Lepidoptera of South Ossetia (Northern Transcaucasia). Part V. Superfamily Papilionoidea Latreille, 1809

Abstract

Seventy seven Papilionoidea species have been indicated for South Ossetia (72 – for the first time for thus territory). For three species listed in the Red Book of South Ossetia (P. apollo, I. podalirius and P. machaon) new localities are given.

Acta Biologica Sibirica 10: 375–381 (2024)

doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11161306

Corresponding author: Aleksandr N. Streltzov (streltzov@mail.ru)

Academic editor: A. Matsyura | Received 23 April 2024 | Accepted 6 May 2024 | Published 12 May 2024

http://zoobank.org/B226E122-0BA1-4394-A96B-7CF475001371

Citation: Streltzov AN, Ustjuzhanin PYa, Kolesnichenko K, Yakovlev RV (2024) Lepidoptera of South Ossetia (Northern Transcaucasia). Part V. Superfamily Papilionoidea Latreille, 1809. Acta Biologica Sibirica 10: 375–381. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11161306

Keywords

Biodiversity, Caucasus, species richness, fauna, Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae

Introduction

This article continues the series of publications devoted to the lepidopterofauna of South Ossetia and covers families of Papilionoidea (Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, and Nymphalidae). Families Adelidae, Incurvariidae, Psychidae, Tineidae, Roeslerstammiidae, Gracillariidae, Yponomeutidae, Argyresthiidae, Plutellidae, Ypsolophidae, Ethmiidae, Depressariidae, Elachistidae, Scythrididae, Cryptolechiidae, Oecophoridae, Lecithoceridae, Stathmopodidae, Coleophoridae, Momphidae, Blastobasidae, Autostichidae, Lypusidae, Cosmopterigidae, Gelechiidae, Epermeniidae, Choreutidae, Pyraloidea, Cossidae, Limacodidae, part of Erebidae, Notodontidae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Cimeliidae, Tortricidae, Pterophoridae and Alucitidae were previously treated (Streltzov et al. 2022 a, b, c; Nedoshivina et al. 2023; Sinev et al. 2023). In the fifth part we publish data on Superfamily Papilionoidea; information about which in South Ossetia was not previously available.

A detailed description of the natural conditions and history of studying the lepidopterofauna of the region is contained in the first article in the series, dedicated to Lepidoptera (Streltzov et al. 2022b) and is not discussed here.

The butterflies (Papilionoidea) of South Ossetia are very poorly studied. The information on their distribution in the region is provided only for five species listed in the Red Data Book of South Ossetia (Bazaev et al. 2017). Parnassius nordmanni (Menetries, 1850) was reported from north of South Ossetia in the highlands of the Great Caucasus. P. apollo (Linnaeus, 1758) was given for the valleys of the Bolshaya and Malaya Liakhva rivers and other locations, mainly in the south of the territory at altitudes of 1200−2000 m. Iphiclides podalirius (Linnaeus, 1758) was indicated for Khetagurovo, Belot and Tsadykau villages. Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758 was regularly found in the Inner Kartli Valley. Colias thisoa Menetries, 1832 was spotted in the upper reaches of the Bolshaya and Malaya Liakhva rivers and tributaries of the Rioni river.

Materials and methods

The specimens were collected in South Ossetia in eight localities (Fig. 1) by A. N. Streltzov, P. Y. Ustjuzhanin and R. V. Yakovlev in June–July 2021 and by V.V. Rudoi, P. Y. Ustjuzhanin and R. V. Yakovlev in July 2022.

Methods are described in detail in the first part of the article (Streltzov et al. 2022a). The determination of Material was carried out according to Tshikolovets and Nekrutenko (2012).

The examined material is kept in the collections:

ASSP collection of Alexandr Streltzov (Saint-Petersburg, Russia);

CUK collection of Petr Ustjuzhanin and Vasiliy Kovtunovich (Novosibirsk, Moscow, Russia);

KKM collection of Kirill Kolesnichenko (Moscow, Russia);

RYB collection of Roman Yakovlev (Barnaul, Russia).

List of collecting localities

1. South Ossetia, Tskhinval Distr., 2 km NW Grom, 42°10′6″ N / 44°11′53″ E, 930 m, 22-25.06.2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

2. South Ossetia, Leningor Distr., 4 km E Leningor, 42º08′45″ N, 44º30′55″ E / 1200 m, 26-27.06.2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.; 13– 14.07.2022, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

3. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., 4 km NNE Kvaisa, Koz lake, 42°33′32″ N / 43°37′59″ E, 1580 m, 28-30.06.2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

4. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., Rachinsky Range, near Dodtota, 42°27′25″ N / 43°43′18″ E, 1750 m, 1-2.07.2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.; 19–22.07.2022, V. Rudoi, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

5. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., Dvalet Range, near Kherusel’t, 42°32′37″ N / 43°47′32″ E, 1760 m, 3-5.07.2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

6. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., Mtiulet Range, near Erman, 42°31′2″ N / 44°14′10″ E, 2140 m, 7-9.07.2021, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.; 26–27.07.2022, V. Rudoi, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

7. South Ossetia, Znaur Distr., 2 km W Dzagina, 42°14′34″ N / 43°43′11″ E, 1100 m, 11-12.07.2021, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.; 15–16.07.2022, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

8. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., Tli, 42°29′31″ N / 43°51′22″ E, 1860 m, 23- 25.07.2022, V. Rudoi, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

Result

Figure 1.Map of South Ossetia with collecting localities.

Figure 2.Butterflies of South Ossetia in Nature: 2. Parnassius apollo suaneticus Arnold, 1909, male, Dzaus Distr., Rachinsky Range, near Dodtota, 42°27′25″ N / 43°43′18″ E, 1750 m (photo by Aleksandr Streltzov)

Figure 3.Butterflies of South Ossetia in Nature: 3. Erebia aethiops melusina Herrich-Schäffer, 1847, male, Dzaus Distr., Tli, 42°29′31″ N / 43°51′22″ E, 1860 m (photo by Roman Yakovlev).

Conclusions

Thus, on the territory of South Ossetia 77 species of butterflies were reliably indicated. One of them (Parnassius nordmanni (Menetries, 1850) is known only from published data. For three species listed in the Red data Book (P. apollo, I. podalirius and P. machaon) we give the new localities. It is necessary to notice that P. apolloin the mid-mountain belt of the Rachinsky ridge is the dominant species. The relevance of including species with huge ranges, Iphiclides podalirius and Papilio machaon, in the Red Book of the region is also not obvious.

References

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