Lycaena panope (Eversmann, 1851)

Morgun, Dmitry V., 2013, Notes on the Paleophilotes (Inderskia) panope (Eversmann, 1851) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), a rare and little known lycaenid taxon for Europe, Zootaxa 3619 (5), pp. 595-600 : 596

Biology of P. panope

The European micropopulation represents the early spring phenological complex of butterflies: the imagines fly from the end of April till the mid May. Both sexes were observed in the early May. The oviposition was observed in May 2–3 and no specimens were found in the middle of May. By contrast, fresh male specimens were found in Aktolagai higher levels till the middle of May, representing the spring and late spring phenological complex. The oviposition was observed on the calyx of A. lasiophyllus . Females chose the dense thickets of Astragalus , growing in depressions in open takyr areas, sat down at the whorls of leaves, moved to the flower and laid three to five eggs on the calyx ( Lvovsky, Morgun, 2007). Imagines met on the slopes of Aktolagai and plain populations are different in their behavior. At takyr, adults fly low and fast over land, mostly along the edge and sagebrush thickets of Astragalus ( fig. 1 , A). No specimens were found drinking the nectar on flowers. P. panope was found in the European part of Kazakhstan together with another Turan species: Microzegris pyrothoe (Eversmann, 1832) ( Lepidoptera , Pieridae ), which presence in Europe was doubtful in the past decades. Despite the low butterfly biodiversity, there are extremely vulnerable and local species that are isolated in the refuge from nearby populations and are not inclined to migrate. The most western micropopulation of the extremely local and endangered lycaenid species P. panope is situated in Europe and represents the western element of Turan zoogeographic complex in Europe. The micropopulation can be characterized by the low density and limited extent, the endangered position within the pasture lands, and the vast geographical gap from the closest Asiatic micropopulations found on the Ural River left bank. This gap (about 150 km) probably makes impossible the existence of geneflow between the European and Asiatic micropopulations, which may lead to the gradual degeneration of the European one. This species should be included in the Red list of protected butterfly species as critically endangered at European level. Thus, the European micropopulation requires ensuring the ongoing monitoring and protection as critically endangered due to ecological, genetic and anthropogenic reasons.

Figures

FIGURE 1. А—Paleophilotes panope male, sitting upon saline ground (the European part of Kazakhstan, Atyrau Region, May, 2004); B, C—Paleophilotes panope male genitalia: B—male from the European part (Kazakhstan, Atyrau Region, Zhaltyr Lake, May 2, 2004; Ob. 4x, oc. 10x. C—Paleophilotes panope valva (Kazakhstan, the Asiatic part, Aktobe Region, Aktolagai plateau, May 8–10, 2004. Ob. 10x, oc. 10x; D—The teeth on the distal end of Paleophilotes panope valva (Kazakhstan, Atyrau Region, Zhaltyr Lake, May 2, 2004. Ob. 40x, oc. 10x.