Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 7. (Budapest 1956)

Kovács, L.: Some data concerning the subspecific distribution of Colias chrysotheme Esp. (Lepidoptera)

ates from the others and approaches the Central Hungarian form. Concerning color, the Viennese-Moravian grop is yellower on the one hand, and the Nezsider-Magyaróvár group more rufous on the other hand, both building thus a separate entity. Aside of these indubitable differences, the two groups have some few characters which are mutual features of both. One of them, first of all, is that the green suffusion on the hind wings (and especially on the underside) is much stronger also in the summer specimens than on those from Central Hungary. On these latter, the green suffusion is perceptible in a higher rate on specimens of the spring and autumnal generations, and so its development turns on the effect of climatical factors. The other agreement is the shineless, faint color conspicuous chiefly on the females. Finally, it is a common character that the red suffusion comes to the foreground at the expense of the basic yellow color, indeed, it sometimes suppresses it. These characters may, though in a smaller measure, be also observed on single individuals of the springtime brood. As far as I can see it, the identical characters will weigh more but, before taking a definite standpoint concerning the taxonomical problems of the populations living further to the west, I deem it advisable to examine whether the differring features do occur on really distinct areas or will appear alternating with each other. Other data regarding the Central European and Balkanian distribution of C. chrysotheme. We still come across many uncertain data in papers conerning the distribution of C. chrysotheme. Informations had, from time to time, divulged new collecting localities some of which had later been thankfully forgotten. So, for instance, S p u 1 e r (17) states in 1901 that chrysotheme occurs also in Northern Italy, on the other hand the Italian Verity, some years later, omits to mention its Italian occurrence. According to Verity (20), chrysotheme had been found also in Southern France, namely in the Alpes Maritimes. Of this occurrence no mention is made either by Röb er (16) in the Seitz work, or, much later, by B o 1

1 o w (6). Concerning the Balkan Peninsula, Rebel (13, 14, 15) mentions the Belgravian, Roumanian and Bulgarian occurrences of chrysotheme with certain reservations, and does not bring if forth from Albania at all. It is the more desirable therefore to have trustworthy data with regard to the occurrence of the species together with the actual specimens in evidence. Though there really are some rufous chrysotheme males, misleadingly resembling pale myrmidone specimens, — indeed, among the females there exist some similar to croceus, — all such specimens strike the eye when seen in series. One who works with series and knows all three species will scarcely err. I have found data not mentioned by literature also in the Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. There is a male from Borosjenő (Ineu, Roumania), situated at the foot the Transsylvania Central Mountains. The date of collecting is 1913. VIII. 27, the collector L. Diószeghy. The basic color of the wings is a rather dark, shineless orange red, the yellow element is in the background. It cannot be relegated without restrictions to any of the known forms. Further, there is a male and a female specimen from Zavidovic, Bosnia. Their colletor was K. Ken d i, who was there the clerk of a timber exploitating firm at the beginning of the century. The male has a more vivid orange than the one from Borosjenő, the orange of the female is faint, and the