Abstract
Plebejus chrisreai sp. n. and P. anikini azhbogdo ssp. n. are described from the Dzhungarian Gobi desert and the Transaltajan Gobi desert respectively. External distinctions as well as distinctions of the male genitalia are given for the new taxa and two related species known from Mongolia: Plebejus anikini Yakovlev, 2012 and P. germani Yakovlev, 2012. Genitalia of all the taxa mentioned are illustrated, the aedeagus and valva bear the most valuable taxonomic characters. Females of the new species have an unusual whitish colour of the upperside not known for the christophi species complex before. The distribution of Mongolian taxa and relatives from East Kazakhstan is discussed.
References
Churkin, S.V. & Kolesnichenko, K.A. (2019) A new species of Neolycaena de Niceville, 1890 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from the Dzhungarian Gobi desert, Mongolia. Zootaxa. [in press]
Churkin, S.V. & Zhdanko, A.B. (2004) A new species of blues, Plebejus murza sp. n. from East Tian-Shan (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Helios, 5, 60–63.
Churkin, S.V. & Zhdanko, A.B. (2008) New taxa of blues (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from Tian-Shan. Atalanta, 39 (1/4), 297–310.
Churkin, S.V. & Pletnev, V.A. (2012) Taxonomic notes on the Plebeius christophi complex (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) with descriptions of new taxa. Atalanta, 43, 108–113.
Eckweiler, W. & Bozano, G. (2016) Guide to the butterflies of the Palearctic region. Lycaenidae. Part IV. Subfamily Polyommatinae. Omnes Artes, Milano, 132 pp.
Korshunov, Y. & Soljanikov, V. (1976) Diurnal Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) of the
Mongolian People’s Republic. In: Insects of Mongolia. Vol. 4. Nauka, Leningrad, pp. 403–458. [in Russian]
Korshunov, Y. (1977) Diurnal Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) of the Mongolian People’s Republic. II. In: Insects of Mongolia. Nauka, Leningrad, 5, 649–681. [in Russian]
Mayr, E. (1963) Animal species and evolution. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 797 pp.
https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674865327
Miller, L.D. (1970) Nomenclature of wing weins and cells. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera, 8 (2), 37–48.
Orlova, V.F., Dunayev, E.A., Nazarov, R.A., Terbish, K. & Erdentushig P. (2014) Materials on the south-west Mongolia herpetofauna. Modern herpetology, 14 (1/2), 32–43. [in Russian]
Orlova, V.F. & Terbish, K. (2014) Materials on the herpetofauna of Dzhungarian Gobi. In: Gunin, P.D. & Munkhbayar, K. (Eds.), Studies of Mongolian herpetology. Kitab, Moscow-Ulan-Bator, pp. 220–235. [in Russian]
Samodurov, G.D., Zhdanko, A.B., Tuzov, V.K. & Dantchenko, A.V. (2000) Genus Plebeius. In: Tuzov, V.K., Bogdanov, P.V., Churkin, S.V., Dantchenko, A.V., Devyatkin, A.L., Murzin, V.S., Samodurov, G.D. & Zhdanko, A.B. (Eds.), Guide to the butterflies of Russia and adjacent territories (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Vol. 2. Libytheidae, Danaidae, Nymphalidae, Riodinidae, Lycaenidae. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow, pp. 158–169.
Toropov, S.A. & Zhdanko, A.B. (2015) The butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) of Eastern Turan, Tarbagatai, Saur and South-western Altai. Vol. 2. Danaidae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae. Al Salam Publishing House, Bishkek, 425 pp.
Tshikolovets, V.V., Yakovlev, R.V. & Balint, Z. (2009) The Butterflies of Mongolia. Tshikolo-vets, Kyiv-Pardubice, 320 pp.
Yakovlev, R.V. (2012) Checklist of Butterflies (Papilionoidea) of the Mongolian Altai Mountains, including descriptions of new taxa. Nota lepidopterologica, 35 (1), 51–96.
Zhdanko, A.B. (2000) Genus Cupido. In: Tuzov, V.K., Bogdanov, P.V., Churkin, S.V., Dantchenko, A.V., Devyatkin, A.L., Murzin, V.S., Samodurov, G.D. & Zhdanko, A.B. (Eds.), Guide to the butterflies of Russia and adjacent territories (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Vol. 2. Libytheidae, Danaidae, Nymphalidae, Riodinidae, Lycaenidae. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow, pp. 139–142.
Zhdanko, A.B. & Churkin, S.V. (2001) A review of the Plebejus christophi complex (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) from the Central Asia with the description of new taxa. Helios, 2, 50–73.
Zhdanko, A.B. & Churkin, S.V. (2004) A new species of blues, Plebejus kapanovi sp. n. from East Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Helios, 5, 64–67.
Zhdanko, A.B. (2014 [2013]) New and weak known blue butterflies (Lycaenidae, Lepidoptera) from Kazakhstan. Selevinia, 2013 (21), 13–20. [in Russian]