
97. Fabriciana adippe (Rottemburg, 1775).
It was seldom met with at low altitudes.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 27.VII.1985, 1#; 28.VII.1985, 1#;
AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m, 28.VIII.1985, 1#, 1$.
97. Mesoacidalia aglaja (Linnaeus, 1758).
This species is quite common on steppe slopes, on meadows, and in
the forest belt, penetrates into highland - in the Argem basin it
occurred in larch/dwarf birch parklands and on alpine meadows even at
2,200 m. This species appeared to be especially abundant on steppe
slopes above Yazovka.
Materials: KURAGAN, 15.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; MIDDLE AKKEM, 1,600 m,
16.VII.1985, 1$; ESHTU, 1,300 m, 19.VII.1986, 1$; YAZOVKA, 1,200 m,
20.VII.1987, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 17.VII.1988, 1#;
TALMENE, 1,520 m, 15.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
98. Argynnis paphia (Linnaeus, 1758).
Argynnis paphia occurs in the end of July and in August in birch
and mixed forests at low altitudes.
Materials: AGAFONIKHA, 27.VIII.1985, 1#; GROMOTUKHA, 1,100 m,
23.VII.1986, 1#; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 15.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
99. Lopinga achine (Scopoli, 1763).
This species was met with in the lower part of the forest belt - in
a larch parkland and at the edge of a mixed forest.
Materials: KURAGAN; 6.VII.1983, 1# (G.S.Zolotarenko); 24.VII.1983,
1$ (V. D.); TYUNGUR, 30.VI.1986, 1#; GROMOTUKHA, 1,100 m, 22.VII.1986,
1#.
100. Crebeta deidamia (Eversmann, 1851).
It was found only in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley in the taiga belt:
in open stands of trees, on glades and old burnt-over areas.
Materials: KURAGAN, 24.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; KARAIRY, 1,400 m,
6.VII.1986, 1#; ESHTU, 1,300 m, 17.VII.1986, 1#.
101. Lasiommata petropolitana (Fabricius, 1787).
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,000 m, 12.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; LOWER AKKEM,
the edge of a birch forest, 26.VII.1985, 1#; MIDDLE MULTA, forest,
1640 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.; TALMENE, 1,520 m, wet forb meadow,
17.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
102. Coenonympha tullia (M1ller, 1764).
It is confined to alpine and short-forb subalpine meadows, it was
also found in the Yarlu valley in a subalpine parkland on a southern
slope with Geranium albiflorum predominating in the forb layer.
Materials: YARLU, 2,100 m, 7.VII.1985, 2#; ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m,
11.VIII.1985, 1#; UPPER KURAGAN, 2,200 m, 12.VI.1986, 2#; CONFLUENT OF
ARGEM, 2,200 m, 13.VII.1988, 1#; 2,150 m, 17.VII.1988, 2#;
20.VII.1988, 1#; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 1#.
103. Coenonympha glycerion (Borkhausen, 1788).
It is a mass species of meadows and steppes at low altitudes,
sometimes being found also on forest openings. In 1985 the flight
period began in the middle of July.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,040 m, 21.VII.1985, 2#; 26.VII.1985, 1#;
AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m, 25.VIII.1985, 1#; GROMOTUKHA, 1,200 m,
16.VII.1986, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 2#; 25.VII.1988, 1$;
26.VII.1988, 2#.
104. Coenonympha amaryllis (Stoll, 1782). It is a characteristic
species of rocky steppes on southern slopes, penetrating into terrace
meadows.
Materials: TYUNGUR, 29.VI.1985, 1#; 30.VI.1986, 2#; LOWER AKKEM,
1,000 m, 26.VII.1985, 2#.
105. Coenonympha hero (Linnaeus, 1761).
Coenonympha hero is most common on forest meadows and also occurs
on river terrace meadows, in larch parklands and on southern slopes.
In the Akkem valley, it was found in an open Siberian stone pine
forest at 1,800 m.
Materials: KURAGAN, 6.VII.1983, 1$ (Zolotarenko); TYUNGUR,
30.VI.1985, 2#; 30.VI.1986, 1#; UPPER AKKEM, 1,800 m, 4.VII.1985, 2#;
MIDDLE AKKEM, 1,600 m, 16.VII.1985, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600, 15.VII.1987,
1#; LOWER MULTA, 9.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
106. Erebia ligea (Linnaeus, 1758).
It is confined to the forest zone, being more abundant in its lower
part in mixed forests with Spirea forming the undergrowth. The species
occurs in open forests but avoids large open space. In 1986 it was one
of the most numerous species of the forest belt, it was quite common
in 1987, an again appeared in mass quantities in 1988, but in 1985
these butterflies were very rare. Maybe this fluctuations in number
were due to the biennial generation cycle of the species [Ivanov et
al., 1987]. F.i.: Solidago virgaureae L., Crepis sibirica, Saussuraea
latifolia etc.
Materials: AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m, 9.VIII.1985, 1$; ZAICHYONOK, 1,700
m, 18.VIII.1985, 1#; ESHTU, 1,300 m, 5.VII.1986, 1$; 16.VII.1986, 1$;
KARAIRY, 1,400 m, 6.VII.1986, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 17.VII.1987, 1#;
ALTYN-BULAK, 1,700 m, 22.VII.1987, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 10.VII.1988,
1#; 11.VII.1988, 1#; 23.VII.1988, 1#; 25.VII.1988, 5#, LOWER MULTA,
1,630 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#, 1$, I.L.; TALMENE, 1,520 m, 16.VII.1991, 1#;
at the top of a mountain, 2,400 m, 18.VII.1991, 1$, I.L.
107. Erebia jenisseiensis Trybom, 1877 (Fig.19).
It was invariably the most numerous species of the taiga belt,
flying under the canopy and at edges, avoiding open space and missing
from birch forests. In open Pinus sibirica stands with Lonicera
altaica in the undergrowth, it was practically the only resident
butterfly species. Following parklands at the tree-line, it penetrates
into the subalpine and alpine zones, being recorded in the Argem basin
at 2,200 m. In the lower part of the forest belt, this species was
less numerous than Erebia ligea (in the seasons when the latter was
abundant), but prevailed in the upper part.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,300 m, 11.VII.1983, 1#; 13.VII.1983, 2#;
14.VII.1983, 2#, V.D.; KURAGAN; 24.VII.1983, 1#, V.D.; MIDDLE AKKEM,
1,600 m, 4.VII.1985, 1#; UPPER AKKEM 1,800 m, 4.VII.1985, 6#, 2$;
2,050 m, 5.VII.1985, 1#; 8.VII.1985, 1#; 9.VII.1985, 1#; YARLU, 2,150
m, 7.VII.1985, 1$; GROMOTUKHA, 1,200 m, 3.VII.1986, 1$; ESHTU, 1,300
m, 5.VII.1986, 1#; UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800 m, 10.VII.1986, 1#;
14.VII.1986, 1$; WATERFALL, 14.VII.1987, 1$; 17.VII.1987, 1$;
ALTYN-BULAK, 1,700 m, 13.VII.1987, 1$; 23.VII.1987, 1#, 1$; KOKSU,
1,600, 11.VII.1988, 1#; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 13.VII.1988, 1#;
19.VII.1988, 1#; LOWER MULTA, 1,630 m, 9.VII.1991, 1#, 2$, I.L.;
TALMENE, 1,520 m, 14 VII.1991, 1$, I.L.
108. Erebia aethiops (Esper, 1777).
Several specimens were found in the Yazovaya valley in an open
spruce forest and at thickets of Spiraea at the foot of a cliff.
Materials: WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 16.VII.1987, 1#; 18.VII.1987, 1#.
109. Erebia neriene (Boeber, 1809).
It is a very abundant species on steppe southern slopes, on valley
meadows and on openings in the lower part of the forest belt. In 1985
in the Akkem valley, numerous fresh butterflies appeared on July
25-27th. However, before this, on July 21th, several worn-out
specimens had been found. This might indicate at an unsynchronized
flight period, since the development in two generation seems to be
highly improbable.
Materials: KURAGAN, 23.VII.1983, 1#; 24.VII.1983, 2#; 25.VII.1983,
1#, V.D.; TYUNGUR, 24.VII.1985, 1#; 2.VIII.1985, 1#, 1$; LOWER AKKEM,
1,040 m, 27.VII.1985, 1#; 30.VII.1985, 1#; AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m,
8.VIII.1985, 1#; ESHTU 1,300 m, 20.VII.1986, 1#.
110. Erebia rossi Curtis, 1834.
It was observed by V.V.Dubatolov in relatively great amount in the
Bertkem cirque where it was confined to screes and detritous crests.
Materials: BERTKEM, 2,500 m, 12.VII.1983, 4#; 13.VII.1983, 1#;
14.VII.1983, 1#, 1$; 17.VII.1983, 1$, V.D.
111. Erebia cyclopius (Eversmann, 1844).
This species was found in dark-needle taiga at 1,600 m in the Akkem
and Yazovaya valleys. In the former site, the butterflies were rather
numerous in the beginning of July, but disappeared in the middle of
this month.
Materials: the Multa village, 19.VI.1983, 1#, V.D.; KURAGAN,
6.VII.1983, 2# (G.S.Zolotarenko); MIDDLE AKKEM, 1,600 m, 4.VII.1985,
1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 16.VII.1987, 1$.
112. Erebia kefersteini Eversmann, 1844 (Fig.20).
Erebia kefersteini was found only in the upper part of the Nizhnii
Kuragan basin on dwarf birch or Dryas oxyodonta tundras at 2,100-2,200
m. The butterflies tend to sit on lichen-clad stones.
Materials: UPPER KURAGAN, 2,200 m, 12.VII.1986, 1#; 14.VII.1987,
1#.
113. Erebia kindermanni Staudinger, 1881 (Fig.21).
:
This local species with the Altai-Sayan range was observed only on
the eastern and western ends of the range, where it turned out to be
very numerous. Both sites resemble each other by large areas of gentle
surfaces of the ancient peneplain in the alpine zone. The butterflies
inhabit alpine meadows and penetrate into the upper part of the
subalpine zone and into dwarf birch tundras. F.i.: Tripleurospermum
ambiguum (Ledeb.) Fr. et Sav., Senecio turczaninovii, Polygonum
bistorta. Our specimens are variable in the degree of expression of
the black dots in yellow spots of the marginal band - from total
vanishing to strong expression, even on the hind wing underside.
Materials: ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m, 11.VIII.1985, 3#; 14.VIII.1985, 1$;
CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 13.VII.1988, 2#; 14.VII.1988, 1#;
17.VII.1988, 1#; 20.VII.1988, 3#, 1$; 21.VII.1988, 6#, 1$; 2,400 m,
16.VII.1988, 1$; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 4#, 1$.
114. Erebia brimo (Boeber, 1809) (= Erebia maurisius (Esper, 1803))
was abundant on subalpine larch/Siberian stone birch parklands at the
southern slope of the Yarlu valley. Besides, a female was caught on an
alpine meadow at the sources of the Zaichyonok river. The species was
not observed in other sites.
Materials: YARLU, 2,150 m, 7.VII.1985, 2#, 1$; 8.VII.1985, 1#;
ZAICHYONOK, 2,000 m, 10.VIII.1985, 1$.
115. Erebia theano (Tauscher, 1806) (Fig.22).
It is the most numerous butterfly of the subalpic belt, being also
abundant in the taiga belt. (The species was especially abundant in
1987 on the southern slope of the range, at 1,600-1,800 m). In much
less number these butterflies can be found on alpine meadows, as well
as on the not steppeficated forb meadows on southern slopes as low as
at 1,200 m. This species differs from equally abundant Erebia
jenisseiensis by tending to inhabit open space of glades and subalpine
parkland. In 1987, the mass appearance of the species was observed on
July 15th, but in other years it happened earlier.
Materials: Kaitanak, 2,000 m, 26.VII.1973, 2#, L.F.Levina; KURAGAN,
15.VII.1983, 1#, 1$, V.D.; UPPER AKKEM, 1,770 m, 5.VII.1985, 1#;
LOWER AKKEM, 1,300 m, 22.VII.1985, 1#, 2$; 26.VII.1985, 1$;
ZAICHYONOK, 1,700 m, 17.VIII.1985, 1$; 18.VIII.1985, 3#, 1$; TYUNGUR,
1,300 m,1.VII.1986, 1$; KARAIRY, 1,400 m, 6.VII.1986, 1#; 1,700 m;
UPPER KURAGAN, 1,750 m, 9.VII.1986, 2#; 10.VII.1986, 1$; 2,000 m,
12.VII.1986, 1#; ELESHCHADYR, 1,700 m, 13.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL,
1,600 m, 14.VII.1987, 1#; ALTYN-BULAK, 1,650 m, 21.VII.1987, 2$;
SAMAKHA, 1,600 m, 10.VII.1988, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 2#;
CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,500 m, 16.VII.1988, 1#; 2,200 m, 17.VII.1988,
4#, 1$; 19.VII.1988, 1#, 1$; 21.VII.1988, 1#; TALMENE, 1,520 m,
14.VII.1991, 1#; 15.VII.1991, 1# (I.L.).
116. Erebia callias Edwards, 1871 ssp. altajana Staudinger, 1901
(Fig.23).
A single specimen was observed in the upper part of the Nizhnii
Kuragan basin on a scree surrounded by dwarf birch tundra at 2,200 m
on 14.VII.86. In the Argem basin highlands, the species was abundant
at 2,200-2,500 m, mostly keeping to the patches of Kobresia
myosuroides tundra and to the rocks on cirque-dividing crests, and
being rarely found in other biotopes. The butterflies usually sit on
rocks and stones.
Materials: CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200 m, 14.VII.1988, 1#; 2,500 m,
16.VII.1988, 4#; ARGEM, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988, 2#, 1$; 20.VII.1988, 3#,
1$.
117. Erebia pandrose (Borkhausen, 1788) (Fig.24).
It was found by me in the highlands of Nizhnii Kuragan, Katun, and
Argem basins, by V.V.Dubatolov - in the Bertkem cirque, and by
I.I.Lyubechanskii - in the surroundings of Lake Talmene, everywhere -
above 2,200 m. In the first of the sites mentionned, it occurred on
Dryas oxyodonta tundras, in the second - at rock outcrops overgrown
mostly by Bergenia crassifolia (L.) Fritsch and Vaccinium myrtillus L.
(above 2,500 m). In the Argem basin, this species was especially
abundant and occurred in different biotopes: on alpine meadows and on
dwarf birch, Dryas oxyodonta, or Kobresia myosuroides tundras,
preferring the latters, similarly to the previous species. F.i:
Callianthemum sajanense.
Materials: BERTKEM, 14.VII.1983, 2#, V.D. and J.Jalava; UPPER
KURAGAN, 1,700 m, 10.VII.1986, 1$; 2,200 m, 12.VII.1986, 1$; 2,300 m,
14.VII.1986, 1#; KAPCHAL, 2,100 m, 5.VII.1987, 1#; 2,300 m,
10.VII.1987, 1#; 2,600 m, 11.VII.1987, 1$; CONFLUENT OF ARGEM, 2,200
m, 12.VII.1988, 2#; 21.VII.1988, 1#; 2,500 m, 16.VII.1988, 1#;
20.VII.1988, 2#, 2$ ARGEM, 19.VII.1988, 3#, 2$; the mountain top at
Lake Talmene, 2,400 m, 18.VII.1991, 2#, I.L.
118. Boeberia parmenio (Boeber, 1809).
This species occurred on steppe southern slopes and dry open larch
forest at the Koksu banks and in the hollow of Step Samakha.
Materials: SAMAKHA, 1,600 m, 10.VII.1988, 2$; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
10.VII.1988, 2$; 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 1#.
119. Aphantopus hyperantus (Linnaeus, 1758).
It abounds on terrace meadows, forest openings and in larch
parklands at low altitudes.
Materials: KURAGAN, 6.VII.1983, 2# (G.S.Zolotarenko); TYUNGUR,
30.VI.1985, 1$; 30.VI.1986, 1#.
120. Hyponephele lycaon (K1hn, 1777).
Hyponephele lycaon is a characteristic species of steppe meadows
and rocky steppes of southern slopes.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,050 m, 26.VII.1985, 1#; KOKSU, 1,600 m,
11.VII.1988, 1#; 23.VII.1988, 1#; 25.VII.1988, 1$.
121. Oeneis (norna (Thunberg, 1791)) altaica Elwes, 1899 (Fig.25).
It is a quite common species of the alpine, subalpine, and the
upper part of the forest belts, tending to inhabit wet biotopes. It
was very abundant at the banks of Lake Nizhnee Akkemskoe in
larch/dwarf birch parklands, on boggy dwarf birch thickets, and on
alpine meadows. In the Nizhnii Kuragan, the Yazovaya and the Koksu
valleys, the species was met with at river banks and on wet taiga
openings overgrown with Pentaphylloides fruticosa bushes, at
1,600-1,800 m. Besides, in the upper flow of the Nizhnii Kuragan
river, a specimen was observed on a scree within the tundra belt at
2,200 m. The butterflies were observed also at the banks of the Akkem
and the Katun rivers in a close vicinity of the termini of their
source glaciers.
These butterflies occupy any perches: prominent branches, stones,
or spots of naked ground, and chase out any butterflies appearing
near.
Materials: Lake Nizhnee Akkemskoe, 20.VII.-10.VIII.1975, 1#,
N.V.Revyakina; BERTKEM, 2,500 m, 12.VII.1983, 1#, A.V.Barkalov;
13.VII. 1983, 1#, 1$; 14.VII.1983, 3#, 2$, V.D.; UPPER AKKEM, 2,050 m,
5.VII.1985, 4#; 7.VII.1985, 1#; UPPER KURAGAN, 1,800 m, 13.VII.1986,
1#; 2,200 m, 14.VII.1986, 1#; ESHTU, 1,300 m, 18.VII.1986, 2$; KATUN
SOURCE, 1,800 m, 9.VII.1987, 1#; WATERFALL, 1,600 m, 17.VII.1987, 1$;
KOKSU, 1,600 m, 11.VII.1988, 1#; 12.VII.1988, 1#; 23.VII.1988, 1$;
TALMENE; 16.VII.1991, 1#, I.L.
A CORRECTION TO THE PUBLISHED VERSION! Unfortunately, in
the publication the specimens indicated with red boldface were misidentified.
They were in fact 121a. Oeneis magna dubia Elwes, 1899.
122. Oeneis aktashi Lukhtanov, 1984.
Materials: the left bank of Lake Nizhnee Akkemskoe,
20.VII.-10.VIII.1975, N.V,Revyakina.
123. Oeneis tarpeja (Pallas, 1771).
This species occurred in Step Samakha in various steppe biotopes
and in open larch forests. It was quite common in the 20s of July on
the steppe slopes of the southern foot of the Terektinskii range 7 km
west of Katanda.
Materials: SAMAKHA, 1,600 m, 9.VII.1988, 1#; 10.VII.1988, 2#.
124. Oeneis sculda (Eversmann, 1851). A female was caught at the
sources of the Argem river on a flat patch of Kobresia tundra at 2,500
m on 19.VII.1988. Besides, according to the communication of
V.V.Dubatolov, a specimen was caught by J.Jalava on 14.VII.1983 on a
southern slope in the vicinity of the Bertkem cirque.
125. Minois dryas (Scopoli, 1763).
It is common on steppe slopes and valley meadows at low altitudes.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,100 m, 22.VII.1985, 1$; 26.VII.1985, 1#;
AGAFONIKHA, 1,000 m, 26.VIII.1985, 1#.
126. Hipparchia autonoe (Esper, 1784).
Hipparchia autonoe is abundant on rocky steppes of southern slopes,
including desertified ones, the maximal recorded altitude is 1,600 m -
at the Koksu left bank, in great numbers.
Materials: KOKSU, 1,600 m, 25.VII.1988, 4#.
127. Chazara briseis (Linnaeus, 1764).
It was found in the lower part of the Akkem valley on southern
slopes covered by rocky steppe or even desertified.
Materials: LOWER AKKEM, 1,000 m, 30.VII.1985, 1#.
* * *
As a matter of fact, the butterfly fauna of the Katunskii mountain
range is not entirely embraced by this list. In particular, the
Zoological Museum of BI SO RAN possess rich materials collected at the
surroundings of the Katanda village, which is separated from the
range only by the Katun river. These materials include species not yet
found on the territory of the Katunskii range. They are Parnassius
stubbendorffii M2n2tri3s, 1849 ("Katanda"), collected by E.G.Rodd in
1900, and Syrichtus cribrellum (Eversmann, 1841), Pyrgus serratulae
(Rambur, 1839), Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758), Fixsenia pruni
(Linnaeus, 1758), Callophrys rubi (Linnaeus, 1758), Cupido osiris
(Meigen, 1829), Glaucopsyche alexis (Poda, 1761), Clossiana oscarus
(Eversmann, 1844), Brenthis hecate (Denis et Schiferm1ller, 1775), and
Lasiommata maera (Linnaeus, 1758), collected by V.V.Dubatolov 7 km
west of Katanda on the southern foot of the Terektinskii range.
Besides, at the bank of the Chendek [Чендек] river in the hollow of
Uimonskaya Step, 2 km NW of the Nizhnii Uymon village, on 26.VI.1983,
he have collected Pseudophylotes vicrama (Moore, 1865). No doubt that
not only these twelwe but also other species known from the adjacent
territories of Central Altai will be found on our range. They are, for
instance, Argodiaetus sibiricus (Staudinger, 1899) (= Agrodiaetus
damone auct. non Eversmann, 1841) collected by V.V.Dubatolov near the
Sugash [Сугаш] village (the Ust-Koksa district) and Oeneis ammon
Elwes, 1899 found by V.V.Dubatolov and J.Jalava in the highlands of
the Terektinskii range (10 km north of Katanda, the Soptan [Соптан]
minor range (see Fig.1, site 6), 2,400 m, 20-22.VII.1983. It should be
noted that in this site Parnassius eversmanni and Oeneis aktashi were
abundant which never have been observed in great numbers on the
Katunskii range).
The data reported could make an impression that the studied sites
much differ in the local butterfly faunas and in the relative
abundance of species. However, it must be taken into account that
these sites were visited in different years, so, much of the observed
difference could result from the annual fluctuations of species
abundance.
Below is an attempt to describe the aspects of butterflies in
different vegetational belts in July (when imagines of the majority of
butterfly species of the Altai Mts. are present).
The set of species flying on low altitude meadows is rather typical
for the moderate climatic zone of West Siberia. It is characterized by
relative richness, many species attaining very large quantities, they
are Plebejus subsolanus, Plebejus amanda, Cyaniris semiargus, Pieris
napi, Brenthis ino, Fabriciana spp., Mellicta spp., Coenonympha hero,
C.glycerion, Minois dryas, Aphantopus hyperanthus, Erebia neriene.
Among them Brenthis ino, Coenonympha glycerion, Aphantopus hyperantus
(and Agrodiaetus damon in the Akkem valley) were mass species. The
areas affected by man activity are characterized by the presence of
Pontia edusa, Colias hyale, Polyommatus icarus.
All these species are also common in steppe biotopes, but a number
of characteristic steppen species are added: Thymelicus lineola,
Agrodiaetus damon, Polyommatus erotides, Melitaea latonigena,
Coenonympha amaryllis, Hipparchia autonoe, and, at the eastern part of
the range, Boeberia parmenio. On southern slopes with rocks,
Parnassius apollo, Parnassius nomion, Scolitantides orion are common,
while Maculinea arion, Tongeia fischeri, which are also confined to
rocky slopes, are much less abundant. On the overgrazed and, hence,
desertified slopes, one can found Agrodiaetus damon, Hipparchia
autonoe, and Chazara briseis.
In spite of the preference of meadow or steppe biotopes, the
majority of the mentionned species occur on both, that is conditionned
by the biotopic mosaicism and the existence of various intermediate
habitats and ecological plasticity of many species. Thus, Parnassius
spp., Hyponephele lycaon, Thymelicus lineola, penetrate into terrace
meadows, while Minois dryas, Coenonympha glycerion, Erebia neriene -
into steppen slopes. When the forest belt does not separate lowland
and highland open habitats, as on the southern main slope of the
range, many of these species (e.g. Brenthis ino) remain common up to
the subalpic zone.
Butterflies of the low altitude birch and mixed forests form even
more fuzzy ecological groups, as they can be found also on meadows at
low as well as high altitudes. Leptidea sinapis, Pieris napi,
Anthocharis cardamines, Limenitis populi, Neptis rivularis, Nymphalis
vau-album, Araschnia levana, Argynnis paphia, Lopinga achine, Erebia
ligea can be mentionned. Among them, Leptidea sinapis, Pieris napi,
Neptis rivularis, and Erebia ligea are very numerous. Aporia crataegi,
which is abundant almost in all the belts, should be attributed here
too.
In the taiga belt, Carterocephalus silvicolus, C. palaemon,
Vaciniina optilete, Erebia jenisseiensis, Erebia intermedia, Clossiana
selene, C. selenis make the butterfly aspect, Erebia jenisseiensis and
Euphydryas intermedia being mass species. It is the taiga belt where
these species, occurring from the lowest altitudes to highland, become
dominants. Clossiana titania, C. thore, Crebeta deidamia, Erebia
cyclopius, E.aethiops are also confined to the taiga belt, but they
are rather scarce and were not found in all the sites examined.
The most numerous and characteristic species of the subalpic belt
is Erebia theano, which abounds on large subalpine openings and
parklands in the upper part of the forest belt, whereas E.
jenisseiensis dominates under the canopy. It is difficult to indicate
at other species confined to the subalpine belt, which is mostly
inhabited by the immigrants from the beneath and above situated belts.
The most abundant species here are Aricia allous, Eumedonia eumedon,
Euchloe ausonia, Mellicta spp., Clossiana euphrosyne.
The materials collected in highlands is highly variable in the
species composition from site to site, that can be accounted for the
diversity of highland landscapes and probably does not result solely
from the annual fluctuation in species abundance. The most numerous
butterfly of alpine meadows is Boloria napaea. Parnassius phoebus,
Heodes hippothoe, Issoria eugenia, Coenonympha tullia are as well
characteristic species, although they are less abundant. Besides, in
the alpine zone of the western and eastern ends of the range, there
was numerous Erebia kindermanni, E. maurisius was common in the Akkem
valley, while E. kefersteini - in the Nizhnii Kuragan valley, each of
these small species of Erebia being missing from the sites occupied by
any other species (excluding one female of E.maurisius found at the
sources of the Zaichyonok river). This might indicate at a narrow
ecological standard of these species confined to certain peculiarities
of their habitats.
The same butterfly species penetrate in tundras, but a number of
species can be regarded as specific to them. They are Pyrgus
centaureae, P. sibiricus, Synchloe callidice, Clossiana freja, C. dia,
Erebia pandrose, and E.callias, the two latter species tending mostly
to inhabit tundras formed by Kobresia myosuroides. Three species:
Albulina orbitulus, Melitaea arcesia and Clossiana frigga were found
at the sources of the Akkem and the Argem rivers at cirque bottoms
(together with such plant species as Saxifraga oppositifolia and
Crepis nana) and was undoubtly missing from neighbouring narrow
valleys. Two of them, namely Melitaea arcesia and Clossiana frigga,
were not observed anywhere else. This might indicate at some
ecological features of those cirques, which are required for these
three species. Superficially, these cirques are characterized by the
presence of fine detritous chlorite slopes and alluvial banks.
Three species should be indicated at as tending to inhabit wet
environments: Oeneis altaica, Proclossiana eunomia, and Boloria
(pales) sp., the latter species predominating on wet meadows with
Pentaphylloides fruticosa on the flat upper parts of the Katun, the
Belaya Berel, and the Yazovaya valleys.
From the faunistic point of view, two findings are especially
interesting: Euchloe creusa orientalis and Boloria (pales) sp. The
latter resembles the Central Asian forms of the genus, its precise
study could be helpful for solving the systematic problems with the
pales group. Three species should also be mentionned here, namely
Colias mongola, Agriades glandon, and Boeberia parmenio, which were
found only on the eastern end of the range. At the same time, they
(and also Oeneis sculda) are very abundant in the South-East of
Russian Altai, for example, at the Chikhacheva range [хр. Чихачева]
(the personal communication of S.Bogachev). That part of the Altai
Mts. is characterized by low precipitation and a poor development of
the forest belt allowing intergradation of steppe and tundra. On the
wet and woody Katunskii range such landscapes are scarce, being
confined mostly to its south-eastern part. In particular, only in this
part the mountain tundras formed by Kobresia are widely distributed.
The three butterfly species considered seem to meet their western
boundary on this part of the Katunskii range, or they become very rare
to the west.
Acknowledgements
The author expresses his sincere gratitude to Mr. Yu.P.Korshunov
for his constant attention to the work and for stimulating me to write
this paper, to Mr. V.V.Dubatolov - for the help in species
identification and critical reading the paper, to Mr. V.A.Lukhtanov
and Mr. E.A.Belyaev - for helpful consultations on Erebia kindermanni and
Euchloe, respectively, to Mr. V.V.Dubatolov and Mr. I.I.Lyubechanskii
- for a kind permission to mention their materials. Besides, this work
would not be carried out without an infinite good will and
understanding of the head of the Floristic team and the friend of mine
Mr. I.A.Artyomov, to whom I am deeply indebted.
REFERENCES
Artyomov I.A. 1993. [Flora of the Katunskii Mt. Range (Central
Altai)]. Novosibirsk. The Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the
Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 112 pp [in
Russian].
B5lint, Zs., V.A.Lukhtanov. 1990. Plebejus (Plebejides) pylaon
(Fischer von Waldheim, 1832) s.str. et ses sous-especes (Lepidoptera:
Lycaenidae)// Linneana Belgica. Pars 12. No.7. P. 274-292.
Belyaev, E.A. 1986. [The whites of the genus Euchloe Klots
(Lepidoptera, Pieridae) of Siberia and the Far East]// Sistematika i
ekologiya cheshuekrylykh Dalnego Vostoka SSSR [Systematics and Ecology
of Lepidopterans of the Far East of the USSR]. Vladivostok. Nauka.
P.113-120 [in Russian].
Crosson du Cormier, A. 1982. Boloria banghaasi Seitz., esp3ce
m3con-nue// Alexanor. Vol.12 (7). P. 290-295.
Devyatkin, A.L. 1990.[On two Siberian species of Pyrgus
(Lepidoptera, Hesperidae)]// Zool. Zhurn. Vol.69, No.10. P. 141-145
[in Rusian].
Elwes, H. 1899. On the Lepidoptera of the Altai Mountains//
Trans. Roy. Entomol. Soc. London. Vol.3. P. 295-367.
Forster, W. 1968. Ergebnisse der zoologischen Forschungen von
Dr. Z. Kaszab in der Mongolei. 147. Rhopalocera et Hesperiidae. II. //
Reichenbachia. B.11. Nr.18. P. 189-205.
Higgins, L.G. 1950. A descriptive catalogue of the Palaearctic
Euphydryas (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera)//Trans. Roy. Entomol. Soc.
London. Vol.101. Part 12. P. 435-489.
Ivanov, A.I., V.A.Lukhtanov, V.N.Prasolov, B.M.Sokolov. 1987.
[Periodical appearance of Erebia ligea L., E. embla Thunb., and Oeneis
jutta Hbn. butterfflies (Lepidoptera, Satyridae) in Leningrad region
of the USSR]// Vestnik Leningradskogo Universiteta. Vol.2. No.10. P.
8-12 [in Russian].
Korshunov, Yu.P. 1978. [Ecological and faunistic groups
of butterflies (Lepidoptera, Diurna) in the mountains of South
Siberia]// Chlenistonogie Sibiri [The Arthropods of Siberia].
Novosibirsk. Nauka. P. 168-183.
Korshunov, Yu.P. 1985a. [Butterflies of the West Siberian
Plain (General Notes and a Guide)]// Pauki i nasekomye Sibiri [Spiders
and Insects of Siberia]. Novosibirsk State Pedagogical Institute
Press. P. 32-117 [in Russian].
Korshunov, Yu.P. 1985b. [On systematics of butterflies
(Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) of the fauna of the USSR]// Sistematika i
biologiya chlenistonogikh i gelmintov (Novye i maloizvestnye vidy
fauny Sibiri) [Systematics and Biology of Arthropods and Helmints (New
and little-known species of the fauna of Siberia)]. Novosibirsk.
Nauka. P. 62-63 [in Russian]
Kuminova, A.V. 1960. [The vegetation of the Altai].
Novosibirsk. Edition of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences
of the USSR. 450 pp. [in Russian].
Sedelnikov, B.P. 1988. [Alpine Vegetation of the Altai-Sayan
Mountain Region]. Novosibirsk. Nauka. 222 pp. [in Russian]
Shtandel, A.E. 1957. [Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera)
of Altai]// Entomol. Obozr. Vol.36. No.1. P.134-141 [in Russian].
Warren, B. C. S. 1944. Review of the classification of the
Argynnidi with a systematic revision of the genus Boloria
(LEPIDOPTERA; NYMPHALIDAE)//Trans. Roy. Entomol. Soc. London.
Vol.94. Part 1. P.1-101.
FIGURE LEGENDS
Fig.1. The map of the studied sites.1 - AGAFONIKHA; 2 - ZAICHYONOK;
3 - LOWER MULTA; 4 - MIDDLE MULTA; 5 - TALMENE; 6 - 10 km north of
Katanda; 7 - 7 km west of Katanda; 8 - LOWER KURAGAN; 9 - KURAGAN; 10
- BERTKEM; 11 - GROMOTUKHA; 12 - ESHTU; 13 - KARAIRY; 14 - UPPER
KURAGAN; 15 - TYUNGUR; 16 - LOWER AKKEM; 17 - MIDDLE AKKEM; 18 -
YARLU; 19 - UPPER AKKEM; 20 - KATUN SOURCE ; 21 - KAPCHAL; 22 -
ELESHCHADYR; 23 - ALTYN-BULAK; 24 BEREL; 25 - WATERFALL; 26 - YAZOVKA;
27 - ARGEM; 28 - CONFLUENT OF ARGEM; 29 - KOKSU; 30 - SAMAKHA;
Fig.2. Pyrgus centaureae Rambur, the valley of the right confluent of
the Argem river, 2,200 m, 14.VII.1988.
Fig.3. Pyrgus sibiricus Rev., at the sources of the Zaichyonok
river, 2,000 m, 10.VIII.1985
Fig.4 a. Parnassius phoebus F., a male, the Yarlu valley, 2,500 m,
8.VII.1985.
Fig.4 b. Parnassius phoebus F., a female, the upper part of the basin
of the Nizhnii Kuragan river, 2,000 m, 12.VII.1986.
Fig.5 Parnassius nomion F. de W., a meadow terrace at the lower flow
of the Akkem riber, 1,040 m, 22.VII.1985.
Fig.6 Parnassius apollo L. in copuli, the eastern slope of the Akkem
valley at 1,200 m, 21.VII.1985.
Fig.7 Euchloe ausonia Hb., the Kapchal valley, 1,800 m, 3.VII.1987.
Fig.8 Colias mongola Alph., the crest of the cirque at the sources
of the Argem river, 2,780 m, 20.VII.1988.
Fig.9 Colias tyche Boeb., the Yarlu valley, 2,500 m, 7.VII.1985.
Fig.10 Tongeia fischeri Ev., a southern slope above the Yazovka
village, 1,200 m, 1.VII.1987.
Fig.11 Agriades glandon de Prun., the valley of the right confluent
of the Argem river, 2,200 m, 20.VII.1988.
Fig.12 Albulina orbitulus de Prun., at the sources of the Argem
river, 2,500 m, 19.VII.1988.
Fig.13 Euphydryas aurinia banghaasi Seitz., the bank of Lake Nizhnee
Akkemskoe, 2,050 m, 7.VII.1985.
Fig 14. Melitaea latonigena Ev. in copula, a southern slope above the
Yazovka village, 1,100 m, 1.VII.1987.
Fig.15 a, b. Boloria (pales Den. et Schiff.) sp., the Belaya Berel
valley, 1,750 m, 24.VII.1987.
Fig.16. Boloria napaea Hoffm. feeding on Sajania monstrosa (Willd. ex
C.Spreng.) M.Pimen., at the sources of the Zaichyonok river, 2,000 m,
11.VIII.1985.
Fig.17. Clossiana freja Thunb., the valley of the right confluent of
the Argem river, 2,200 m, 16.VII.1988.
Fig.18. Clossiana titania Esp., at the waterfall at the Yazovaya
river, 1,600 m, 17.VII.1987.
Fig.19. Erebia jenisseiensis Tryb., the Nizhnii Kuragan upper flow,
1,800 m, 8.VII.1986.
Fig.20. Erebia kefersteini Ev., the basn of the Nizhnii Kuragan
river, 2,200 m, 12.VII.1986.
Fig.21. Erebia kindermanni Stgr., the basin of the Zaichyonok river,
2,000 m, 11.VIII.1985.
Fig.22. Erebia theano Tauscher, the Akkem valley, 1,800 m,
16.VII.1985.
Fig.23. Erebia callias Edw., the valley of the right confluent of the
Argem river, 2,200 m, 16.VII.1988.
Fig.24. Erebia pandrose Bork. at the sources of the Argem river,
2,500 m, 19.VII.1988.
Fig.25. Oeneis altaica Elw., the bank of Lake Nizhnee Akkemskoe,
2,050 m, 7.VII.1985.
Булавоусые чешуекрылые (Lepidoptera, Diurna)
Катунского хребта (Центральный Алтай)
О.Э.Костерин
Институт цитологии и генетики Сибирского отделения Российской академии
наук, пр. Академика Лаврентьева 10, 630090 Новосибирск, Россия.
КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА: дневные бабочки, Горный Алтай, Катунский хребет,
биотопическая приуроченность, Boloria Moore s.str.
РЕЗЮМЕ. На основании сборов и наблюдений автора, проводившихся в
1985 - 1988 гг. в различных пунктах в пределах хребта Катунские
Белки, а также сборов, хранящихся в Зоологическом музее Биологического
института Сибирского отделения Российской академии наук, составлен
аннотированный список, включающий 127 видов дневных чешуекрылых,
отмеченных на данном хребте. Кроме того, 14 видов, собранных в
близлежащих пунктах Центрального Алтая, приводятся как возможные. Для
каждого вида перечислен весь собранный материал с указанием пунктов
сбора и высоты над уровнем моря, для большинства видов по возможности
подробно охарактеризована их приуроченность к определенным высотным
поясам и растительным сообществам (в ряде случаев упомянуты другие
экологические подробности). Работу предваряет ботанико-географическая
характеристика исследуемой территории, а заключает - краткий очерк
экологических группировок дневных бабочек. Русский вариант данной
работы депонирован в ВИНИТИ: Костерин О.Э. 1993. Дневные чешуекрылые
хребта Катунские Белки (Центральный Алтай). Деп. ВИНИТИ }: 278-В93.
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