Plebejus argyrognomon mongolicus Grum-Grshimailo, 1993

Kosterin, Oleg E., 2023, Early summer aspect of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Republic of Khakassia as examined in 2000, with some additional data, Amurian Zoological Journal XV (2), pp. 325-354 : 345-346

Plebejus argyrognomon mongolicus Grum-Grshimailo, 1993

Specimens: 1\NNE Parnaya, 3♂.

Remarks: In South Siberia, two types of this species are recognised, — (i) the larger with larger submarginal orange lunules on UNH and clearer blue male UPS and female UPS without blue suffusion, and (ii) the smaller with smaller orange spots, somewhat darker male UPS, usually with dark submarginal spots between veins on UPH, and female UPS often with a blue suffusion. Although in Buryatia they were found to co-occur, to develop on different hostplants (the larger form on Lathyrus amoena and the smaller one on Astragalus laguroides Lam. ) and to have shift- ed flight periods ( Gorbunov, Kosterin 2003), they are currently assumed as subspecies, respectively associated with the names P. argyrognomon mongolicus and A. agryrognomon transbaicalensis (Kurentzov, 1970) (Gorbunov 2001; Gorbunov, Kosterin 2003; Tschikolovets et al. 2008). Their distribution was outlined incorrectly in Gorbunov (2001) and inadequately (with inner contradiction) in Gorbunov and Kosterin (2003), while Tschikolovets et al. (2008) presented the current notion of their distribution rather well, which is however strange: P. a. mongolicus occurs in Altai and in West Buryatia while P. a. transbaikalensis in the Nazarovo-Minusinsk Depression and Tuva in between. However, in the cited source, the specimens from the Parnaya Village environs considered here were misidentified as P. a. transbaikalensis, most probably just because of their geographical provenance. However, these males were large and with clear UPS and so unequivocally identifiable as P. a. mongolicus. On the other hand, it was the small P. a. transbaikalensis which was reported for the steppes of Khakassia ( Gorbunov, Kosterin 2003). We failed to find them but, taken together, the reported facts suggest that both subspecies (?) occur in the Nazarovo-Minusinsk Depression, as reflected in Sinev (2019).

Observations: Found on meadows at upper part of slopes of the hilly crest where V. unijuga and V. amoena dominated, thus confirming attribution of these butterflies to Plebejus argyrognomon mongolicus according to Gorbunov & Kosterin (2003).

Neptis rivularis magnata Heyne in Rühl, 1895 Specimens: 1\NNE Parnaya, 1♂; 3\NNE Kopyovo, 1 spec.; 6\SE Efremkino, 1 spec.; 9\ Terensug headwaters, 6 spec.

Visual registrations: 4\WNW Shira, 2 ind. Observations: A tamnophilous species preferring forest margins and open tree stands.