Crimean scientist Konstantin Efetov identified a new species of butterflies for Russia

Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Crimean Federal University. V.I. Vernadsky, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Konstantin Efetov identified a new species of lepidoptera for the fauna of Russia. Discovered on the southernmost island of the country — Furugelma (Primorsky Territory) — the butterfly turned out to be an unknown specimen in Russia, but its “double” had been waiting in the wings for more than half a century in the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

When colleagues from the Far East sent me photographs of the find from Furugelm Island, I immediately realized that this was not just a rare species, but a species that had never previously been recorded on the territory of our country. Having compared the morphological characteristics with world samples, I unmistakably determined: this Black smoker (Hedina nigra), previously known only from Japan and Chinasaid Konstantin Efetov.

A significant discovery took place thanks to the field work of RAS employees Ilya Makhov (ZIN RAS) and Ulyana Gorobeiko (FSC Biodiversity FEB RAS) on the territory of the Far Eastern Marine Reserve. Faced with an unfamiliar species from the Spectral family (Zygaenidae), the researchers sent the materials to a world-renowned expert on this group of insects, Professor Konstantin Efetov.

While studying the issue, Konstantin Efetov discovered an exact copy of this butterfly in the collections of the Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg. As it turned out, a copy Hedina nigra was collected by entomologists near Ussuriysk back in 1961, but remained unidentified in the collection for more than 60 years.

Thus, the find on Furugelma Island not only added to the register of Russian fauna, but also proved that Black smoker is a permanent resident of the south of Primorye, and not a random migrant. The results of this work were published by Konstantin Efetov and Ilya Makhov in the prestigious international journal Ecologica Montenerina.

The importance of this discovery goes far beyond taxonomy. The caterpillars of this butterfly feed on Amur grapes, a wild relative of cultivated varieties. Therefore, the discovery of the species has practical and economic significance for the development of horticulture and plant protection in the Far Eastern regionadded Konstantin Efetov.

A discovery made with the direct participation of KFU scientist. V.I. Vernadsky, Professor Konstantin Efetov, once again proves the importance of working with museum funds and confirms the hypothesis about the migration of heat-loving species to the territory of Russia. Scientists do not rule out that systematic research of the islands of Peter the Great Bay, which are under the control of the directorate of the Land of the Leopard nature reserves, will bring more than one similar discovery.

source: KFU press service

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