Habitat and Specificity of the Satyridae (Lepidoptera, Satyridae) of Kurgan Oblast

Abstract

In the South Trans-Urals, the Satyridae family is represented by 24 species, including P. afra and E. medusa, the species listed among the endangered species of Kurgan Oblast. Among the Satyridae inhabiting the region, C. tullia is the only species found in the Holarctic habitat; the rest belong to the Palearctic butterflies. In the region, the majority of the species spend the winter as a larva; two species live through the winter as a pupa. For three species, C. hero, P. afra, and C. persephone, the winter stage has not been found. By the trophic specialization of the larvae, the Satyridae are represented by broadly oligophagous and broadly polyphagous larvae. Based on the emergence timing, the imagoes of the Satyridae living in the South Trans Urals can be divided into three phenological groups: early summer (6 species), summer (15 species) and late summer (1 species). Generally, the Satyridae fauna of the region can be referred to as inhabitant in the forest-steppe area. By the landscape and biotopic allocation, the Satyridae of the region can be conventionally divided into four ecological groups: the inhabitants of the pine and small-leaved forests, the inhabitants of the forest-outlier and meadow landscape, inhabitants of the steppe-heaths and eurybionts. The greatest diversity of the species was found in the open space fauna (clearcuts and forest openings) of the pine and small-leaved forests. The similarity of the species composition of the Satyridae inhabitant in the forest-outlier and steppe landscapes constitutes 53%. This is explained, first of all, by the abundance of the Poaceae being the fodder plans of the caterpillars for the majority of the species.