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LEPIDOPTERA

Apatura metis Freyer, 1829
Apatura metis Freyer, 1829

•TYPE LOCALITY. «Syrmien» [Gebiet zwischen Donau und Save, Kroatien/Wojwodina] (Varga, 1978).

•RANGE. From S. Europe to W. Siberia and from E. Transbaikalia to NE. China, Korea and Japan.

•DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The ssp. bunea Herrich-Schaffer, [1845] (= gertraudis Stichel, [1909]; = oberthueri Le Moult, 1947) inhabits the S. European part of Russia and the N. slopes of the Caucasus Major. The ssp. irtyshika Korshunov, 1982 occurs in W. Siberia. The ssp. separata Tuzov,^ 2000 lives in Transbaikalia. From Korea, the ssp. heyona Matsumura, 1928 (= gracilis 0. Bang-Haas, 1936; = asiaticaLe Moult, 1947; = mireiLe Moult, 1947) has been described. to which the populations from the Amur and Ussuri regions are likely to belong. In the Kuriles, the ssp. doii Matsumura, 1928 is known to occur, which is very close to the mainland taxon. Populations from Japan belong to the ssp. substituta Butler, 1873 (= gifuensis Matsumura, = takanonis Matsumura, 1919, = yanagawensis Matsumura, 1928, =japonicaLe Moult, 1947). It is noteworthy that most of the species' forms display yellow bands on the wings. Forms with white bands are common in A. ilia, reddish bands in A. metis. The morphs of the European subspecies of A. metis with white bands are referred to as coelestina Grum-Grshimailo, 1884, of the Ussuri subspecies as krylovi Kurentzov, 1937 (= abramovi Kurentzov, 1970).

•HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Osier-beds along rivers and streams. Flight period: July to August, usually in one, sometimes two generations. Host plants in the Ussuri region: Salix schwermii, in the European part, most probably Salix daphnoides. Hibernation as instar 3 larvae.

•SIMILAR SPECIES. Apatura iris: tooth on median band of UPH well-developed. A. ilia: median band of UPH not continuing behind vein Cua; submarginal lunules vague, anal ocellus on UNH with blue scales, as a rule.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 2. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 2000