Wiskott's Sulphur - Colias wiskotti Stgr.
The species name is given in honor of the entomologist Ivan Ivanovich Wiskott.
The wingspan of this sulphur butterfly is up to 50 mm. The coloration of males varies in shades from lemon-green to deep orange. A wide black border occupies almost half of the wing. Females are not as brightly colored.
It produces one generation per year. The population of the species is low. They fly from June to July high in the mountains of the Pamirs and Tian Shan, preferring slopes covered with astragalus and acantholimon, which are the food of their caterpillars. The bodies of the caterpillars are usually covered with numerous bristles and dark plates.
In the folklore of various peoples, there are many riddles about insects, including butterflies: “All four petals stirred at the flower.
I wanted to pick it — it fluttered and flew away.”
There are also many myths associated with butterflies. When swarms of beautiful butterflies appear in Ceylon, the locals say that these are the souls of the deceased going on a pilgrimage to Mecca. The ancient Greeks also believed that the souls of the dead were reincarnated as butterflies, and this myth exists in various forms among many peoples to this day.
Distribution: Endemic to the mountains of Central Asia (Ala-Too and Gissar ranges, Hindu Kush, Karategin). The butterfly is found in Kyrgyzstan, eastern Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan and is endemic to these regions. It occurs high in the mountains of the Pamirs and Tian Shan.
It prefers mountain slopes covered with astragalus and acantholimon.
INSECTS OF KYRGYZSTAN
