Erebia kefersteinii ( Eversmann, 1851 )

Churkin, Sergei V., Yakovlev, Roman V. & Lvovsky, Alexandr L., 2022, Lectotypes of Erebia kefersteinii (Eversmann, 1851), Clossiana selenis (Eversmann, 1837), Melitaea arcesia Bremer, 1861 and holotype of Melitaea baikalensis Bremer, 1861 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 55, pp. 17-25 : 17-19

Erebia kefersteinii ( Eversmann, 1851)

Bull. Soc. imp. Nat. Moscou 24 (2): 610–611

Originally published as “ Hipparchia (Erebia) kefersteinii “

Type locality after Eversmann: “…Siberie orientale.”

Two syntypes, male and female, were found in the former Eversmann collection in ZISP. At least 4 more subspecies are known, thus, to preserve the stability of zoological nomenclature, it is important to have the name-bearing type of the taxon fixed by the lectotype designation .

Lectotype ( Figs 1–3 ): female, forewing length 18 mm, with three original labels:

- printed label "coll Eversmann" [Eversmann’s collection];

- small handwritten rectangular label "Irkutzk" [Irkutsk] (certainly, Eversmann’s hand);

- small rectangular label with two words written illegibly (we spent a lot of time searching different old maps of the region trying to understand the name of the locality and even asking the help of the Irkutsk History Museum but all efforts were without any success).

We add the red label “ LECTOTYPUS / Hipparchia (Erebia) / kefersteinii Eversmann ,/ 1851 S.CHURKIN et al. des.“

The specimen has no antennae (except the part of the right one), the coloration is fully similar to the description, full series of the blackish dots are situated on the fore- and hindwings.

Paralectotype ( Figs 4–6 ): male, forewing length 18.2 mm, all labels are the same as under the lectotype. The specimen is not fresh and partly damaged (left forewing and both hindwings with some chips).

We add the red label “ PARALECTOTYPUS / Hipparchia (Erebia) / kefersteinii Eversmann ,/ 1851 S.CHURKIN et al. des.“

Type locality

Unfortunately, the true name of the collecting locality is written illegibly. Undoubtedly, this place is located somewhere on the road to Baikal, only one available road here at that times.

In addition, we found in ZISP collection a small series of the specimens from Erschoff collection, also very old specimens collected in 1878, some are with the reddish label “ Irkutsk ”. Some butterflies have additional label “Kultuk” and only one has the four-fold paper with the explanation: «село Култук, дорога на Хамар- Дабан» (Kultuk village, road to Khamar-Daban”) ( Figs 7–8 ). All these specimens are not the types, but look very similar to those, and it is very possible that it were collected according to the information where the first known kefersteinii were caught. Worth to note that Kultuk is situated at the mentioned Baikal road, it was well-known collecting place .

Thus, the type locality is not far from Kultuk vicinity, NW Baikal Lake , Irkutsk reg .

Status and notes

The species demonstrates obvious geographical clines and forms, which are masked by individual variability. The butterflies from the Altai have clear reddish hue and short median band. The butterflies from the Khamar-Daban and the East Sayan have broader median band and clearly yellowish with reduced reddish hue (i.e. belong to the nominate taxon) while the West Sayan and Tuva populates by the specimens with all variants of mixed colouration. The representatives of ssp. amica Churkin, 1999 from the most eastern point of the distribution area – the Barguzinsky Range – are characterized by reddish coloration as the specimens from the Altai, but usually have broad band as the specimens from the Khamar-Daban and the East Sayan .

We are able to figure here the good colored photo of the paratypes of this taxon ( Figs 9–15 , one male and two females).

Two subspecies – ssp. kholsunica Lukhtanov, 1990 (type locality – South Altai, Kholzun range) and ssp. otteni Murzin & Sinayev, 2003 (type locality – Kuznetskyi Alatau) are characterised by the reduced black dots.

The simple idea that butterflies from high altitudes have reduced dots is wrong: the type series of otteni without the spots and the type series of amica with full number of spots were collected at the same altitudes.

In such a situation it is impossible to unite all known geographical forms under one subspecies name, but true system of the subspecies is needed in revision.

Figures

Figures 1−15. Erebia kefersteinii Eversmann, 1851, adult specimens and labels: 1. E. kefersteinii, lectotype, female, upperside (ZISP); 2. E. kefersteinii, lectotype, female, underside (ZISP); 3. E. kefersteinii, lectotype, labels; 4. E. kefersteinii, paralectotype, female, upperside (ZISP); 5. E. kefersteinii, paralectotype, female, underside (ZISP); 6. E. kefersteinii, paralectotype, labels; 7. E. kefersteinii, male, Kultuk village, road to Khamar-Daban, upperside (ZISP); 8. E. kefersteinii, male, labels; 9. E. kefersteinii amika, paratype, male, upperside (coll. S. Churkin, Reutov); 10. E. kefersteinii amika, paratype, male, underside (coll. S. Churkin, Reutov); 11. E. kefersteinii amika, paratype, female, upperside (coll. S. Churkin, Reutov); 12. E. kefersteinii amika, paratype, female, underside (coll. S. Churkin, Reutov); 13. E. kefersteinii amika, paratype, female, upperside (coll. S. Churkin, Reutov); 14. E. kefersteinii amika, paratype, female, underside (coll. S. Churkin, Reutov); 15. E. kefersteinii amika, labels.