Maculinea nausithous (Bergsträsser, [1779])

Kosterin, Oleg E., 2023, Early summer aspect of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Republic of Khakassia as examined in 2000, with some additional data, Amurian Zoological Journal XV (2), pp. 325-354 : 342

Maculinea nausithous (Bergsträsser, [1779])

Specimens: 2\NE Kopyovo, 1♂.

Maculinea teleius teleius (Bergsträsser,[1779])

Specimens: 1\NNE Parnaya, 3♂; 2\NE Kopyovo, 1♂, 1♀; 4\WNW Shira, 3♂, 1♀; 6\SE Efremkino, 1♀; 9\Terensug headwaters, 1♂; 13\Ona, 1 ♂, 1♀.

Maculinea kurentzovi Sibatani, Saigusa, Hirowatari, 1994

Specimens: 2\NE Kopyovo, 1♂; 3\NNE Kopyovo, 1♀.

Remarks: This species was rather recently described from the Russian Far East and Transbaikalia, with the diagnostic difference from M. teleius being the postdiscal spot in the space between veins Cu1 and Cu2 very strongly shifted basad, so breaking the row. Based on this character Dubatolov and Kosterin (1999) reported a male specimen of M. kurentzovi from the Abakan environs, 27 July 1974, in the SZMN ISEA collection. Sergey L. Nikolaev (pers. comm.) kindly shared photos of doubtless male specimens of M. kurentzovi in the same museum from two Khakassian localities: 2♂, Khakassia, the Sartaban River valley [near Abaza Town], 16– 18.07.1972, Y. Korshunov leg., and 2♂, Khakassia, Tashtyp District, the Sigirtup village environs, 7.07.2004, A. Nikolaev leg.; and, noteworthy, 4♂ and 5♂ of M. teleius with the same two labels, respectively. This implies that M. kurentzovi is widespread in Khakassia and co-occur with M. teleius (the same in the Kopyovo Village environs according to our data). Moreover, a male specimen of M. kurentzovi from “ Altai, Katun River, Ustyuba, 3.07.1902 (ISEA)” is illustrat- ed (as M. teleius obscurata ) in Tschikolovets et al. (2008: Plate VIII: 17). This photo may serve as an excellent illustration of M. kurentzovi from South Siberia.

This, however, does not exclude ano-ther interpretation, that ‘ M. kurentzovi ’ is in fact just a distinct morph of M. teleius , scattered over its Siberian and Far Eastern range. Since neither version, species versus morph, is still proved, I follow the former one as the currently accepted point of view.

Observations: This and two previous species of Maculinea were found in meadows, where Sanguisorba officinalis L. grows with which their early stage caterpillars are associated (later being transferred to ant nests) (Goubunov, Kosterin 2003). Imagines prefer to rest on its inflorescences as well.