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LEPIDOPTERA

Pyrgus jupei (Alberti, 1967)
Pyrgus jupei (Alberti, 1967)

• TYPE LOCALITY. "Zentral-Kaukasus, Kazbegi am Gergeti-Gletscher, 2600 m" [Kazbeghi, Georgia].

• RANGE. High mountains of the Caucasus, E. Turkey and N. Iran (Elburs Mts., Shahrud)

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The Caucasus Major (Teberda, Mt. Kazbek, Mt. Elbrus, N. Osetia, Pasanauri), the Caucasus Minor (Akhaltsikhe, Borzhomi), the Armenian Highland (Zanghezursky Mts.). Slightly variable in size of the white spots on UPS.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Alpine and subalpine meadow belts at 1,700-2,700 m a.s.l. Flight period: end of June to August. Host plants: unknown.

• TAXONOMIC NOTES. P. jupei belongs to a highly complicated group of forms allied to P. alveus; the taxonomy of the group is being revised.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. P. alveus: larger, UPS darker, UPH with obscure whitish spots, UNH white spots merged in a band. P. serratulae grisescens: UNH suffused greyish. P. serratulae major, large, UPS spots fully developed.

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

fig 5

Fig. Male genitalia of some Pyrgus (right clasp):
1 - P. serratulae major (Nakhichevan);
2 - P. cinarae (Armenia);
3 - P. armoricanus persicus (Nakhichevan);
4 - P. alveus (Teberda, N. Caucasus);
5 - P. speyeri (S. Ussuri region);
6 - P.jupei (Nakhichevan)