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LEPIDOPTERA

Colias erschoffii erschoffii Alpheraky, 1881

Colias erschoffii

• TYPE LOCALITY."...dans une gorge du Tian-Chian, a 5000' d'altitude; ...de la vallee du Kounguesse; ...pres de I'Archane, a 7000'; ...pres de la riviere Tsangma, affluent important gauche du Kounguesse a une altitude de 4500' environ". Later, Alpheraky (1891) indicated the type locality as lying in China: E. Tian-Shan, Kuldzha, Kunges River, Sharbugchi Gorge.
• RANGE . N. and E. Tian-Shan.
• HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Steppe-supporting slopes at 1,300-2,500 m a.s.l. Flight period: June-July. Host plant: Astragalus.
• SIMILAR SPECIES. C. poliographus: UPS ground colour uniform greenish-yellow; HW yellow discal spot rounded, not tridentate. C. crate: smaller; UPS dark border without pale spots.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997