Butterflies- Uzbekistan Part 2 - Tien Shen (1 Viewer)

[Muppit17]

In the same area as the previous post

I am fairly certain that the hairstreak is a local endemic Satyrium acaudata. The blue is a bit of a mystery

 

[andyb39]

The Blue looks slightly like Loew's but not quite right. I don't know which Blues they get in Uzbekistan. Do you have a checklist?

 

[andyb39]

@Muppit17 If Tshikolovets is unavailable, you can get hold of a copy of Tuzov (Guide to Butterflies of Russia and Adjacent Territories). It has distribution notes and plates, although the plates appear to show photographs of specimens in glass cases and the colours are a bit off. There are two volumes. This article might also help: https://www.researchgate.net/public...hin_the_boundaries_of_the_former_Soviet_Union.

Anyway, to cut a long story shot, I went through the list of species and couldn't find a match, so sent the images to a butterfly expert in Bulgaria. He came up with a species called Ruckbeilia fergana, ssp. varzobica. The genus is sometimes named Vacciinina. Apart from the plate in vol. 2 of Tuzov, this is the only decent image I've found online. Rueckbeilia fergana - LepiWiki

 

[Muppit17]

The Blue looks slightly like Loew's but not quite right. I don't know which Blues they get in Uzbekistan. Do you have a checklist?

Sorry, no I don't have a checklist. Certainly not one I can trust

Missed your reply. Other feedback has pointed to Loews as well.

 

[Muppit17]

@Muppit17 If Tshikolovets is unavailable, you can get hold of a copy of Tuzov (Guide to Butterflies of Russia and Adjacent Territories). It has distribution notes and plates, although the plates appear to show photographs of specimens in glass cases and the colours are a bit off. There are two volumes. This article might also help: https://www.researchgate.net/public...hin_the_boundaries_of_the_former_Soviet_Union.

Anyway, to cut a long story shot, I went through the list of species and couldn't find a match, so sent the images to a butterfly expert in Bulgaria. He came up with a species called Ruckbeilia fergana, ssp. varzobica. The genus is sometimes named Vacciinina. Apart from the plate in vol. 2 of Tuzov, this is the only decent image I've found online. Rueckbeilia fergana - LepiWiki

Interesting thought - and thanks for all your efforts.

It was slightly higher than the range shown, but not meaningfully. I have learnt that for butterflies & dragonflies, there are so few records that statements on range & habitats are likely to be guesses.

I have reached out to a guide based in Tashkent but haven't heard back yet.

 

[andyb39]

@Muppit17 The problem with Loew's is that it doesn't seem to occur in the region - it's not listed in Tuzov or in the PDF I sent a link to. It also has at least one vivid blue spot in the border markings on the under-hindwing, i.e. below the orange triangle, which I'm not seeing in your photo. The pattern of black spots is also slightly different.

I wonder if there's a Facebook group for Butterflies of Russia/CIS and former Russian states.

 

[Muppit17]

@Muppit17 The problem with Loew's is that it doesn't seem to occur in the region - it's not listed in Tuzov or in the PDF I sent a link to. It also has at least one vivid blue spot in the border markings on the under-hindwing, i.e. below the orange triangle, which I'm not seeing in your photo. The pattern of black spots is also slightly different.

I wonder if there's a Facebook group for Butterflies of Russia/CIS and former Russian states.

In principle I agree in what you say, however P loewii is included in the list as Plebejidea usbekus, which is often defined solely as a ssp of loewii (ie P loewii usbekus). As yet, I have no idea what distinguishes P (l) usbekus from normal loewii or from R fergana.

I have had this problem before in Central Asia in trying to distinguish between local ssp of widespread species and distinct endemics.

IMHO I doubt there is a Facebook page, certainly in Uzbekistan, as Facebook and some other US owned social media pages (eg Twitter) have their bandwidth so constrained that it is almost impossible to post photos on them!

I will continue to try and answer the questions and please feel free to continue to comment - it is good to have some thought provoking suggestions.

 

[andyb39]

@Muppit17 First of all loewii is listed in Tuzov, but the stated range does not include Uzbekistan (see the attached screenshot) and no subspecies named usbekus is listed under this species. However, a race of Plebijides zephrinus called "usbecus" is listed in Tuzov (see second screenshot) and this webpage Plebijides (Sauter, 1968) lists "uzbekus" both under P. pylaon and P. zephyrinus - I don't know if it's the same taxon or not.

However, the Korb article lists Plebejidea usbekus. I don't know what this taxon is.

 

[Muppit17]

@Muppit17 First of all loewii is listed in Tuzov, but the stated range does not include Uzbekistan (see the attached screenshot) and no subspecies named usbekus is listed under this species. However, a race of Plebijides zephrinus called "usbecus" is listed in Tuzov (see second screenshot) and this webpage Plebijides (Sauter, 1968) lists "uzbekus" both under P. pylaon and P. zephyrinus - I don't know if it's the same taxon or not.

However, the Korb article lists Plebejidea usbekus. I don't know what this taxon is.

Again thank you Andy. I think we are getting in to the circularity of lack of a fixed taxonomy and by going back in time is simply confuses one (me at least) even more. I have noticed that in most genera, here in the west we heavily diverge from the Russian scientific community in respect to taxonomy so this is a further complication that needs a overarching palearctic recognised source. I am trying to get access to the multivolume 'Guide to the Butterflies of the Palearctic', but recognise that in any case Lycaenidae is incomplete as yet.