Melitaea arcesia Bremer, 1861

Churkin, Sergei V., Yakovlev, Roman V. & Lvovsky, Alexandr L., 2022, Lectotypes of Erebia kefersteinii (Eversmann, 1851), Clossiana selenis (Eversmann, 1837), Melitaea arcesia Bremer, 1861 and holotype of Melitaea baikalensis Bremer, 1861 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 55, pp. 17-25 : 21-22

Melitaea arcesia Bremer, 1861

Melanges biol. Acad. Sci. St.-Petersbourg, 1861, 3: 466

Originally published as “ Melitaea Arcesia “

Type locality after Bremer: “im Norden des Baikal und in Daurien...”

The taxon was described with details later in 1864 in “Lepidopteren Ost-Sibiriens…”, where the stylized figure of the type was published. The true number of the figure on the plate I is 7, but wrong number 6 is figured on the legend under the plate.

The specimen figured on the plate is found in the ZISP collection, it is female from Dahuria. In addition, we found two more specimens undoubtedly belong to the type series .

This species includes many taxa described from the Altai to the Himalaya, in addition to the previously dubious taxonomic situation with M. baikalensis . To preserve the stability of zoological nomenclature, it is important to have the name-bearing type of the taxon fixed by a lectotype designation. We prefer to design as the lectotype the specimen selected by Bremer (which, however, was not collected at North Baikal ) .

Lectotype ( Figs 22–24 ): female, forewing length 20.5 mm, 5 labels:

- small golden circle;

- small rectangular paper with printed number “49”;

- handwritten rectangular label “Bremer 49”;

- printed label "coll. Acad. Petrop.";

- rectangular label with dark reddish irregular colour “Dahuria/ Radde”.

The lectotype has no antennae and presents big darkened female with moderately enlarged medium row of blackish spots and obvious pattern on the forewing underside – exactly as on the figure published by Bremer. We added the red label: “ LECTOTYPUS / Melitaea Arcesia / Bremer, 1861 / S. CHURKIN et al. des.“

Paralectotypes ( Figs 25–27, 28–30 ):

1. Female, forewing length 19 mm, 4 labels:

– small yellow square;

- handwritten rectangular label “Bremer 49”;

- printed label "coll. Acad. Petrop.";

- semi-square handwritten label “Nordseite/Baikal./Jun–Aug.” (highly likely Bremer’s hand). The specimen presents medium-sized darkened female in good condition.

2. Male, forewing length 19.5 mm, 4 labels:

- small yellow square;

- handwritten rectangular label “Bremer 49”;

- printed label "coll. Acad. Petrop.";

- semi-square handwritten label “Nord Baik[al], /20 Jun–1 Aug.” (highly likely Bremer’s hand).

The specimen presents medium sized moderately bright orange male in good condition.

We added the red labels: “ PARALECTOTYPUS / Melitaea Arcesia / Bremer, 1861 / S.CHURKIN et al. des.“

Tshikolovets (2002) published 3 syntypes of M. arcesia (Pl. XLVIII: 25–26, 31–32) considering one of them as the syntype of M. baikalensis . It is simple mistake because he forgot that the latter taxon was based on one specimen only. The true type of M. baikalensis is absent in the mentioned book.

Type locality The material was collected by G. Radde during his trip to Siberia. Gustav Radde (15 [27] November 1831, Danzig – 3 [16] March 1903, Tbilisi) – Russian geographer and naturalist, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences .

Radde published the detailed dairy ( Radde 1861). In 1855 he collected in a Baikal area, while “Dahuria” was explored in 1856 and partly in 1857. In the latter year he spent the summer moving on a raft along great Amur River and serious insect collecting is not mentioned at all.

In 1856, he was concentrated in preparation of the scarecrows (including 5 yaks!) of Mammalia (and birds) which he described later. No doubts that Melitaea were collected 22–23 of July nearby Bukukun village (“… In Bukukun till to 23 [of July], in sparse birch groves nearby this place I collected many nice butterflies ( Argynnis , Melitaea , Hipparchia ) (1861: 25).”

It is sure that this area was considered as a part of Dahuria (1861: 19).

Thus, the type locality of Melitaea arcesia Bremer is Bukukun village vicinity, 49°26'59'' N, 111°8'5'' E, situated in South Transbaikalia (Dahuria zoogeographically), not far from the Mongolian border and not so far from Sokhondo natural reserve .

Two paralectotypes were collected somewhere at the southern-western shores of Baikal, for our opinion. Radde travelled in 1855 from the Angara to the Verkhnyaya Angara River, then all southern shores of Baikal (!), visited the Tunkin Range (as it was mentioned – the hot springs in Tunkin, i.e. the famous Arschan Valley) and went back to port Baikal and Irkutsk. Practically all material was labeled “Nord Baikal”, so, such a remark in the description has no practical meaning. S. Churkin ( Churkin, 2005: 6) found a series of old specimens of M. arcesia from Erschoff collection depositing in ZISP. He made a mistake supposing this series as syntypical – in reality it was collected in 1878, but highly likely in the same places as true paralectotypes of the taxon .

Status. Well-known species, nominate taxon is distributed from Baikal to Primorie (see below).

Figures

Figure 22−33. Melitaea, adult specimens and labels: 22. M. arcesia, lectotype, female, upperside (ZISP); 23. M. arcesia, lectotype, female, underside (ZISP); 24. M. arcesia, lectotype, labels; 25. M. arcesia, paralectotype, female, upperside (ZISP); 26. M. arcesia, paralectotype, female, underside (ZISP); 27. M. arcesia, paralectotype, labels; 28. M. arcesia, paralectotype, male, upperside (ZISP); 29. M. arcesia, paralectotype, male, underside (ZISP); 30. M. arcesia, paralectotype, labels; 31. M. baikalensis, holotype, male, upperside (ZISP); 32. M. baikalensis, holotype, male, underside (ZISP); 33. M. baikalensis, holotype, labels.