A Study Of Parnassiidae(Lepidoptera) In Gansu Province

From 1990 to 1996, the author collects Parnassians speciesmen and exploits their population on the spot all over Gansu province, meanwhile, on the base , the geographic distribution, ecology and bio-diversity of Parnassians in Gansu Province was studied , so was the vertical distribution of Parnassians in Si-Da-Long forest-Pastoral areas in Qilianshan Mts(north slope)and geographic variations & individual variations of Parnassians subspecies. The main results and conclusion are summarized as follows.1. Gansu has 11 Parnassians species, they are Parnassius nomion, p. imperator, p. cephalus, P. szencheyii, P. andreji, P. epaphus, P. Orleans, P. glacial is, P. stubbendorfii, P. acco, P. jacquemontii, and has 26 subspecies also, 3 new subspecies are identified among them: 1)P. cephalus qilianshani R.L.Zhang ssp . nov; 2) P. epaphus qilianicus R.L.Zhang ssp. Nov ;^)P. jacquemontii qilianensis R.L.Zhang ssp. Nov.. Chinese discribe and English abstract are presented.2. The fauna composition of Parnassians in Gansu Province includes widely distributed species and Palaearctic species, the former is 6 species and the later is 5 species. Three mini-geographic distribution regions were classified---mini-region of loess plateau, mini-region of Gannan plateau , mini-region ofQilianshan Mts.3. The Parnassians vertical distribution of Si-Da-Long forest-pastoral areas in Qilianshan Mts. (north slope)is somewhat clear. In addition to ice-snow zone, Alpine subice-snow rare vegetation zone has 3 species, sub-alpine scrub-meadow zone has 6, mountain forest-steppe zone has 3, mountain steppe zone has 2. The subalpine scrub-meadow zone is the most wonderful area for Parnassians living.4 . The study of Parnassians bio-diversity in different vegetation zone [Si-Da-Long forest-pastoral areas in Qilianshan Mts. (north slope)] illustrated that the species richness decreased in the following sequence. Sub alpine scrub meadow zone (6 sp.), alpine subice-snow vegetation zone ^mountain forest-steppe zone (3 spp.), mountain steppe zone (2 spp.). In similarity, the Parnassians biodiversity increased in same sequence. The Parnassians species composition between mountain steppe zone and mountain forest-steppe zone had the highest similarity (Jaccard index=0. 667);There has no same species in five vegetation zone...