Chrysozephyrus brillantinus (Staudinger, 1887)

Koshkin, Evgeny S., Bezborodov, Vitaly G. & Kuzmin, Aleksandr A., 2021, Range dynamics of some nemoral species of Lepidoptera in the Russian Far East due to climate change, Ecologica Montenegrina 45, pp. 62-71 : 65

Chrysozephyrus brillantinus (Staudinger, 1887) ( Figs 2B, C )

Material examined. 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Russia, Khabarovsk Kray, Khabarovsk district, 2 km S Voronezhskoe –1 village, 48°36'08" N, 135°03'35" E, 180 m, 14– 16.07.2021 (E.S. Koshkin leg.) .

Remarks. For a long time, Ch. brillantinus had been known in Russia only for the southern Primorsky Kray. In 2007 and 2008, it was first discovered in the Khabarovsk Kray. Four specimens were collected in the area south of Khabarovsk (foothills of the Bolshoi Khekhtsir Ridge, vicinity of the 20 th kilometer of the Khabarovsk –Vladivostok highway, 48°17'36" N, 135°04'01" E, 200 m) on a section of a dirt road passing through a broad-leaved oak forest ( Koshkin & Streltzov 2007; Koshkin 2009). Nowadays, this habitat has been destroyed as a section of the A-370 «Ussuri» highway built in 2019 passes through it. No new data on occurrence of the species in the Khabarovsk Kray have been reported so far. In July 2021, a population was found near Voronezh Hills, north of Khabarovsk city ( Fig. 1 ). Four specimens were collected on a dirt road in a broad-leaved oak forest within two days (July 14 and 16, 2021) in the period between 11.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. Importantly, Voronezh Hills have been a favorite place among Khabarovsk entomologists for collecting butterflies for about half a century. However, Ch. brillantinus has never been found here. The new location lies 35 km north of the previous one. The new find indicates that this rare species is slowly settling in the southern Khabarovsk Kray. The extension of its range is apparently limited by climatic factors only, since the host plant of larvae ( Quercus mongolica ) is widespread in the southern part of the Russian Far East, being one of the edificator species in broad-leaved forests.

SPHINGIDAE

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution records of the some nemoral species of Lepidoptera in the southern part of the Amur region (Russia).

Figure 2. Some species of Lepidoptera from Amur region (Russia): A – Lobocla bifasciata, 1.07.2021; B, C – Chrysozephyrus brillantinus, 16.07.2021; D – Clanis undulosa, 30.06.2021; E – Acosmeryx naga, 3.07.2021; F – Ambulyx tobii, 1.07.2021; G – Rhagastis mongoliana, 3.07.2021; H, I, J – Siglophora sanguinolenta (H, I –25– 27.07.2021, J – live specimen, 9.09.2021). A, B, D–J – upperside, C – underside. A–H, J – males, I – female. Localities: A – 7 km N Tarmanchukan; B, C – 2 km S Voronezhskoe–1; D, F, H–J – 8 km SE Boitsovo; E – Mokhovaya Pad’; G – 4.5 km NW Rachi.