LEPIDOPTERA

• H E S P E R I I D A E Latreille, 1809

  • SPIALIA Swinhoe, [1912]

    
    

    • Spialia struvei (Pungeler, 1914)

Spialia struvei (Pungeler, 1914)

• TYPE LOCALITY. "Gebirge bei Barkul" [E. Tian-Shan].

• RANGE. Central Asia from Iran to Dzhungaria.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. E. Kopet-Dagh(?), Alai (Alaisky Mts.), W. Turan (Mangyshlak), Dzhungarsky Alatau (Dzharkent, Katu-Tau Mts., Tyshkan-Tau Mts.). Also reported from S. Transcaucasia (Ordubad), but this record is doubtful. Varies in size and UPS white pattern. Apart from the nominate subspecies, the species is represented by the ssp. irida Zhdanko, 1993 (Alaisky Mts.) and the ssp. fetida Zhdanko, 1992 (Mangyshlak, W. Kazakhstan).

• TAXONOMIC NOTES. Traditionally, this species has been regarded as a subspecies of S. geron (Watson, 1893), the latter taxon known from Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, the differences in the genitalia along with new records in Middle Asia allow to suggest a full specific rank of struvei In general, the taxono-my of the geron-group requires a revision.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Dry habitats on hills to low mountains (200-1,000 m a.s.l.) of the steppe-desert zone. Flight period: June-July.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. S. phlomidis: FW broad and apex not pointed, UNH discal spots forming a band. S. don's: small, UNH discal row directed toward the costal submarginal spot. S. osthelderi gecko: FW less strongly pointed.

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