Melitaea arduinna subsp. heynei, Ruhl, 1893

Russell, Peter J. C. & Lukhtanov, Vladimir A., 2018, To which species should the name heynei Rühl, [1893] (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) be referred?, Zootaxa 4531 (1), pp. 81-94 : 90-92

M. arduinna heynei Rühl , [1893],

TL: Kyrgyzstan, Alai Mts (southern slope), Daroot-Korgon, 2700 m ( Figs 3, 4 );

this form is small (lectotype wing span only 34 mm), this feature was probably the main reason for confusing it with M. cinxia . (Larger forms such as M. arduinna evanescens and M. a. rhodopensis cannot be confused with M. cinxia ). Ground colour similar to M. arduinna arduinna but black markings reduced in the postdiscal area (see also Fig. 2 ), melanic females as yet unknown.

M. arduinna heynei appears to be a distinct subspecies. It differs from M. arduinna evanescens , which inhabits nearby regions in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, not only by small size, but also by the ground colour and pattern design of the hind-wing underside, which is similar to that of M. arduinna arduinna . The phenotypic difference between M. arduinna heynei and M. arduinna evanescens seems to be comparable to that existing between M. arduinna evanescens and M. avinovi Sheljuzhko, 1914 (see Plate LXXIV, figs 1–15 in Tshikolovets, 2003: 327– 328). Further, more detailed morphological, molecular and chromosomal studies (e.g. as in Lukhtanov 2017) are required to clarify the status (species or subspecies) of M. arduinna heynei .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Melitaea cinxia, the varieties obscurior, clarissa & heynei and M. arduinna, the varieties rhodopensis & evanescens, figured by Seitz, 1908-1910: Plate 65, rows e (part), f and g (part).

FIGURES 3–5. The neotype of Melitaea arduinna heynei Rühl, [1893], 3: upperside; 4: underside; 5: labels. (Scale bar = 10 mm).