Palaeophilotes jacuticus, (Korshunov & Viidalepp, 1980) (Korshunov & Viidalepp, 1980)

Distribution range of P. jacuticus

Palaeophilotes jacuticus is described from the vicinity of the city of Yakutsk in eastern Siberia ( Korshunov & Viidalepp 1980) and is known from central and southern Yakutia as well as from the Baikal region in southern Siberia, in particular from the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia ( Korshunov & Gorbunov 1995, Gorbunov 2001, Tshikolovets et al. 2002, Gorbunov & Kosterin 2003). The species is clearly distinguished from the closely related P. vicrama by the structure of the male genitalia. Palaeophilotes jacuticus has two protruding teeth at the apex of the valve ( Fig. 4A,B View FIGURE 4 ), while P. vicrama has one protruding tooth at the apex of the valve ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ). In this respect, P. jacuticus is close to the Western European P. baton . It has even been suggested that P. baton and P. jacuticus are conspecific ( Dantchenko & Tuzov 2000). However, substantial differences in the valve proportion between P. baton and P. jacuticus do not allow them to be classified as conspecific populations ( Gorbunov 2001).

We examined the genitals of two males from the Baikal region ( Russia, Irkutskaya oblast, Olkhonsky distr., 15 km NE Yelantsy vill. Tazheranskaya steppe, salt lakes, 52.872°N, 106.591°E, 10 June 2000, I. Makhov leg.). Analysis of the genitals unambiguously identified the butterflies as P. jacuticus ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ), thus conforming the earlier reports ( Korshunov & Gorbunov 1995, Gorbunov 2001, Tshikolovets et al. 2002).