Superflua Strand, 1910

Krupitsky, Anatoly V., Pljushtch, Igor G. & Pak, Oleg V., 2015, Taxonomic notes on the genus Satyrium Scudder, 1876 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) of Afghanistan with description of two new taxa, Zootaxa 3985 (3), pp. 421-431 : 423

Subgenus Superflua Strand, 1910

All collected Superflua specimens belong to the widely distributed Satyrium (Superflua) sassanides ( Kollar, 1849) —species group which includes tailed butterflies with well-developed white postdiscal line on hindwing underside: complex of species from Iranian Highland— S. (S.) sassanides and S. (S.) persepolis Eckweiler & ten Hagen, 2003, recently described S. (S.) turkmanica Churkin & Pletnev, 2010 from Turkmenian Kopet Dagh mountains, Middle and Central Asian S. (S.) mirabilis ( Erschoff, 1874) , S. (S.) zabirovi Churkin & Pletnev, 2010 and S. (S.) muksuria Churkin & Pletnev, 2010 , and Himalayan S. (S.) deria ( Moore, 1865) ( Weidenhoffer et al. 2004; Churkin & Pletnev 2010).

Specimens from the two Superflua populations collected in the foothills near Kabul (Qargha and Paghman) at mid altitude (1900 m) at the end of May–June 2010–2012 have traits of rather typical S. (S.) mirabilis . This species is widely distributed in Middle and Central Asia and was formerly treated as a subspecies of S. (S.) sassanides , but studies conducted by Weidenhoffer et al. (2004) proved its specific status. Studies by Eckweiler & ten Hagen (2003) and Weidenhoffer et al. (2004) outlined distribution of S. (S.) sassanides by mountains of South-West Iran ( Fars Province).

S. (S.) mirabilis was already reported for Afghanistan by Sakai (1981) (under the name sassanides ) but in fact only two specimens pictured in the book belong to S. (S.) mirabilis (col. plate 46, figs. 3, 6), while two others (specimens from Bala Quran, NE Hindu Kush Mts., Badakhshan Prov.) clearly belong to S. (S.) deria , which is characterized by the absence of androconial patch on the male forewing and in the colour pattern on the hindwing underside. Weidenhoffer et al. (2004) also mentioned the latter species for Bala Quran. One specimen pictured in the book on butterflies of Afghanistan ( Sakai 1981) (col. plate 46, fig. 3) was mentioned by Charmeaux (2004) as a “ paratype ” of S. (S.) khowari Charmeaux, 2004 , which he described from Chitral (North Pakistan). Weidenhoffer et al. (2004) synonymized the latter species with S. (S.) mirabilis on a base of external and genital similarity of a paratype of S. (S.) khowari with specimens of S. (S.) mirabilis , but Churkin & Pletnev (2010) suppose that S. (S.) khowari is not synonymous with S. (S.) mirabilis . Analysis of the genitalia of the specimens collected near Kabul showed their similarity with typical S. (S.) mirabilis from Middle Asia. Thus there are two described species of the subgenus Superflua known from the territory of Afghanistan so far— S. (S.) mirabilis and S. (S.) deria .

Specimens collected in Band-e Amir (Bamyan Province) at higher altitudes (about 3000 m) in July–August 2009–2013, along with a single female from Koh-i-Baba Mts., have unique combination of external characters and genitalia, which allow to describe this population as a new species belonging to Iranian complex of Satyrium (Superflua) .