Clossiana freija batchimeg, Churkin & Yakovlev, 2024

Churkin, Sergei V. & Yakovlev, Roman V., 2024, Short review of Clossiana freija (Thunberg, 1791) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) from Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia with the description of two new subspecies, Ecologica Montenegrina 71, pp. 101-111 : 107-111

Clossiana freija batchimeg ssp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8B7E3774-CD6E-4F40-B9A3-67A1343AFCC1

Figures 1 (upperside) —2 (underside): 10, 11, 12, 13.

Holotype: male, Mongolia, 30 km N Ulan-Bator, Sanzain am (valley), 21.05.2019, 1600−1700 m, T. Odbayar leg. Paratypes: 39 males, 19 females, same data, T. Odbayar leg.

Description

Holotype FW length 19 mm, male paratypes 18−20 mm, female paratypes 18−22 mm. Antennae, palpi, body coloration and hairs seem to have no taxonomically valuable characters, although lighter and brighter.

Male

Wings light-orange on upperside, bright, with sharp contrasting black pattern, typical of species.

FW: basal darkening developed, dense and narrow, spot in cell thickened, elongated with rounded edges, sometimes rounded (similar to pallida ), other spots with sharp contours, elongated. Spots of discal row fused together. Postdiscal row of spots complete, three upper spots of smaller size. Apex lightened, costal darkening between rows hardly visible, as a rule. Submarginal spots thin, V-shaped, or as thin triangles, space between them and wind edge shaped as continuous line of background color. Wing edge light, with narrow dark line at veins, fringe white, long, also darkened at veins (only rarely with thin black line going along all wing, fringe color here not changing).

HW on upperside of the same color as FW, darkened at root, lightened in median portion. Postdiscal spots vary in size and number, but usually pronounced, square or slightly rounded. Marginal pattern like that on FW.

FW underside light, pattern expressed.

HW underside: brown color remaining only basally, basic color of underside – reddish, light, sharp dark narrow strokes along median band, partially reduced. Postdiscal band spots reddish (not brown), wide reddish stripes along veins, except for light stroke in area of M3-Cu2. Marginal pattern also with reddish tint, submarginal light spots often narrowing like those of pallida , but with reddish tint.

Male genitalia (3 specimens studied): in general, gracile in comparison with those of other subspecies, uncus variable, usually distinctly shorter and thinner, dorsal process of valvae apically extended, with fan of long hairs. Valva without sharp angle between basal and distal portions but in the same time sharply narrowing into long thin prong curved inside, almost not extended at apex, only with 1-2 tiny dorsal teeth. Aedeagus of medium size, noticeably bigger than in butterflies from Khangai Mts., but not that big as in those from Transbaikalia and Yakutia.

Female

Wings noticeably wider, general color similar to that of male, only slighter lighter, spots of postdiscal row in general more developed.

Diagnosis

The new subspecies sharply differ from any known form of C. freija , first of all, in the wings color and pronounced fringe, and also in the valvae structure (without the sharp outer angle, characteristic of the pallida-calais complex, but with the valva very narrow distally, without the noticeable extension at the tip – this shape is rarely found in the nominative subspecies and is completely uncharacteristic for the species as a whole).

From the upperside, the butterflies are bright, with sharp pattern not fused into whole, and not reticulated, unlike ssp. freija and ssp. pallida . The indicated difference in the valva and uncus characters can signify that the subspecies status is not final for the new taxon. Nevertheless, the forms similar to the classical freija , are found, though rarely ( Figs 1−2 : 13).

Distribution and biology

Known only from the type locality situated at the remote western edges of Khentei Mts. Flies at clearings with bushes of Betula nana L. and in the larch forest ( Larix sp. ) together with Callophris rubi L. and Lycaena helle Den. & Schif.

One specimen originated from Bogdo Mt. (southern Ulan-Bator) definitely belonging to this taxon is figured in “Butterflies of Mongolia” ( Tshikolovets et al, 2009a: XLIII: 20). At the same time, typical freija (form jakutensis ) is figured in Igarashi’s book on the fig. 112, numbers 1−2, “Bayanchandman” and “ Ulan-Bator ” ( Igarashi et al. 2001) – we can not explain this weird fact, but it might be a simple misprint.

Etymology

The subspecies is named after Batchimeg Bayar, the wife of our friend and well known Mongolian biologist Odbayar Tserenpil (Ulan-Bator).

Discussion

The following subspecies can be distinguished in the study area:

1) pallida – Altai, Mongolian Altai, Western Sayans (partly), SW Tuva, Southern Khangai (populations from the Southern Altai and, apparently, the western macroslope of the Mongolian Altai are characterized by a more saturated reddish tint of the background color) ;

2) calais – Eastern Sayans, Eastern Tuva; for Western Sayans additional confirmation is required;

3) freija – from Northern Europe to the Sea of Okhotsk, Magadan and Transbaikalia, in the eastern part of the area – the form jakutensis with basally darkened wings in the females;

4) batchimeg – Central Mongolia , vicinity of Ulaanbaatar ;

5) antipodes – Eastern Kazakhstan, Saur ridge.

The examination of genitalia shows the subspecies differences with unusual variability, which requires serious study. Most likely, we should not be talking about species statuses, but about the fact that we are currently observing the hybridization of several taxa that have sharply diverged in characters, but have retained the possibility of mutual crossing.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to V. Tuzov (Darwin State Museum, Moscow), K. Kolesnichenko (Moscow State University) and N. Rubin (Grodno) for the advices and assistance during the work. Separate gratitude to B. Khramov (S.- Petersburg) and S. Kovalev ( Dolgoprudnyi , Moscow reg.) for the help with material .

We are grateful to Anna Ustjuzhanina (Tomsk, Russia) for language improvements. The reported study was funded by state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Project FZMW-2023-0006 “Endemic, local and invasive arthropods (Arthropoda) of the mountains of South Siberia and Central Asia: a unique gene pool of a biodiversity hotspot”).

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Figures

Figure 1. Clossiana freija, adult specimens (upperside): 1 – Clossiana freija antipodes ssp. nova, holotype, male, East Kazakhstan, Saur Mts., Tas Mt., 2600−2850 m, 25−30.06.2003, K. Dovgailo & N. Rubin leg.; 2 – C. f. antipodes ssp. nova, paratype, female, same data as 1; 3 – C. f. antipodes ssp. nova, paratype, male, East Kazakhstan, Saur Mts., Karagaily R. (upper stream), Shakpaktas Mt., 2400−2700 m, 10-15.06.2006, K. Dovgailo leg.; 4 – C. f. pallida, male, Russia, Altai, Kuraisky Mts., Kurai vic., 27.06.1995, A. Aniskovich leg.; 5 – C. f. pallida, female, same data as 4; 6 – C. f. pallida, male, Mongolia, Mongol Altai, SE edges, 30 km S Biger somon, 2700−3000 m, 20.06.2003, S. Churkin leg.; 7 – C. f. calais, male, Russia, Tuva, Khoromnug-Taiga, south.sl., Ukar-Khem r., 31.05.2010, S. Vaschenko leg.; 8 – C. f. calais, female, same data as 7; 9 – C. f. pallida, female, Kazakhstan, South Altai, Sarym-Sakty Mts., Sarym-Sakty r. (upp. stream), 2800-3000 m, 20-24.06.1998, S. Churkin leg.; 10 – Clossiana freija batchimeg ssp. nova, holotype, male, Mongolia, 30 km N Ulan-Bator, Sanzain am (valley), 21.05.2019, 1600-1700 m, T. Odbayar leg.; 11 – C. f. batchimeg ssp. nova, paratype, female, same data as 10; 12 – C. f.batchimeg ssp. nova, paratype, male, same data as 10; 13 – C. f. batchimeg ssp. nova, paratype, male, same data as 10; 14 – C. f. freija, male, Russia, Chita reg. [Zabaikalskyi Krai], North Transbaikalia, Kodar Mts., B. Leprindo Lake, 1100-1300 m, 21.07.2001, A. Aniskovich; 15 – C. f. freija, female, same data as 14.

Figure 2. Clossiana freija, adult specimens (underside): 1 – Clossiana freija antipodes ssp. nova, holotype, male, East Kazakhstan, Saur Mts., Tas Mt., 2600−2850 m, 25−30.06.2003, K. Dovgailo & N. Rubin leg.; 2 – C. f. antipodes ssp. nova, paratype, female, same data as 1; 3 – C. f. antipodes ssp. nova, paratype, male, East Kazakhstan, Saur Mts., Karagaily R. (upper stream), Shakpaktas Mt., 2400−2700 m, 10-15.06.2006, K. Dovgailo leg.; 4 – C. f. pallida, male, Russia, Altai, Kuraisky Mts., Kurai vic., 27.06.1995, A. Aniskovich leg.; 5 – C. f. pallida, female, same data as 4; 6 – C. f. pallida, male, Mongolia, Mongol Altai, SE edges, 30 km S Biger somon, 2700−3000 m, 20.06.2003, S. Churkin leg.; 7 – C. f. calais, male, Russia, Tuva, Khoromnug-Taiga, south.sl., Ukar-Khem r., 31.05.2010, S. Vaschenko leg.; 8 – C. f. calais, female, same data as 7; 9 – C. f. pallida, female, Kazakhstan, South Altai, Sarym-Sakty Mts., Sarym-Sakty r. (upp. stream), 2800-3000 m, 20-24.06.1998, S. Churkin leg.; 10 – Clossiana freija batchimeg ssp. nova, holotype, male, Mongolia, 30 km N Ulan-Bator, Sanzain am (valley), 21.05.2019, 1600-1700 m, T. Odbayar leg.; 11 – C. f. batchimeg ssp. nova, paratype, female, same data as 10; 12 – C. f.batchimeg ssp. nova, paratype, male, same data as 10; 13 – C. f. batchimeg ssp. nova, paratype, male, same data as 10; 14 – C. f. freija, male, Russia, Chita reg. [Zabaikalskyi Krai], North Transbaikalia, Kodar Mts., B. Leprindo Lake, 1100-1300 m, 21.07.2001, A. Aniskovich; 15 – C. f. freija, female, same data as 14.