Vol. 11 The Butterflies of Kazakhstan

V. Tshikolovets, O. Kosterin, P. Gorbunov, R. Yakovlev (2016), 448 pp., 64 colour plates (about 4500 photographs). Kazakhstan – one of the largest countries of Eurasia. The western part is in Europe, and the eastern bordering with China. A variety of natural and climatic conditions led to a large number of species of Rhopalocera. Even 15 Parnassius species live here. The most interesting for lepidopterists in Kazakhstan are the mountain areas in the east: the Tian Shan, Dzungar Alatau, Saur, Tarbagatay, Altai, where the largest number of rare and endemic species live. A big part of the territory is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts, but here also are a large number of rare and endemic species, among which you can specify Coenonympha mongolica, Zegris pyrothoe, Neolycaena kazakhstana, etc.

The book contains all the literary references about the butterflies of Kazakhstan; almost all the type material was studied, including China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation.

Overall 370 species of Rhopalocera are known from Kazakhstan. All species are shown on colour plates except for a few which are specified as migrants or very rare species recorded within the country boundary, such as Danaus chrysippus. Also depicted are many type specimens from the major museums (ZISP, ZMHU, ZMKU and others), and the largest private collections. ISBN 978-80-904900-7-9.