Parnassius phoebus khangai, Churkin & Yakovlev, 2025

Churkin, Sergei V. & Yakovlev, Roman V., 2025, Taxonomic notes on Parnassius phoebus (Fabricius, 1793) (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) with the descriptions of two new subspecies, Ecologica Montenegrina 83, pp. 152-165 : 156-159

3. Parnassius phoebus khangai ssp. nova.

Fig. 2: 1−4 (upperside); 13−14 (underside).

Holotype: male, Mongolia, Bayanhongor aimak, Khangai Mts., Tuin-gol R., Erdeneztogt somon, 2300– 2500 m, 21− 23.07.2009, Ts. Odbayar leg.

The holotype is deposited in the collection of SDM, inventory number: main collection ОФ 20925 - 005.

Paratypes: 49 males, 21 females, same data ; 10 males, 4 females, Mongolia, Bayanhongor aimak, Khangai Mts., 45 km N Bayan-Knohgor, Tuin-gol R., 2200–2500 m, 21− 25.07.2002, S. Churkin & V. Pletnev leg. ; 1 male, 1 female, same loc., 2000 m, 18.07.2003, S. Churkin leg.; 5 males, 2 females, Mongolia, Bayanhongor aimak, Khangai Mts., Tuin-gol R. (upper stream), 2600–3000 m, 26. 07. 2002, S. Churkin & V. Pletnev leg. ; 9 males, 1 female, Mongolia, Bayanhongor aimak, Khangai Mts., Tuin-gol R., 23 km W Erdeneztogt somon, 2500 m, 24.07.2009, Ts. Odbayar leg. ; 6 males, 3 females, Mongolia, Archangai aimak, NW Khangai Mts., 80 km WNW Tzetzerleg, Chuluut r., 2000 m, 28.06.2000 ; 11 males, 6 females, Mongolia, Zavkhan aimak, W. Khangai, Arshantyn r., 2700−3000 m, 23− 28.06.2004, S. Churkin leg.

Description

Holotype FW length – 32 mm, male paratypes 26−34 mm, female paratypes – 27−35 mm.

Antennae, palpi and body colouration seem to have no taxonomically valuable characters.

Male.

The wings are clear white above with noticeable darkened veins.

FW: translucent marginal band dense and blackish. The fringes are blackish with barely noticeable lightening between the veins. The submarginal row consists of well-dense narrow, sometimes arched, non-contrasting spots, M2−M3 spot is slightly shifted towards the base. The whitish submarginal spots between marginal band and submarginal row are narrow, the upper 3−4 spots are often isolated from each other, the costal spot is shifted towards the base. There is no obvious widening of the spots in the lower part of this row (if these spots are expressed). Black spots in the cell and at its end are contrasting and of normal size. In the postdiscal row, two costal spots are developed, the upper one sometimes reddish.

HW with dense basal-anal black suffusion and two red spots. The size of these spots is small, 1.5−2.0 mm in diameter, sometimes 2.5 mm in diameter, usually without white dots inside.

Underside: size of the spots is slightly smaller than on the upper surface. Red spots are sometimes lightened inside. A spot with a red patch is developed in the postdiscal zone Cu2−2A.

Four reddish basal spots are developed on the HW.

Variability is usual for the species: rarely a border with poorly distinguishable lightening between the veins, sometimes the submarginal band is partially reduced, sometimes thickened. The size of the red spots is slightly variable.

Some specimens with developed submarginal row of blackish spots on the HW upperside.

Female.

General pattern as in male, but all spots are enlarged, upperside discal surface often with diffuse, dark suffusion. The marginal band is wider than in males and extends to the anal angle. The submarginal dark row is also enlarged and stretched to the end of the wing – forming, together with the marginal band, a number of narrow light internal spots. Costal submarginal spots are enlarged, reddish with a somewhat diffuse rings around. An additional black spot is developed in the submarginal zone from the anal edge of the FW. The postdiscal zone is darkened, sometimes in the form of additional blackish spots.

HW: the red spots are larger, sometimes with barely noticeable white strokes inside. The submarginal dark pattern is always developed and non-contrasting. Two small anal-cubital blackish spots.

On the underside, basal red spots are fully developed, 1−2 additional postdiscal spots with red centers.

Variability. There is no form with a completely blackened postdiscal area, some specimens have a diffuse gray-black suffusion, like butterflies from the Mongolian Altai Mts. ( ssp. tsenguun ).

Diagnosis.

Males are similar to sedakovii males, smaller than fortuna, red spots on the HW are smaller, the submarginal band on the FW is blurred, arcuate spots are rare and non-contrasting if developed, the upper light submarginal spot is sharply shifted towards the base, the lower submarginal spots are barely widened, if developed.

Females are different from females of all close subspecies – the main form without dense complete darkening of the entire postdiscal area on the FW and the main part of the HW. This darkening leaves a loose diffuse spot and a number of vague submarginal spots. Let us remind that pictured here female of badmaevi belongs to the light form, which, according to the original description, constitutes no more than 5% in this form ( Fig 2: 10). In the type series of the new subspecies, no forms similar to the typical fortuna were found at all, and the light form in this population are smoky females resembling tsenguun or alpestris . In addition, females of the new subspecies are distinguished by a clearly smaller size of red spots, which are no larger than those of sedakovii.

The subspecies of the sedakovii group are poorly differentiated, but none of them can be completely reduced to the neighboring one without losing part of the biological meaning contained in each of the taxa.

Etymology. Toponimic name.

Bionomics. Mountain slopes, usually with rock outcrops, of varying steepness. At low altitudes in the valley of the river Tuin-gol flies together with P. nomion Fischer von Waldheim, 1823 , the food plant for both species – Orostachys sp. ( Crassulaceae ). Hybridization has been noted, and it is this, in our opinion, that leads to the appearance of males with an additional submarginal row of blackish spots on the HW in a variety of Khangai populations, but especially in Tuin-Gol ( Churkin 2004). The populations from the flattened ridge of the mountain range (altitudes up to 3000 m) are statistically smaller and darker, but no significant differences are observed.

We have at our disposal several not fresh males from the northern macroslope ( 40 km south of Tsetserleg), similar to fortuna.

1 – Parnassius phoebus phoebus , male, Russia, Altai, Seminsky Mts., Shebalino vic., 16.06.1992, S. Dialektov leg.

2 – P. p. phoebus , male, same loc., 1000 m, 12.06.1979, V. Kipnis leg.

3 – P. p. phoebus , female, same data as 1.

4 – P. p. phoebus , female, same data as 2.

5 – P. p. vaschenkoi, male, paratype, Russia, Tuva, East Tanuoa Mts. (southern sl.), Samagaltai vic., 1− 3.06.2001, S. Vaschenko leg.

6 – P. p. vaschenkoi, female, paratype, same data as 5.

7 – P. p. vaschenkoi, female (rare form), paratype, same data as 5.

8 – P. p. vaschenkoi, female, Mongolia, Darkhat valley (western from Khuvsgul), Dood-Nur L., 9.07.1966, V. Soljanikov leg.

9 – Parnassius phoebus sedakovii , male, Russia, Buryatia, East Sayan, Mondy vic., Khulugaisha Mt. , 2100 m, 15− 23.06.2002, S. Obukhov leg.

10 – P. p. sedakovii, male, same loc., 2400 m, 24− 25.06.2002, S. Obukhov leg.

11 – P. p. sedakovii, female, same data as 1.

12 – P. p. sedakovii, female, same data as 2.

13 – P. p. fortuna, male, Mongolia, S from Khuvsgul L., Olkhon loc., 50°06ʹN;100°03ʹE, 1700 m, 2−4.07, 2006, Ts. Odbayar leg.

14 – P. p. fortuna, male, same data as 5.

15 – P. p. fortuna, female, same data as 5.

16 – P. p. fortuna, female, same data as 5.

Distribution. Khangai Range. From the north and east the distribution area borders on the area of fortuna. The characters of females show that until recently, there has been possible the exchange of genes with populations of tsenguun inhabiting the southeastern ridges of the Mongolian Altai system. The latter fact is reliably confirmed by the presence on the southern macroslope of many taxa from the south of Mongolia, while the fauna of the northern macroslope is as close as possible to the fauna of East Sayan and Dauria.

We have at our disposal a small series collected by V. Soljanikov in the southwest of the Khangai ridge ( 6 males, 3 females, W. Khangai Mts. , Khukhu Nuur L., 20− 22.07.1966). The females are much lighter in color; there are specimens very reminiscent of vaschenkoi with bright spots and almost no dusting ( Fig. 2: 11). The status of this population need further study .