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Post by jonathan on Jun 7, 2013 12:19:56 GMT -8
Hi people Is there anyone who can help me out with the identification of this Pseudochazara hippolyte subspecies from China please?  Thanks Regards Jonathan www.satyrinae.yolasite.com |
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Post by davemoore on Jun 7, 2013 13:55:23 GMT -8
The only race mentioned by Chou in Monographia rhopalocerorum sinensium 1990 is ssp pallida.
The figured examples look very similar to your specimen.
However I can't read Chinese, so any distributional data tagged to this taxon is unknown to me
Dave
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Post by lepidofrance on Jun 12, 2013 9:31:12 GMT -8
According Toropov and Zhdanko, it's P. hippolyte mercurius Staudinger, 1887 which is flying in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzistan (Tian Shan). According Kosterin & Gorbunov, the hippolyte subspecies flies in Altaï (non speaking about Spain and others westerns areas). Always in Altai, but at a higher elevation, flies subspecies pallida Staudinger, 1901. An other ssp., P. h. dorriesi Bang-Haas, 1933 is to be found in Tuva. See : Gorbunov & Kosterin, Butterflies of North Asia in nature, vol. II, page 265. There is a whole page about the morphological differences between these ssp. (see attached photos) Since biogeographical conditions are not so different in high Altai (Russia) and Gansu (China), we can presume that it's pallida in the two areas.   |
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Post by jonathan on Jun 12, 2013 11:28:04 GMT -8
Thanks a lot for the photos. Much appreciated :-)
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Post by lepidofrance on Jun 12, 2013 15:06:57 GMT -8
As far as I can tell (I'm not a biologist, I do not do analysis of mitochondrial DNA, I am an amateur), the book by Gorbunov & Kosterin is incomparable, and for anyone interested in Siberian and Asian Palaearctic fauna is essential. For Satyrinae (among other families), it is best to have and use and this book (two volumes) and booklets Collection Guide to the Butterflies of the Palearctic Region, Bozano editor.  |
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