Vol. 3 No. 2 1996 DANTCHENKO et al.: Sephisa princeps Life History 47 HOLARCTIC LEPIDOPTERA, 3(2): 47-57 NOTES ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF SEPHISA PRINCEPS IN EASTERN RUSSIA (LEPIDOPTERA: NYMPHALIDAE) ALEXANDER DANTCHENKO », ANDREI SOURAKOV \D THOMAS C. EMMEL » 'Avangardnaia St. 11-160, ROS-125493 Moscow, Russia; 2Dept. of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; and 3Dept. of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA ABSTRACT,- Descriptions of immature stages and adult and larval behavior of Sephisa princeps Fixsen (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) are provided from the Russian Far East. The larvae feed in groups and exhibit an elaborate communal behavior. The overall distribution and biology are discussed in relation to the species' supposed endangered status, which is not confirmed in the present work: only complete destruction of the habitat can actually thrust a S. princeps population into endangered existence. The geographic range of each of the four species of the genus Sephisa is correlated with the range of different species of the larval hostplants of the oak genus Quercus. The ranges of different subspecies of S. chandra, are found to correspond with the ranges of different subspecies of Q. glauca, allowing one to suppose a possible co-speciation between these two taxa. KEY WORDS: Apatura, Apaturinae, behavior, biology, China, Coleoptera, conservation, egg, Euripus, Europe, Fagaceae, Far East, Hainan, Hestina, Hestinalis, hostplants, immature stages, India, Japan, Korea, larvae, Lycaenidae, Malaysia, Nepal, oviposition, Primor'e, pupae, Russia, Salicaceae, Sasakia, Sephisa, Taiwan, Yunnan. The nymphalid butterfly, Sephisa princeps (Fixsen, 1887), was and Inomata, 1994). Last instar larvae and pupae of the closely described from two males collected on Mount Pung-Tung, Korea, related S. chandra androdamas Fruhstorfer, from Taiwan, are in August, 1884. For a long time, the population of this species illustrated and their host- plant recorded as Quercus morii Hay. from the Russian Far East was considered as a subspecies of (Kubo and Gang, 1985). Appearance of the larvae and pupae are Sephisa dichroa Kollar (Kurentzov, 1970; Tuzov, 1992), even superficially similar to those of S. princeps, however, we are though the morphological differences between these taxa were providing a more elaborate description of all the immature stages previously recognized (Seitz, 1909). Thus, the genus Sephisa was in the present work. Uchida (1991) and Lin (1994) record Q. mistakenly viewed as monotypic (see Anon, 1984: Red Book of the glauca as a hostplant of S. chandra androdamas in Taiwan. USSR). Males of S. princeps can be found locally in the Russian Far The study of the collections of the Berlin Museum, Germany, East, particularly in the Prichankaiskiy region of the Primor'e area. and Zoological Museum of Kiev, Ukraine, did not reveal any However, females are extremely rare in museum collections. Our specimens collected prior to 1900, even though such renowned observations during 1988-1995 in the vicinity of Barabash-Levada collectors as the Domes brothers, Graeser, and Christoph made town, of the Pogranichniy region, showed that the density of S. exhaustive collections in the area (Staudinger, 1901). This apparent princeps is never as high as that of other Apaturinae in the area, scarcity can only be explained by extremely low populations of but its numbers are more stable through the years. For example, this species at that time. The first specimen of S. princeps in the in late July 1991 on the road along the Komissarovka River at Zoological Institute collection in St. Petersburg is labeled August Barabash-Levada, one male could be found along each 30-50m 1, 1915, Sedanka (near Vladivostok), Col. Delle. From 1927-1930 section of the road. Unlike other Nymphalidae, males never this species became abundant: 28 males and 8 females were formed puddling groups. When chased off the road, they would fly collected by Kotshubej at Ussuri, Sutchan, Jul 24-Aug 3. Mol- up and land on the branches of oak trees. They displayed territorial trecht's specimens come from approximately the same location behavior by perching and attacking passing butterflies. In the (Moltrecht, 1929). second half of July 1994, we observed large numbers of males In recent work by Masui and Inomata (1994), the genus was and, a little later, females (Fig. 7N), feeding on tree sap in the revised and included in the Euripus group, which contains five canopy. genera: Euripus, Hestina, Sephisa, Sasakia, and Hestinalis. The biology of Sephisa princeps, which is the most northern species of DESCRIPTION OF LIFE HISTORY the group, was largely unknown except for the short mention that Egg: On 24 Jul 1994, we obtained 28 eggs from a caged female. the foodplant was Quercus mongolica Fisch (Fagaceae) (Masui A block of 26 glued-together eggs was laid into a rolled leaf of a 48 DANTCHENKO et al.: Sephisa pnnceps Life History HOLARCTIC LEPIDOPTERA Fig. 1. Sephisa princeps: (A) Egg with 18 vertical ribs (X50); (B) Eggs with 17 vertical ribs (X50); (C) Egg, dorsal view (X50); (D) Head of the 1st instar larva (X75); (E) Head of the 2nd instar larva (X38); (F) Head of the 3rd instar larva (X30) (by A. Sourakov). new shoot of Quercus mongolica Fisch (Fagaceae). The female base (Fig. 2A), from where they went to its tip or to another leaf died in six days and upon opening her abdomen, we found to feed (Fig. 2B). In ten days, larvae started molting into the another 24 fully formed eggs. second instar. Almost all of them formed one compact group at Eggs are white, ellipse-shaped. Micrographs of the two eggs we this time. examined show some differences in proportion of the eggs, which Larvae are green, with a black, 1.0mm wide and 0.8mm high can be correlated with differences in the number of vertical ribs: head. Body length at maturity is 5.5-6.0 mm. The entire head there are 18 vertical ribs on one egg (Fig. 1A,C) and 17 on the except frontoclypeus is covered with raised reticulation (Fig. ID). other (Fig. IB). Their sizes are 1.24mm wide and 1.32mm high, The shape of the body and chaetotaxy can be seen on the micro- and 1.14mm wide and 1.34mm high, respectively. There are more graph (Fig. 3). The prothoracic shield (Fig. 5B) is divided in two: than 60 horizontal ribs between the vertical ribs and there is a pore one portion for each lateral side of the body, and each bearing on both sides of the vertical rib for each of the horizontal ribs. four setae. Unfortunately, part of the body setae were broken off Ribs disappear when they reach the rosette-shaped micropylar area in the only first instar larva we preserved. However, from obser- (Fig. 5A), which is 0.25mm in diameter. vations on the intact setae as well as on the second instar chaeto- First instar: The leaf with 26 eggs was placed into a cage with taxy, we can conclude that dorsal setae are all modified into short fresh branches of Quercus robur. Hatching began on the 16th day after oviposition and 23 eggs hatched within 24 hours. Three eggs Fig. 2. Sephisa princeps: (A) 1st instar larvae in the nest; (B) 1st instar larvae were infertile. Upon hatching, larvae were white and 3 mm long. feeding; (C) Several of the larvae have turned dark and gone into diapause; (D) Larvae have just molted into 2nd instar; (E) 3rd instar larva building a nest; (F) 3rd During the first 24 hours, the larvae kept together, feeding on their instar larvae resting in the nest; (G) 2nd instar larva feeding; (H) 3rd instar larvae egg shells and building a silken nest around the leaf with the feeding; (I) 3rd instar larvae molting into 4th instar; (J) 4th instar larvae feeding; original batch of eggs. Later, larvae went out on the leaves in (K) 4th instar larva building a nest; (L) Full-grown 5th instar larva; (M) Newly groups of 5-8 and returned into the nest after feeding. Two days molted 5th instar larva building a nest; (N) 5th instar larva before pupation: (O) later, larvae moved to another leaf and formed a new nest at its Pupa, lateral view; (P) Pupa, dorsal view (by A. Dantchenko). 50 DANTCHENKO et al.: Sephisa princeps Life History HOLARCTIC LEPIDOPTERA Fig. 3. Sephisa princeps: Micrograph of the 1st instar larva, lateral view (by A. Sourakov). Fig. 4. Sephisa princeps: Micrograph of the 2nd instar larva, lateral view (by A. Sourakov). mushroom-shaped setae on chalazae (Fig. 5F). Spiracles are segments, located between white-brown subdorsal lines (Fig. elevated. The prothoracic ostium is shown in Fig. 5C. Legs are 2D,G). The subdorsal line gives rise to similarly colored lines, short, with laterally flattened tibia and tarsus, bearing few setae which diagonally cross the lateral side of two segments, going (Fig. 5E). The last abdominal segment is bifurcate. The dorsal forward and down. These lines are present on all abdominal setae on the last segment are longer than the rest of the dorsal segments. Body length at the end of instar is 10 mm. setae, and have a few teeth distally (Fig. 5D). Third instar: There were three separate leaf nests of larvae. Second instar: The behavior of the second instar was similar to Larvae were spending up to 30 minutes together on the upper that of the first instar: larvae came out in groups to feed for 3-4 surface of the leaf (Fig. 2F) and then abruptly going out in groups minutes (Fig. 2G), and then return into the nest for 15-20 minutes of 4-6 larvae to one of the leaves on the same branch (Fig.