Callophrys paulae kolak Higgins, 1965

Ahmed, Soran H., Krupitsky, Anatoly V. & Majeed, Soma I., 2024, Two lycaenid butterfly species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) recorded as new for the fauna of Iraq, Zootaxa 5537 (1), pp. 147-150 : 147

Callophrys paulae kolak Higgins, 1965

( Fig. 1, 3 )

Material: 1 male, 1 female, Iraq, Erbil Governorate, Choman District, Halgurd Mountain , 36°44’50.3”N 44°50’48.8”E, 3077 m, 28.VI.2024, S.H. Ahmed & S.I. Majeed leg.

General distribution: Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan ( Krupitsky et al. 2015).

Diagnosis. Externally, this species can be easily distinguished from other Callophrys species of the region in question by the small androconial spot, forewing with straight outer margin, slightly serrated hindwing with poorly developed anal lobe and usually well-developed white postdiscal row of spots on the both wing undersides ( Krupitsky et al. 2015). Specimens from Iraq do not externally differ from those known from Hakkari Province ( Turkey) and the Iranian Zagros ( Fig. 2 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1–5. 1. Callophrys paulae kolak Higgins, 1965, male on Onobrychis cornuta (L.) Desv. (Fabaceae), Iraq, Erbil Governorate, Choman District, Halgurd Mountain, 36°44’50.3”N 44°50’48.8”E, 3077 m, 28.VI.2024 (photo by S. Ahmed). 2. Id., male on Onobrychis cornuta (L.) Desv. (Fabaceae), Iran, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Kuhrang env., Asal Keshan Pass, 32°35′44.6″N 49°57′44.35″E 3300 m, 15.VII.2023 (photo by A. Krupitsky). 3. Id., female, Iraq, Erbil Governorate, Choman District, Halgurd Mountain, 36°44’50.3”N 44°50’48.8”E, 3077 m, 28.VI.2024, S.H. Ahmed & S.I. Majeed leg. 4. Turanana cytis kurdistana Eckweiler, 1984, male, Iraq, Erbil Governorate, Choman District, Halgurd Mountain, 36°44’50.3”N 44°50’48.8”E, 3077 m, 28.VI.2024, S.H. Ahmed & S.I. Majeed leg. 5. General view of the habitat (Iraq, Erbil Governorate, Choman District, Halgurd Mountain).