The structure and spatial organization of the butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera,Rhopalocera) of the Ural Mountains

The butterfly fauna of the Ural Mountains contains 233 species: Papilionidae (6 species), Pieridae (23), Lycaenidae (64), Nymphalidae (60), Satyridae (57), and Hesperiidae (23). The number of butterfly species in seven regional and 29 local faunas generally increases gradually from north to south. The mean number of species in the local butterfly faunas is 127 in the southern Urals and slightly over 50 in the Polar Urals. The arealogical structure of the fauna is determined by the distribution of species recorded in 24 meridional and 19 latitudinal groups which together result in 80 distribution patterns. Based on comparison of the local butterfly faunas of the Urals, two large, historically formed faunistic complexes are distinguished: southern and northern. Either complex contains two faunistic complexes of the second order, hypoarctic and boreal in the former, and southern boreal and subboreal in the latter. The faunas of the Kazakhstan part of the Urals form a separate subboreal semi-arid complex, whereas the extreme boreal fauna of Pay-Khoy forms an independent arctic complex.     

Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) in the Arctic fauna

The Arctic fauna includes 106 species of diurnal butterflies: Papilionidae (6 species), Pieridae (20), Lycaenidae (18), Nymphalidae (30), Satyridae (27), and Hesperiidae (5). Among them, representatives of the family Nymphalidae predominate as to the features characterizing the biological progress in the Arctic, as well as to the number of the most strongly pronounced arctic forms. The family Satyridae shares the first place with Nymphalidae by the number of species, but differs from the latter in the uneven or local distribution. The family Pieridae demonstrates a wide distribution of polyzonal and boreal species in the tundra zone. The distribution patterns of Lycaenidae are different in the Eurasian and Beringian-American sectors. Species of Papilionidae and Hesperiidae occur only in the southern part of the tundra zone. Each family is characterized by specific distribution in the Arctic subzones and landscapes and by latitudinal trends in its specific ratio in the faunas. There are 30 to 40 arctic species, including arctic proper (euarctic and hemiarctic) and hypoarctic, arctoalpine, arctomontane, and arctoboreal species. The species developing successfully under high-latitude conditions are Boloria chariclea, B. polaris, B. improba, Colias nastes, C. hecla, and Erebia fasciata; the first two species can be considered true euarctic forms. Specific features of the latitudinal and longitudinal distribution of the butterfly species in different parts of the Arctic are discussed.     

On the origin of the recent fauna of butterflies (Lepidoptera,Rhopalocera) of Vietnam

The following types of ranges of the Vietnamese butterflies are considered: 1) narrow ranges of endemic taxa, 2) continuous and mosaic ranges, 3) disjunct ranges, and 4) vicariant ranges. The endemic butterfly taxa mostly concentrate in isolated mountain areas of central Vietnam and show relationships with the Sino- Himalayan, Malayan, and local Indo-Burmese faunas. The ranges of most Vietnamese butterflies, both eury- and stenobiont species, combine the traits of continuous and mosaic distribution. Disjunctions in the ranges of Vietnamese butterflies vary from dozens to thousands kilometers. Similar habitats in different parts of Vietnam may have different though allied butterfly species. The origin of the recent butterfly fauna is hypothesized.     

The fauna and ecology of butterflies (Lepidoptera,Rhopalocera) of the Kanin Peninsula and Kolguev Island

A total of 29 butterfly species in the forest-tundra and 14 species in the hypoarctic tundra were recorded on the Kanin Peninsula. Six species of butterflies were identified on Kolguev Island. The data on the fauna and distribution of species in the forest-tundra of the Kanin Peninsula are generally typical of this natural zone (Chernov and Tatarinov, 2006). The faunas of the northern part of the Kanin Peninsula and the southern part of Kolguev Island comprise fewer species, including those of the Arctic complex. This phenomenon is related to the coastal position of the regions, the cool summer and strong winds. On Kolguev Island, seasonal migrants appear simultaneously with the local species or considerably later. The most abundant species in the forest-tundra of the Kanin Peninsula are Erebia disa, Oeneis norna, Clossiana freija, Pieris napi, and Vacciniina optilete. The dominant species in southern tundra localities are Erebia euryale, E. pandrose, and Boloria aquilonaris, which coincides with the result of the 1903 research (Poppius, 1906). Only the dewy ringlet Erebia pandrose was recorded regularly in the south of Kolguev Island in 2009. In spite of the impoverished fauna of Rhopalocera some butterfly species clearly prevail in abundance and inhabit a wide range of biotopes, which agrees with the concept of compensatory mechanisms (Chernov, 2005). A high abundance of E. pandrose is a specific feature of the northern part of the Kanin Peninsula and Kolguev Island, pointing to the connection of the biota of these territories with the Subarctic regions of Fennoscandia.     

Calcareous microfossils from the Karakatty Formation (Lower Cambrian) of the Northern Tien Shan

Lower Cambrian calcareous microfossils that preserved monospores and basal attachment organs with rhizoids have been discovered in jaspers of the Karakatty Formation of the Northern Tien Shan. A new genus, Koroleviphyton Kolosov, is established in the red algae division Rhodophyta with the type species K. attenuescens (Kolosov, 1983).     

Butterflies (Lepidoptera,Rhopalocera) of West Altai

A total of 176 species of butterflies have been found in West Altai. Their distribution ranges, phenology, biological preferences, and taxonomic structure are analyzed. Numerous Siberian butterfly species from the genera Erebia, Oeneis, Clossiana, Boeberia, and Colias have been found in West Altai which may be accounted for its westernmost position in the mountain system of southern Siberia and very humid climate. At the same time, many western Palaearctic as well as few Middle Asian butterflies have been discovered in West Altai for the first time. West Altai is the region where pairs of sister species which diverged in the Western and Eastern Palaearctic can be found in secondary contact. In this study, a zone of stable secondary sympatry of Melitaea didyma (western element) and M. latonigena (eastern element) as well as that of Maculinea arion (western element) and M. cyanecula (eastern element) has been found. These findings provide the first strong evidence for the distinctness of the species in these sister pairs.     

永泰青云山风景区蝶类多样性研究

本文应用Shannon - -Wiener多样性指数 ,均匀度 ,优势度指数指标 ,分析青云山风景区不同耕作类型蝶类的多样性。结果表明 :青云山蝶类多样性较高 ,种类较丰富。耕作类型蝶类多样性指数变化趋势为 :森林类型〉栽培景观类型 ;耕作分类型蝶类多样性指数变化趋势为 :阔叶林〉针叶林〉果园〉竹林〉菜地〉田地。蝶类多样性指数不受均匀度影响 ,但受季节影响明显     

A multivariate approach to the determination of faunal structures among European butterfly species (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera)

Multivariate analyses of 393 butterfly species over 85 geographical areas (R- and Q-data matrices) in Europe and North Africa have produced a consistent pattern of faunal structures (units and regions). Prominent features to emerge are the latitudinal zonation of geographical units and the division of the Mediterranean into western and eastern components; southwards in Europe, endemicity increases whereas faunal structures decrease in spatial dimensions. Central Europe–from the Urals to the British Isles–forms a single large faunal structure (extent unit and region). A model has been constructed to account for Pleistocene evolutionary changes and endemism in European butterflies and for the east-west taxonomic divisions in the extent faunal structure which dominates central Europe. Periodic Pleistocene climatic changes have resulted in cycles of population extinction, isolation, evolution and migration, but the nature and timing of events has depended on the environmental tolerances of species belonging to different faunal units. During Pleistocene glaciations, southern species have been relatively static and more isolated and have evolved independently. By comparison, northern species have been more mobile and have migrated over large distances. Contact and hybrid zones among cosmopolitan species in northern Europe are probably of some antiquity. They result from persistent survival and isolation of refuge populations in the west and east Mediterranean during glacial phases; dispersal from these refuges leads to their regeneration during each interglacial.     

Fungiform organisms from the Early Cambrian of the Northern Tien Shan

Microfossils described as a new genus, Palaeorhiphidium gen. nov., have been discovered from red jaspers of the Lower Cambrian Karakatta Formation in the Karakatta Range, Kyrgyzstan. The microfossils are excellently preserved, allowing their interpretation as remains of fungiform organisms.     

The current flow of migrants and its contribution to butterfly faunas (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) on marine islands with young allochthonous biota

The concept that the mechanisms limiting immigration of new Lepidoptera species are analogous for islands with different ages and degrees of endemism of their biotas is discussed. Specific features of individual species play a key role in establishment of the fauna and population on small islands rather than competitive interactions between these species. It is most likely that the species stably coexisting on an island will display similar ecological characteristics and life cycles, which complies with the concepts of the neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography.     

A faunistic review of carabids (Coleoptera,Carabidae) of the Barguzin Mt. Range (Northern Baikal Area)

The list of carabids from the Barguzin Mt. Range includes 132 species belonging to 29 genera of 17 tribes. Five new species endemic or subendemic to the Barguzin Mt. Range have been discovered. The carabid fauna of the Northern Baikal Area has a high percentage of species with wide distribution in the Palaearctic. The bulk of the fauna consists of species with Circumholarctic, Transpalaearctic, Euro-Siberian, Siberian, and Asian-American ranges. Sayano-Baikalian, Southern Siberian, Baikalian, and Transbaikalian species with local distribution are less numerous than the Mongolian, Kazakhstan, Amur, and Okhotian species. Lake Baikal and mountain ranges framing it form a meridional barrier for the distribution of some species.     

Remarks on the family-level phylogeny of butterflies (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera)

1. Available evidence on butterfly family-level relationships is re-examined according to the principles of phylogenetic (cladistic) systematics. 2. The assumption of a sister-group relationship between the Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea seems a reasonably substantiated working hypothesis. 3. The Papilionoid families Papilionidae, Pieridae and Lycaenidae sensu Ehrlich (1958) are definable as monophyletic entities; of Ehrlich 's two remaining families, Nymphalidae and Libytheidae, the former is paraphyletic in terms of the latter. 4. The interrelationships between the Papilionoid families may be presented as Papilionidae + (Pieridae + [Lycanidae + Nymphalidae]). 5. In a phylogenetic system any given arrangement of taxa is either correct or not: Contrary to the pheneticists' view (Ehrlich and Ehrlich 1967) phylogenetic systematists cannot accept the existence of a multitude of valid classifications.     

Ecological and biogeographical characteristics of butterflies (Lepidoptera,Rhopalocera) of Vietnam

The lowland butterfly fauna in Vietnam is more diversified whereas the mountain fauna is more specific and contains more endemic taxa. The lowland areas have significantly higher levels of species richness (51–86%) as compared to the mountainous areas (25–66%). The aspect of the fauna shows a well-developed seasonality, with higher species diversity during the dry period and in the transitional period between the dry and rainy seasons. The butterfly fauna of Vietnam should be regarded not as a transitional one between the faunas of the Holarctic and Indo-Malayan Regions, but as one of the principal faunas of the Indo-Malayan Region, constituting the core of the Indo-Burmese fauna and including representatives of the neighboring faunistic centers.     

Butterflies (Lepidoptera,Rhopalocera) of the Curonian Spit in the Baltic Sea

Fifty-six species of butterflies are recorded from the Curonian Spit in the Baltic Sea (Kaliningrad Province). Forty-nine species have been collected by the authors in 1982–2004, and data on their abundance and local and distant migrations are provided. Seven species are included in the list based on the literature data.     

A note on the diversity of World Lepidoptera (Rhopalocera)

Data are presented showing the number of butterfly species present in areas of different size. The species, area curve for South America starts at a higher value than that for Africa, indicating a greater species richness in a small area. It is also steeper, which indicates that there are more allopatric species. The relation for south-east Asia is more like that for South America than Africa.     

Diurnal butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) of the Solovetskie Islands (Northwestern Russia, the White Sea)

The species composition and diversity of Lepidoptera Rhopalocera were studied on the Solovetskie Islands during five years (2001–2005). Twenty-nine species of five families were recorded. The most abundant species are Leptidea sinapis, Boloria aquilonaris, Heodes virgaureae, Plebejus argus, Arcia eumedon, and Cyaniris semiargus. The fauna of these islands is poorer than local faunas of the continental northern taiga, forest-tundra, and southern tundra of Europe. The species diversity of insular assemblages of diurnal lepidopterans is lower in comparison with analogous continental assemblages. They are characterized by the mixed species composition, when species with different ecological preference occur within the same habitat.     

A revision of the brassoline genus Selenophanes (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera)

The Brassoline genus Selenophanes is revised: three new subspecies are described and three lectotypes designated. The nine known holotypes and two of the three lectotypes are figured. Along the Andes there is a fairly close agreement in the distribution of some of the species and subspecies of Selenophanes with the recently recognized endemic centres. East of the Andes there is no close correspondence between subspecies and endemic centres; each subspecies has, in general, a distribution across several centres. A similar distribution has been noted previously in the Brassoline genus Catoblepia.     

Securing viable metapopulations of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, Euphydryas aurinia, (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Northern England

The Marsh Fritillary butterfly, Euphydryas aurinia (Rott.), is regarded as the classic species that requires landscape-scale management in order to maintain viable populations. This paper describes the background to an extinction of this species in Northern England, United Kingdom, and the action taken to reintroduce and monitor the progress of sub-populations between 2007 and 2009. A captive breeding stock was secured using the last 155 known wild caterpillars in 2004 and supplemented by 95 caterpillars collected under licence from the nearest extant populations in western Scotland. Through captive breeding the source population for subsequent reintroduction was increased dramatically and 42,400 caterpillars were used in 2007 to reintroduce the butterfly to four locations in North and West Cumbria. Each of the release sites is within known historical network areas where the butterfly had thrived in past decades. The intention was to restore multiple habitat patches across each network area and eventually establish viable metapopulations across these landscapes. Adults and larval webs have been monitored since 2007 and show that introduction has been successful at three out of the four locations. The failure at the fourth site appears to be unrelated to habitat condition and the causes are currently being investigated. Work is continuing to secure appropriate management of suitable habitat within each landscape area and the number of sub-populations in one area will be increased in the 2010 season.