A new species of the genus Eremochorus Zaslavskij, 1962 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from South-eastern Altai (Russia)

A new species, Eremochorus (Eremochorus) kuraicus Legalov, sp. nov. from Kosh-Agach District, South-eastern Russian Altai of Western Siberia is described and illustrated. This species is similar to E. mikhailovi Legalov, 2007 from Central Altai but differs from it in the longer rostrum with distinct middle carina, longer elytra and the aedeagus. A distribution map for E. kuraicus Legalov, sp. nov. and E. mikhailovi is given.

A new species of the genus Otiorhynchus Germar, 1822 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Central Altai (Western Siberia)

A new species, Otiorhynchus (Mongolorrhynchus) ivanovi Legalov, sp. nov. from Central Russian Altai of Western Siberia is described and illustrated. This species is similar to O. rectipilosus from Altai but differs from it in the profemora with obtuse tooth, curved pronotal sides and weakly rugose pronotum. A map and a key for identifying species from the subgenus Mongolorrhynchus are given.

PARASKARIDOSIS OF HORSES IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE CENTRAL ALTAI

The purpose of this paper was to study the epizootic process of equine paraskaridosis in the conditions of the Central Altai. The research was conducted in 4 administrative districts of the natural-geographical province. Fecal samples were examined by the methods generally accepted in parasitology. After analyzing the results of ovolarvoscopic studies we can say that nematodes of the suborder Strongylata (IP = 87.8) prevail with EI indicators of 79.4–100.0% in the structure of the helminth complex of the gastrointestinal tract of horses in the territory of all administrative districts. However, an important role in the formation of invasive pathology is played by paraskaridosis, the pathogens of which are a subdominant element in the helminthocomplex (IP 6.9). This disease is almost ubiquitous. The average infestation of horses with nematodes Parascaris equorum of the suborder Ascaridata is 13.0%, with the variability of EI indicators from 7.2 to 22.1%. The maximum infestation was registered in foals, then there is a tendency to reduce the infestation of animals with age. The seasonal manifestation of paraskaridosis is characterized by the greatest infection of animals in the autumn period. Heterogeneity in the infestation of horses with paraskarids in the context of administrative regions is due to the natural and climatic features and orographic diversity of mountain landscapes and the established ecosystems characteristic of them.

Distribution and niche of Macrolepiota excoriata in Asia

We defined the regularities in spatial distribution of Macrolepiota excoriata based on the occurrence data, as well as bioclimatic characteristics in order to control species status in the natural environment. Points of presence occurring in the steppe of Central Altai Mountains have the most optimal conditions for M. excoriata in Asia.

Nizhnyaya Sooru Settlement in Central Altai: Some Outcomes of the Study and Prospects for Further Research

More than 150 years have passed since V.V Radlov began the first excavations to study the Afanasievo culture in the Altai. To date, mortuary complexes have provided the majority of cultural and biological material for the Afanasievo culture and have served as the basis for robust analyses and interpretations, even though their potential has not been fully exhausted. Critically, Afanasievo settlements have been very poorly studied. One of the most important reasons for this gap in our knowledge is the lack of surveys for occupational sites of communities in the Altai dating to the end of the 4th to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BCE. The available information on the Afanasievo culture gives hope that this research agenda will be eventually implemented. At the same time, it is important to bring existing results into the scientific literature and analyze available materials with modern methods. This article provides information about the Afanasievo settlement Nizhnyaya Sooru, which was discovered in the Karakol River Valley of the central Altai. In spite of the small scale of previous excavations, the findings attracted archaeological attention and have been described in several publications. Inspection of this settlement in 2019 and 2020 revealed that the cultural deposits were actively being destroyed by erosion. Here, we present our observations, photographs, and a topographic plan of the site, while outlining the prospects of future research at Nizhnyaya Sooru. Keywords: Altai, Afanasievo culture, Nizhnyaya Sooru, settlement, animal bones, ceramics, stone tools, radiocarbon dating, topographic plan

The specific features of the reproductive biology of the rare species Gueldenstaedtia monophilla Fisch. (Fabaceae)

The seed production of the rare species Gueldenstaedtia monophylla has been investigated in 19 coenotic populations in the territories of Russia (Central Altai) and Mongolia (the north-western part). G. monophylla reproduces exclusively by seeds and is characterized by the low number and density of the plants in the populations. Its populations have a high proportion of generative plants: from 31 to 84% from the total number of the plants. The plants of G. monophylla have a small number of generative shoots, varying from 1 to 6 per plant. The number of flowers on the plants is low, too, and varies in the populations on average from 1.2 to 15.3 per plant. The potential seed production (PSP) varies considerably from 13.5 to 308.6 ovules per plant. The real seed production is much lower, to constitute from 6.2 to 74.5 seeds per plant. The low seed production, fructification that occurs not every year, and scanty populations make the species vulnerable.

Features of the population organization of Myricaria bracteata in the riverbed of the Ursul River (Gorny Altai)

The article represents the analysis of the ontogenetic composition and demographic parameters of 3 cenopopulations of Myricaria bracteata in the riverbed of the Ursul River (Central Altai). It was found that the ontogenetic structure and density of individuals depend on the degree of formation of the phytocenosis and the influence of abiotic factors (features of the substrate, river bend). The invasive cenopopulation formed in a bend of the river in the absence of a phytocenotic pressure; the young normal cenopopulation formed in the river deflection on the grasscover stony shore, and the invasive-regressive cenopopulation formed on an island washed by the river.

A “Forgotten” Coin-Shaped Indication from the Early Medieval Burial Complex in Tuekta (Central Altai)

The article is dedicated to the publication of a unique find that is a coin-shaped indication from the early medieval burial complex in Tuekta (Central Altai) and an attempt of its comprehensive analysis. Excavations of the archaeological site were carried out in the 1930s during the work of the Sayan-Altai expedition led by S.V. Kiselev, however, since then, the metioned find has not attracted the attention of researchers. The article presents a detailed description of the coin-shaped indication and the analysis of the applied images, it is there also given the characteristic of the archaeological context of the discovery of the object and discuss the possibility of reading fixed signs. As a result, it is presented an attempt to interpret the product in a specific historical and cultural context taking into account the materials received over the past decades. It should be noted the absence of identical archaeological finds in the numismatic collections. At the same time, an analysis of the details of the image on the coin-shaped indication made it possible to outline a wide range of analogies demonstrating the complex processes of cultural contacts in large territories of Eurasia over a long chronological period. The authors came to the conclusion that the analysed product, as well as other like finds from the archaeological sites of the Türks of Inner Asia, to be a kind of “social markers”, demonstrating their owners’ belonging to the elite strata of the nomadic society and, possibly, reflect their specific authority. The proposed interpretation of such things, given their scarcity, as well as the context of discovery not being obvious, seems debatable and, of course, requires the emergence of new data as a result of further archaeological research