LEPIDOPTERA
PIERIDAE Duponchel,1835
COLIAS Fabricius,1807
Colias hyperborea Grum-Grshimailo, 1899
Colias hyperborea kurnakovi Kurentzov, 1970
• RANGE . From the Sayan Mts. to the Chukot Peninsula.
• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Along with the nominate subspecies, which is distributed in NE. Siberia to the Chukot Region, the ssp. tunkuna Austaut, 1912 is known from the Sayan Mts., but its subspecific status requires confirmation, as well as that of the ssp. kurnakovi Kurentzov, 1970 from the Magadan Region.
• HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Pebbly and precipitous places in river valleys, also steppe mountain slopes. Flight period: June-July. Host plants (Gorbunov, Korshunov, 1995): Astragalus spp.
• SIMILAR SPECIES. C. viluiensis: UPS ground colour reddish-orange; UPH without androconial spot. C. hecia: UPS ground colour yellow-orange with dark border differently shaped.
Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997