Short Communication |
Corresponding author: Roman V. Yakovlev ( yakovlev_asu@mail.ru ) Academic editor: Jadranka Rota
© 2016 Roman V. Yakovlev, Ulagvanuly Beket, Thomas Witt.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Yakovlev R, Beket U, Witt T (2016) New data on the distribution of Cossidae (Lepidoptera) in Mongolia. Nota Lepidopterologica 39(1): 21-25. https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.39.8043
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We recorded a new species of Cossidae – Acossus terebrus (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1776) – for Mongolia (Tov Aimak). We also report on the most northern habitat of the cossid genus Gobibatyr Yakovlev, 2004 (North-West Mongolia, Bayan-Ulegej Aimak), which shows the permeability of the Mongolian Altai Mountain Range for some elements of the Dzungarian fauna. Additionally, our sampling resulted in adding new localities to the ranges of Catopta perunovi Yakovlev, 2007 and Cecryphallus nubila (Staudinger, 1895) (first discovered in Hovd Aimak).
The Carpenter-Moths (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) in Mongolia are relatively well known compared to their fauna in most other countries. Several articles (
It is worth noting that the Cossidae fauna of Mongolia is highly distinct based on the presence of 13 endemic species (Catopta saldaitisi Yakovlev, 2007, Gobibatyr ustyuzhanini Yakovlev, 2004, Chingizid gobiana (Daniel, 1970), Ch. transaltaica (Daniel, 1970), Ch. kosachevi Yakovlev, 2012, Cossus kerzhneri Yakovlev, 2011, Deserticossus beketi (Yakovlev, 2004), D. churkini Yakovlev, 2006, D. mongoliana (Daniel, 1969), Eogystia kaszabi (Daniel, 1965), Kerzhnerocossus sambainu Yakovlev, 2011, Dyspessa saldaitisi Yakovlev, 2011 and Phragmataecia anikini Yakovlev, 2011) and two endemic genera (Kerzhnerocossus Yakovlev, 2011 and Chingizid Yakovlev, 2011). All Mongolian endemics, except for Catopta saldaitisi, inhabit deserts and semideserts. The field study of the first author in 2015, data from other researchers and the material studied in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History (Budapest) enabled us to uncover new localities for a series of rare species and also to discover a species new for the Mongolian fauna.
The adult Cossidae were collected using the combined light lamp Phillips−250 W mounted above a fabric screen, battery light traps with the lamp Philips TL 8W/05 and chloroform as the killing agent.
Acossus terebrus (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1776) (Figs
Material examined: 1 ♂, Mongolia, Töv aimag, 11 km S Jargalant, 48°24.875’N; 105°50.713’E, 1320 m, 7.vii.2008, leg. Balász Benedek (Hungarian Museum of Natural History, Budapest).
Gobibatyr ustyuzhanini Yakovlev, 2004 (Figs
The genus Gobibatyr Yakovlev, 2004 was established for Cossus colossus Staudinger, 1887. Gobibatyr colossus (Staudinger, 1887) was reported from several localities in the Ili River valley in southeast Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (the Naryn River valley) and extreme southwest of Mongolia (the Bayan-Gol River valley (right tributary of Bulgan-Gol River) in Hovd Aimak) (
Remarks. The Mongolian Altai is a significant frontier in the distribution of insects. This conclusion is based on the distribution of Orthoptera (
Catopta perunovi Yakovlev, 2007 (Fig.
The species was described from the material from Russia, Altai Rep., Ongudai. It was recorded in several localities of northwestern Mongolia on the territory of Chovsgol and Bayan-Ulegei Aimaks (
Material examined: 8 ♂, W Mongolia, Hovd Aimak, Dzun-Dzhargalant-Khairkhan, Ar-Shatyn-Gol River Valley (47°44’N; 92°27’E), 2130 m, 26.vi.2015., leg. R. Yakovlev; 1 ♂, SW Mongolia, Hovd Aimak, Mongolian Altai (S slope) Bodonchin-Gol basin, Khondijn-Gol Valley, (46°08’N; 92°30’E), h = 1750 m, 27.vi.2015. leg. R. Yakovlev (coll. R.V. Yakovlev, Barnaul).
Cecryphallus nubila (Staudinger, 1895) (Fig.
The species was described from Kaschgar [northwestern China, Tura], widespread in southern Kazakhstan, Kirgiziya, southern Mongolia (Gobi-Altai, Bayan-Khongor and South-Gobi Aimaks), Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Azerbaijan, southern Armenia, Turkmenistan, northern Iran, and Xinjiang, China (
Material examined: 1 ♂, SW Mongolia, Hovd Aimak, Dzhungarian Gobi Desert, S slope Barangijn-Nuruu Mts., 3 km S Barangijn-Tataal kuduk, (45°53’N; 91°19’E), 1300 m, 3.vii.2015, leg. R. Yakovlev (coll. R.V. Yakovlev, Barnaul).
At present 24 Cossidae species from 13 genera have been reliably recorded in Mongolia. The distribution of the genus Gobibatyr Yakovlev, 2004 has been significantly extended (the northern border of the habitat has been shifted by 450 kilometers). Despite numerous past efforts focused on the study of the Mongolian Cossidae, it appears that much can still be discovered, especially in the southeast of the country, from where little material is known.
The authors are grateful to Z. Bálint (Budapest), curator of the Lepidoptera collection of Hungarian Museum of Natural History; to Margarita Bush (Moscow) for interesting material from Western Mongolia; to A.I. Shmakov, I. Evdokimov, P.A. Kosachev and A. Cherepanov (Barnaul) for assistance in organizing the expedition; to А.K. Ustjuzhanina (Tomsk) for the translation of the article into English.