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(320 m) where breeding proceeded in the lab. Apparently 7
matings and egg-laying take place later in the summer
at least until the end of September (Benyamini, 2003g).
The barrel-shaped eggs are white, ~1.5 mm in height
and ~1 mm wide, and have 18 vertical ribs. Ten days
later an hatching L1 nibbled a round cut in the periphery Lekking ?
#
of the upper flat circle and push it up to escape the © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
eggshell. It was 2.7mm long, off-white / straw-like with
dark spots on the head, five brown lines along the body
and dark spots on each segment. Lines of short white
hairs were present along the body, on the head and on
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 7 - A | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Magenta
the forked tail. By 29.10.2011 only one larva started Israel, Mt. Carmel, 300m. 2.6.1961
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 7 - A | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Yellow
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 7 - A | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 7 - A | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Cyan
eating P. miliaceum that was available to the larvae DGXOW DGXOW
9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
HJJ
1
HJJ 12 34 5 6 7 8 8 9 91 0 01 1 1 2 lar v a 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
while all others were motionless in summer aestivation. lar v a pupa © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
pupa
On 3 November started the autumn rains and the larvae
gradually resumed feeding at the recommencement of
hostplant growth at which time larval colour changed
from brown to green. By 14 November only two L1’s
were still in diapause while the others were already
green between 5 and 12 mm long. 12-14 mm long L3
is whole green with longitudinal thin lines of white and
shades of green, a wider white line at the lower sides
and transverse fine wrinkles along the larva, feeding at
night from early evening at ~ 16:00 until dawn. When Sinai, W. Shag-a-thach, 1450m. 23.6.1990 © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
threatened ~ 60% of the body is raised from the 7th
abdominal segment to nearly 90 degrees, possibly
trying to mimic a green stem. During the winter months Israel, Beit-Arye, 320 m. 2.8.1986
of December – January they grow slowly resume feeding
only on warmer days. On 25.2.2012 an L4 attained the
length of 25 mm and was light brown having similar
longitudinal strips like the last instar. Most of the L5’s
attained their final length of 38-39 mm and 4.5-5 mm
width by mid-April 2012 and the last one on 1 May 2012.
The fully grown larva is camouflaged on the grass stems
and blades by longitudinal strips; wide brown at mid- © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
dorsal, wide light brown at the sub-dorsal, two yellowish- Sinai, Wadi Tlach, 1400m. 25.5.1974
brown thin side lines, broad brown strip with short hairs
and upper white margins at the lower side and yellowish-
brown thin lines above the legs. The head is smaller than
the max width of the abdomen and have six brown strips Israel, Wadi Qelt, 265 m. 24.5.1986
extending to the forehead. The tail “fork” is small with
short hairs and brown-white strips. First L5 started to
wonder on 6 April looking for a place to pupate. Larvae
pupated in the soil, 10-20 mm below surface or under
litter. The pupa is velvety reddish-brown, formed bottom
up in its subterranean flexible chamber constructed from © Dubi Benyamini
soil particles bonded with silk. They were 18 mm long,
6-7 mm wide and hatched after 4-6 weeks, between the
2nd and 12th of June 2012.
S Jordan, Gebel Rum 1200m. 22.5.1998
5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Poaceae (Gramineae) - © Samir Hamza
Piptatherum holciforme, P. miliaceum, Bromus spp.
© Dubi Benyamini
Arabian border (Benyamini, 2000d & Larsen, 2008)),
'LVWULEXWLRQ N & S Sinai (Benyamini, 1984), NW Saudi Arabia (a
specimen collected on 26 June 1982 by Sarko Tilkian
TL: Mt. Sinai (Egypt). The species’ distribution ranges in the mountains west of Tabuk (Larsen pers. comm. to
from S Turkey? to Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan (Deir Pittaway, 1985) and two specimens reported by a team of
Alla, Wadi Kafringi, Arda Rd, Jebel Umm ed Deraj, Wadi the Riyadh Research Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture
Zerqa (Larsen & Nakamura, 1983); Gebel el Khash and Water – a male from Tabuk 25 June 1983 and a
1200 m (KS) Hisma Basin, Gebel Rum area S Jordan female from Taif N Hejaz on 26 June 1983 (both leg. Prof.
(not marked in Fabiano’s map, 1998); Dana Reserve A. S. Talhouk (Witshire, 1986)). Absent from Cyprus. The
and Petra, Edom Mt S Jordan (Benyamini, 2002a); Al Sinai and S Jordan/Tabuk populations are isolated from
Mujib Nature Reserve, Wadi Shgeig (Katbeh-Bader et al., those in the northern Levant and differs by being lighter, S Jordan, Gebel Rum 1200m. 22.5.1998
2003); Jabal Umm ad-Dami 1740 m S Jordan / Saudi possibly an indication of future subspeciation. © Stav Talal

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