LEPIDOPTERA

• S A T Y R I D A E Boisduval, 1833

  • HYPONEPHELE Mushamp, 1915

    
    

    • Hyponephele naricina (Staudinger, 1870)

Hyponephele naricina (Staudinger, 1870)

· TYPE LOCALITY. "Halbinsel Mangyschlak" [Mangyshlak Peninsula, W. Kazakhstan].

· RANGE. Turkey, Iran, Transcaucasia and Turkmenia eastwards across Kazakh-stan, the desert to semi-desert areas of Afghanistan and N. Tian-Shan (the Issyk-Kul Depression) to E. Tian-Shan, Dzhungaria and Zaisan. A local population is known also from Inner Tian-Shan (the Fergansky Mts.).

· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The distribution of the species requires clarification, because in the past this taxon was often treated as a subspecies of H. narica. In some areas of Middle Asia, both species are known to occur sympatrically.

· HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. A typical species of desert and semi-desert sandy habitats; in the mountains and at foothills, it is associated with sunny places with xerophytic vegetation up to 1,400-1,800 m a.s.l. Flight period: June-July.

· SIMILAR SPECIES. H. narica: FW apex pointed; androconial area broad, as a rule; UNH veins whitish and median band conspicuous. H. naricoides: larger; black-brown margins and androconial area broader; male apical eye-spot larger; UPF in both sexes with a conspicuous dark spot at end of cell and with an obscure brown median band at costal edge; UNH veins grey; female UPS ochreous-yellow ground colour darkened, especially so at base, and with a conspicuous brown angled median line. H. fusca: larger; black-brown margins and androconial area broader; FW median band conspicuous; UNH veins whitish.

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