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FAUNISTIC REVIEW OF THE BUTTERFLIES (LEPIDOPTERA, DIURNA) OF KUNASHIR AND SAKHALIN Vlasova Alisa Institute of Ecological Problems of the North, the Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Arkhangelsk, Russia, e-mail: vlasowaalisa@yandex .ru In recent decades, the ecology and biogeography has been an increased in- terest on species biodiversity of regions, countries, and natural zones around the world. Particular interest has hard to reach areas with significant variations 187 of climate. Therefore the research of Sakhalin and Kunashir is topical. Data on these islands are few and some are quite old or it is comprehensive assessment of fauna butterflies on the Kuril Islands (Matsumura, 1911 Gritskevich, 1994; Ko- novalov, 1996). This work will be part of a comprehensive review of butterflies’ fauna of Sakhalin and Kunashir. The aim of this work is a review of butterflies’ fauna in anthropogenic habi- tats of Kunashir and some valleys of the rivers on Sakhalin. The observations were made on Sakhalin and Kunashir in July 2011 and in June 2012. Total were collected nearly 300 specimens of butterflies. The studied communities of butterflies on Sakhalin and Kunashir are very poor and there were only 37 species. We noted 30 species on Kunashir and 20 species on Sakhalin. Diurna fauna of Sakhalin is rich and has 43 species (Gritskevich, 1994), on Kunashir noted 42 species (Konovalov, 1996). Poor spe- cies composition of the insect fauna was collected during the expedition to the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, due to different regional conditions. Most of the species on Sakhalin lives in the valley of the rivers in the flood plain of grass-forb meadows with wild rose and honeysuckle and the meadows along the roadsides with red clover (Trifolium pratense). On Kunashir is in the southern part of 1.5-2 km from the coast, as well as along roads, rivers and Stolbovskie hot springs on wet grass, forb meadows and coniferous forests with Kuril bamboo (Arundinaria kurilensis). Neope goschkevitschii mainly found in shrubby thickets of bamboo in the forest, where it forms massive clusters on the trunks of willow trees, feeding on tree sap. Bamboo communities characterized Lethe diana and Thoressa varia, which are associated with trophic relationships. Single specimens caught in the middle of the island, on the coast of the Okhots- koe Sea near Stolbovskie and Neskuchenskie springs and along roads, grass-forb meadows and coniferous-deciduous forests. In moving to the north there is a gradual disappearance of deciduous and coniferous forests and dramatic deple- tion of the insect fauna (Krivolutskaya, 1973). Due to the impact of cold climate butterflies live mostly near hot springs. In open spaces is a large abundance Celastrina argiolus, Papilio machaon, Papilio bianor. On Kunashir are few species living in mixed grass meadows: Solias erate polyographus, Everes argiades, Lycaena phlaeas, Apatura metis, Pieris bras- sicae, Nymphalis antiopa. On Sakhalin floodplain grass-forb meadows marked only single specimens Ahlbergia ferrea, Clossiana euphrosyne, Clossiana osca- rus, Inachis io. Kunashir has massive cluster Thoressa varia, Brenthis daphne and Ochlodes sylvanus on meadow areas, vacant lots and valleys with Kuril bamboo, grasses, etc., which are host plants for their caterpillars on about. Sakhalin has Parnas- sius stubbendorfi and Carterocephalus silvicolus on wet meadows, forest edges with grasses. These species are caught on habitats during their intensive summer (June-July) (Korshunov, 1995). 188 On Kunashir were found species which not previously registered - Pieris brassicae, Cyaniris semiargus, Maculinea telejus, Neptis rivularis. On Sakha- lin were found Papilio maackii, Leptidea amurensis, Ahlbergia ferrea, Apatura metis (Matsumura, 1911 Kurentsov, 1970; Gritskevich, 1994; Konovalov, 1996). Pieris brassicae is an active migrant and successfully expanding its range to the East. Other species are widespread in Eurasia, Japan, China, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin (Korshunov, 1995). Fauna of Kunashir and Sakhalin is very diverse and heterogeneous. It chang- es not only when driving from the north to the south, but also when moving from west to east, due to the regional paleogeographic conditions and the influence of ocean currents surrounding the islands.