In Japan, two kinds of the genus Luehdorfia species inhabit, one is L. japonica and another is L. puziloi. L. japonica, one of the most popular butterflies in the country, is an endemic species to Honshu-island (Japan), while L. puziloi occurs throughout East Asia including Honshu and Hokkaido, Japan (L. p. inexpecta and L. p. yessoensis), Korea (L. p. coreana), China northeast (Manchuria, L. p. linjiangensis) and the southeast part of Far Eastern Russia (L. p. puziloi and L. p. machimuraorum).
Out of the two subspecies in Japan, L. p. inexpecta is distributed in the central and northern portions of the Honshu main island and the L. p. yessoensis on the Hokkaido main island. In Honshu, L. japonica and L. p. inexpecta are partitioned along the boundary called as the “Luehdorfia Line”. In this text, first, L. japonica of Honshu island are illustrated by concomitant records and specimens, followed by a detailed illustration of L. puziloi from Honshu and Hokkaido (L. p. inexpecta and L. p. yessoensis), as well as continental subspecies (L. p. puziloi, L. p. machimuraorum and L. p. linjiangensis).
In Japan, two kinds of the genus Luehdorfia species inhabit, one is L. japonica and another is L. puziloi. L. japonica, one of the most popular butterflies in the country, is an endemic species to Honshu-island (Japan), while L. puziloi occurs throughout East Asia including Honshu and Hokkaido, Japan (L. p. inexpecta and L. p. yessoensis), Korea (L. p. coreana), China northeast (Manchuria, L. p. linjiangensis) and the southeast part of Far Eastern Russia (L. p. puziloi and L. p. machimuraorum). Out of the two subspecies in Japan, L. p. inexpecta is distributed in the central and northern portions of the Honshu main island and the L. p. yessoensis on the Hokkaido main island. In Honshu, L. japonica and L. p. inexpecta are partitioned along the boundary called as the “Luehdorfia Line”. In this text, first, L. japonica of Honshu island are illustrated by concomitant records and specimens, followed by a detailed illustration of L. puziloi from Honshu and Hokkaido (L. p. inexpecta and L. p. yessoensis), as well as continental subspecies (L. p. puziloi, L. p. machimuraorum and L. p. linjiangensis).