Reassessment of the status of some European and Asian Melitaea taxa described as subspecies of Melitaea phoebe ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), with designations of lectotypes where appropriate (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Author Russell, Peter J. C. Oakmeadow, Wessex Avenue, East Wittering, West Sussex PO 20 8 NP, U. K. Author Lukhtanov, Vladimir A. Department of Karyosystematics, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia. Author Tennent, W. John Scientific Associate, Division of Insects, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW 7 5 BD, U. K. & Honorary Associate, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford OX 1 3 PW, U. K text Zootaxa 2022 2022-05-24 5141 1 25 38 journal article 56757 10.11646/zootaxa.5141.1.2 f0bcd63f-20f7-438b-b72b-77d49b944722 1175-5326 6577627 F1B8B140-4A7C-4AAA-97C6-A0DAA259C8E3 M. phoebe mandarina Seitz, 1909 [TL Mongolia] a specimen of unspecified sex figured by Seitz (plate 65, fig. h, 1) is large and heavily marked, particularly the forewing post-discal black square spots. Higgins (1941: 340) suggested that it was a form very similar to the taxon changaica (see above) and his illustrations ( Higgins 1941 : plate 14, figs 7 & 8), show a similarity in spite of the large disparity in size. Van Oorschot & Coutsis (2014: 60) indicated that there were two female specimens in the Zoologisches Museum in Berlin (D), they did not illustrate either but placed this form under M. phoebe . The underside submarginal markings of specimens illustrated by Seitz and Higgins are curved and touch the intervening veins clearly indicating an association with M. phoebe , agreeing with van Oorschot & Coutsis (2014: 60) and Russell & Tennent (2016 : note 49).