Oeneis tanana

Oeneis tanana (lat.) - a butterfly from the genus Oeneis of the marigold family. The species is probably the result of hybridization between Oeneis bore and Oeneis chryxus ^[1] . One of the pioneers of the taxon, the entomologist Andrew Warren, believes that the crossing of species began about 28-14 thousand years ago. At that time, the aspen and spruce forests of the Yukon and Tanana river basins were ice-free, Oeneis chryxus and Oeneis bore species began to interbreed, and their offspring eventually formed a separate species. In the most severe years of the last ice age, Oeneis chryxus migrated south to the Rocky Mountains, while Oeneis bore and the newly formed Oeneis tanana remained in Beringia . Previously, Oeneis tanana did not differ in habit from Oeneis chryxus , but Oeneis tanana is somewhat larger and darker than it, and also has white spots on the underside of the wings.

The DNA of Oeneis tanana practically coincides with the DNA of Oeneis bore , which indicates the crossing of the two species ^[2] .

Alaska endemic ( North America ). Known only from the valley of the river Tanana . This valley, or part of it, was a glacial refugium during the last ice age. Moths inhabit glades in the boreal spruce forests

Flight time is from mid-May to early July, with a peak in mid-June. Two years are required for the full development of the tracks - a two-year generation. Butterflies are found only in odd years.