LEPIDOPTERA
PIERIDAE Duponchel,1835
COLIAS Fabricius,1807
Colias sareptensis Staudinger, 1871
Colias sareptensis sareptensis Staudinger,1871
•SYNONYMS: alfacariensis Ribbe, 1905; australis Verity, 1911.
• RANGE . Central and S. Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia across Middle Asia to China.
• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. In the areas under consideration, it is represented by the following very close subspecies: ssp. vihorlatensis Reissinger, 1989 - the Carpathians; ssp. remofa Reissinger, 1989 - the S. European part, the Caucasus Major and Minor; ssp. fontainei Reissinger, 1989 - the Armenian Highland, Talysh, Kopet-Dagh; ssp. saissanica Reissinger, 1989 - SE. Kazakhstan. The distribution of the species needs to be defined more accurately, as for a long time the taxon has been confused with C. hyale and C. poliographus.
• HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Being more thermophilic as compared to the previous species, it inhabits dry meadows, steppe patches, southern slopes of ravines and canyons, etc. Flight period: May-September in two generations. Common host plant (Reissinger, 1989): Hipocrepis comosa.
• SIMILAR SPECIES. C. erate: UPS dark border typically entire, without pale spots; FW apex pointed. C. hyale: UPS ground colour greenish-yellow; FW termen more or less straight. C. poliographus: UPS ground colour slightly greenish-yellow with black pattern heavier.
Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997